Ally Maki’s Asian American Girl Club Launches Media Arm With Aagc Originals

4 months ago

Asian American Girl Club (AAGC) is stepping into media. Seven years aft launching arsenic a community-led manner platform, nan company—founded by Ally Maki—has unveiled AAGC Originals, a caller accumulation limb spanning podcasts, film, and TV.

Its debut project, Undefinable, is hosted by Jenna Ushkowitz and Kara Wang, and spotlights Asian American women shaping civilization and industry.

What began arsenic a motto tee has steadily evolved into thing much expansive: a taste hub for Asian American women to spot themselves reflected, heard, and celebrated. That improvement has been intentional. For Maki, storytelling was ever portion of nan agelong game.

“We raised an angel information [of funding] pinch friends, family, and nan community, which was specified an unthinkable life-changing experience,” Maki said. “But this adjacent shape of AAGC really is taking nan full organization that we’ve built and now saying it’s clip to show our stories. That is nan astir breathtaking adjacent and earthy section for us. Jenna and I are storytellers arsenic well.”

That community-backed backing information included a cross-section of Asian diaspora founders and creatives—from Amy Liu and Ellen Chen to Manny Jacinto, Darren Criss, and Ashley Park—further reinforcing AAGC’s DNA arsenic a community-powered platform.

The podcast, which premiered March 18, features guests including Olympic fig skater Kristi Yamaguchi and filmmaker-musician Hayley Kiyoko, pinch a attraction connected personal, often untold narratives.

“We ever talk astir AAGC being inspirational and relatable, right?” says Maki. “Finding these guests that person been a portion of our community, and are a earthy fresh for nan podcast and nan stories we’re telling.”

Some of nan astir compelling moments, however, travel from nan unexpected. Reflecting connected Yamaguchi’s episode, Maki points to nan vulnerability down nan accolades.

“Kristi said that increasing up, she was really awkward and uncoordinated, and really she trained done that, processing her self-esteem. Those are nan kinds of stories we’re excited to show people.”

Ushkowitz, now portion of AAGC’s activity team, says nan podcast has been years successful nan making. “Ally and I person been talking astir an AAGC podcast for complete 5 years now, aliases overmuch longer,” she says. “We are being really intentional astir really we walk our clip and really we stock it pinch nan world.”

“The extremity is ever for nan organization and connection. As a mini startup now, pinch a squad and investors that are helping america style this company, nan extremity is simply focusing and uncovering what we do champion arsenic storytellers, which is conscionable proceeding nan beating bosom of nan organization that is down america each measurement of nan way.”

Read more: Ally Maki’s Asian American Girl Club Slammed For Target Partnership Amid Minneapolis ICE Controversy

“We attraction astir our organization truthful much. Their values really align pinch what we inherently judge successful and will ever guidelines patient for – nan equality of group and nan visibility of their voices. They made their voices heard, and we will ever show up. We will ever listen, grow, and study from this.”

Beyond podcasts, AAGC Originals is processing contented crossed digital, film, and television, arsenic good arsenic a children’s series—expanding its ngo to centre Asian American stories crossed formats.

“We are doubling down connected what our organization really values, which is our stories, togetherness, family, and heritage,” Maki explains.

In January, nan retailer came nether scrutiny aft ICE-related incidents successful and astir Target locations—including arrests and escalating raids—which sparked protests and online calls for boycotts. Critics based on nan collaboration conflicted pinch AAGC’s community-first ethos, pinch immoderate accusing nan marque of being “tone-deaf” successful nan governmental climate.

Maki responded astatine nan time, stating nan marque was successful “direct conversations” pinch Target and emphasising accountability to its community.