Supplier Diversity and Inclusive Leadership: 15 AAPI Founders Reshaping Enterprise Ecosystems
For corporate enterprise leaders, fostering a truly inclusive workplace culture requires extending support beyond internal talent pipelines. True corporate social responsibility (CSR) and robust Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) metrics are achieved when organizations actively champion supplier diversity and invest in community-driven educational infrastructure.
To mark AAPI Heritage Month, WERULE’s Co-founder Camille Jalandoni co-hosted an experiential initiative in NYC’s SoHo district. The activation served a dual purpose: providing an organic marketplace for rapid brand acceleration and driving institutional fundraising for Make Us Visible—a non-profit organization successfully campaigning to integrate Asian American history into U.S. K-12 public school curricula.
At WeRule, our agentic AI mentorship software helps enterprise organizations build high-impact Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and automate leadership matching. Below, we deconstruct the operational strategies, communication frameworks, and scaling models of pioneering AAPI-owned brands that enterprise procurement and People Ops teams can integrate into their corporate ecosystems.
LIST OF 15 COOL APPI OWNED COMPANIES WE’RE OBSESSING OVER
CLOUD STUDIO | Founded by YouMe Lin
Headquartered in New York City, Cloud Studio was established in 2019 by creative consultant, producer, and editor YouMe Lin. Bringing extensive director-level executive experience in cross-functional creative development and corporate social media management, Lin possesses an advanced understanding of matrixed operational communication.
As a goal-oriented enterprise leader with a track record of scaling startups into household names, Lin leverages structured mentorship methodologies to help forward-thinking brands articulate their core value propositions.
VELVET.CO
Established in 2017, Velvet.Co is an international PR and strategic marketing consultancy operating across New York and Shanghai.
The firm focuses on cross-border corporate storytelling, designing innovative digital frameworks that allow enterprise clients to scale market penetration, build sustainable cross-cultural networks, and optimize customer relationship management across both the US and Chinese digital ecosystems.
Enterprise ERG Strategy Tip
Supporting diverse founders requires more than annual heritage month spotlights. Modern People Ops teams use WeRule's automated dashboard to track year-round mentorship engagement within AAPI Employee Resource Groups, preventing cohort attrition and proving internal programmatic ROI. [Request an Enterprise Demo]
Overcoming Structural Scaling Bottlenecks
MERGE
Launched in 2020, Merge engineered a disruptive data-driven approach to apparel manufacturing, systematically solving sizing inefficiencies by becoming the first Thai market entrant to offer comprehensive 10-tier size modeling.
The enterprise’s core operational philosophy centers on individual empowerment and structural body inclusivity, proving that modern supply chains can successfully balance high-volume asset output with accessible consumer unit economics.
APEDE MOD
Co-founded in New York City in 2016, Apede Mod was designed to merge convenience with artistic utility. Derived from the ancient Egyptian deity Apedemak (symbolizing independent courage) and the concept of modern vitality, the enterprise operates on a model of high-level craftsmanship. By collaborating with independent artisanal ateliers where every structural element is hand-finished, the brand provides an operational blueprint for maintaining strict quality assurance while scaling global luxury distribution.
VINN PATARARIN
VINN PATARARIN operates at the cutting edge of multi-disciplinary textile architecture. Co-founded by architect Vinn Chokkhatiwat (an alumnus of Chonlongkorn University and Paris’s ENSCI, with haute couture structural training at Iris van Herpen) and Patararin Pongprasit (an artist trained at Studio Berçot and Azzedine ALAÏA), the brand treats apparel as a moving architectural space.
By synthesizing high-tech automated manufacturing with historical post-modern craftsmanship, they demonstrate how cross-disciplinary mentorship can spark industry-wide fabrication breakthroughs.
Cultivating Cultural Integrity and Global Footprints
Ming You Wang
Founded in 2013 by FIT alumna Jennifer Wang, MING YU WANG (named after the traditional characters for 'King of Jade') focuses on structural form and design longevity.
Transitioning away from the high-waste fast-fashion matrix, Wang anchors her corporate footprint in circular economy practices. Her statement collections are manufactured exclusively from recycled sterling silver and brass, utilizing ethically sourced gems and cultivated pearls to prove that global enterprise expansion can seamlessly align with rigorous environmental governance.
BROOKLYN DELHI
Co-founded by cookbook author Chitra Agrawal and artist Ben共同, Brooklyn Delhi scaled from local New York artisanal markets to a hyper-visible nationwide grocery footprint. The enterprise was built to expand the culinary narrative around South Asian flavor profiles through small-batch production.
By maintaining cultural integrity and sourcing meticulous agricultural inputs down to specific varietals of mango and coconut cream, the brand provides a masterclass in scaling niche products into mainstream retail channels.
Re-Engineering Everyday Industry Standards
Blueland
Blueland was engineered to disrupt the environmental impact of household consumer products. Sparked by a mission to eliminate microplastic water contamination, the enterprise manufactures effective household and personal care solutions utilizing reusable packaging.
Their operational framework streamlines sustainable consumption by making eco-conscious alternatives convenient, high-performing, and financially accessible on a global enterprise scale.
OMSOM
Co-founded by sisters Vanessa and Kim Pham—daughters of Vietnamese refugees who cut their professional teeth in high-velocity tech startups and management consulting—Omsom serves as a bold, authentic celebration of Asian flavors.
By shifting away from compromised, westernized recipes, the Phams built an uncompromised, high-growth food brand that proves cultural authenticity is a powerful asset when scaling modern consumer portfolios.
Institutional Advocacy: The Foundation of Inclusion
MAKE US VISIBLE
Launched in January 2021 by a bipartisan coalition of educational stakeholders, Make Us Visible engineers long-term legislative solutions to address systemic anti-Asian bias.
The organization has successfully driven community-led legislative strategies resulting in mandated AAPI history integration within public schools across Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Florida. Their framework highlights how structured, localized advocacy models can scale into nationwide policy achievements.
Enterprise Supplier Diversity Directory
To help corporate procurement teams, ERG leads, and event coordinators optimize their corporate gifting, catering, and supply vendor pipelines, we have compiled an extensive index of vetted, high-growth, at least 51% AAPI-owned brands across multiple operational sectors, matching the core categories documented by global lifestyle registries like Rolling Stone.
AAPI-Owned Travel and Wellness Brands
Aloha Collection — Scalable utility travel gear
Aviron — Connected connected fitness infrastructure
Béis — Functional global transit luggage
Cadence — Modular, circular travel containers
Calpak — Modular, circular travel containers
Cocolab — Preventive oral healthcare design
Silk + Sonder — Mental wellness and emotional regular frameworks
AAPI-Owned Clothing and Accessories Brands
All Citizens — High-performance apparel engineering
AMYO Jewelry — Minimalist contemporary accessory design
Bandolier — Utility tech luxury accessories
Birdy Grey — High-volume occasion apparel logistical platforms
BonBonWhims — Pop-culture avant-garde accessories
Cotidié — High-comfort active performance wear
Dagne Dover — Neoprene technical organization bags
Grey State — Sustainable, relaxed loungewear systems
JW Pei — Vegan-certified luxury accessories
Kinn — Modern heirloom luxury jewelry
M.M. LaFleur — Wardrobe solutions for corporate female executives
Pepper — Anatomically precise body-inclusive apparel
AAPI-Owned Beauty and Skincare Brands
Avya Skincare — Ayurvedic medical-grade skincare technology
Blume — Clean wellness and organic skin therapeutics
Cocokind — High-transparency botanical skincare formulations
Caire Beauty — Biologically driven hormone-responsive skincare
Glamnetic — Innovators in magnetic cosmetic applications
Glow Recipe — Fruit-forward clean beauty innovators
Hero Cosmetics — Hydrocolloid dermatological solution patches
Jason Wu Beauty — High-fashion clean cosmetic extensions
Kulfi Beauty — Culturally expressive high-pigment cosmetics
Peach & Lily — Cruelty-free clinical Korean skincare networks
Pink Moon — Holistic eco-friendly wellness and astrology tools
Soko Glam — Vetted marketplace for global K-Beauty curation
Tatcha — Classical Japanese ritual skincare science
Tower 28 — Hypoallergenic sensitive-skin cosmetic design
AAPI-Owned Home and Kitchen Brands
Aerangis — Scent-memory artisanal candles
Birthdate — Astrological personalized wellness assets
Boy Smells — Genderless luxury fragrance and candle design
Chop Suey Club — Contemporary Chinese design and art platform
Ettitude — Organic, circular bamboo textile technologies
Lochby — High-durability waxed canvas journal systems
Material Kitchen — Sustainable, high-performance culinary tools
Our Place — Multi-functional space-saving cookware
Poketo — Art-driven stationary and organizational design
Rendall Co. — High-durability premium workwear uniforms
The Sill — Biophilic office and corporate workspace plant delivery
AAPI-Owned Food and Beverage Brands
Alaya Tea — Biodynamic organic loose-leaf tea sourcing
Bean & Bean — Certified fair-trade female-powered coffee roasters
Boba Bam — Rapid-preparation frozen boba technologies
Brightland — Cold-pressed single-blend extra virgin olive oils
Chargel — Caffeine-free athletic energy gel drinks
Copper Cow Coffee — Sustainably sourced Vietnamese pour-over coffee systems
Fly By Jing — Standard-setting traditional Sichuan chili sauces
Health-ade Kombucha — High-volume organic cold-brewed kombucha
Immi Ramen — Plant-based, low-carb high-protein instant noodles
Lunar Hard Seltzer — Premium craft seltzers utilizing real Asian fruits
Mílá — Modernized traditional frozen soup dumpling lines
Moshi Sparkling Water — Authentic carbonated yuzu beverage lines
Null Wines — Premium non-alcoholic award-winning wine curation
Rootless — Whole-food seaweed-based health supplements
Drive Sustainable Workforce Inclusivity with WeRule
Expanding your supplier network and honoring diverse founders creates a rich corporate ecosystem. However, fostering an internal culture of continuous promotion, support, and professional retention for your diverse workforce requires a data-driven structure.
WeRule’s agentic AI mentorship software helps enterprise companies scale their DEI commitments. By replacing manual workflows with algorithmic matching and real-time behavioral insights, we ensure your internal ERG mentoring cohorts deliver measurable business outcomes and lasting corporate leadership legacies.
Empower your diverse talent and streamline your internal mentorship networks today. [Schedule Your WeRule Corporate Demo]
