Opportunity for All: Building Opportunities for Entrepreneurs E50
In this episode of AZ Good Business, Thomas Barr is joined by Whitney Yang, and Andrew Wong, co-founders of the Bambi Fund. They discuss the nonprofit’s mission to support historically excluded communities, including LGBTQ individuals and the formerly incarcerated, by providing them with opportunities and resources to start a successful business. They share their motivations, with Whitney focusing on the importance of understanding racial justice and the impact of mass incarceration in Arizona. Andrew is inspired to utilize his design background to help individuals succeed through the Bambi Fund’s Hustle House program, which provides entrepreneurship training for formerly incarcerated individuals.
Join this conversation to hear about the importance of the much needed community support for new business owners, and the opportunity for public engagement through mentorship, hiring returning community members, and supporting inclusive efforts through entrepreneurship.
Whitney Meilan Yang is a traveler, entrepreneur, dog mom, and noodle-enthusiast. She is a mixed race, Asian-American woman born in Hong Kong and raised primarily in Shanghai, China.
In 2020 Whitney founded Mixed Change, a communications consulting business serving social justice organizations and nonprofits, to amplify the voices of people directly impacted by human rights abuses and to challenge normative narratives that further oppression and injustice.
Whitney has worked with individuals and groups fighting for migrant justice, abolition, racial justice, international human rights, Indigenous self-determination, trans rights, and more. She earned her MA Social Justice & Human Rights from Arizona State University, and her BA Sociology & Cultural Studies from University of London.
Andrew Wong is a self-proclaimed international Aussie who has lived among cultures and continents including Australia, Germany, China, and the United States. He is a designer and dreamer with a dedication to fostering imagination, believing in peoples’ visions, and bringing them to reality.
Andrew attended Swinburne School of Technology and HAWK University where he studied Product Design and Industrial Design. He worked as a Principal Designer for Frog Design in Germany, a leading global creative consultancy, and founded his own design consultancy business in Shanghai, China called Beach Creative. At Beach, Andrew utilized his expertise in design research and design strategy to direct his team of engineers in developing various consumer products, medical devices, and household goods.
Thomas Barr is the Executive Director for Local First Arizona, the largest coalition of local businesses in North America. He advocates for a strong local business community that contributes to building vibrancy, equity, and prosperity across the state. A proud Arizona native and graduate of Arizona State University, Thomas leads the business coalition of Local First Arizona by advocating for the economic and cultural benefits provided by building strong local economies.