There’s a new skincare ingredient that has blown up in Korea and is making its way to skincare shelves in America and it’s something you may not expect. It’s salmon DNA or PDRN. 

PDRN is short for polydeoxyribonucleotide, salmon DNA that’s most commonly extracted and purified from salmon sperm. But this is not just another skincare trend, its science backed. PDRN was first discovered in the early 1980s in Italy and was used to treat burns and other stubborn wounds. 

Enter Koreans in the mid-2000s. Korean dermatologists and doctors began to experiment with PDRN in skincare. They were able to recognize that PDRN has regenerative properties that can be applied to the skin to help with procedure recoveries, repairing acne scars, and boosting collagen production. 

The way PDRN works is by activating what’s called the adenosine A2A receptor, which is basically a pathway in our bodies that tells the skin to repair and regenerate itself. Once that signal is triggered, it stimulates fibroblasts which are the cells responsible for producing collagen. PDRN also promotes angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels that helps with circulation in the skin. Lastly, PDRN reduces inflammation, making it a popular choice for calming acne-prone skin. 

Using PDRN in your skincare routine can overall result in better texture and improved elasticity and that is exactly why it became such a hit in South Korea. PDRN fits right into the K-beauty philosophy that focuses on repairing the skin at a deeper level. 

While the most dramatic results come from injectable PDRN treatments done in clinics, many brands incorporate it in topical skincare and now, it’s making its way to global shelves. So if you see PDRN listed in your skincare, just know it’s not another viral trend, but a bigger step toward regenerative skincare.

Kevin Zhang is a General Partner of Upfront Ventures, a Los Angeles-based VC firm with over $2B in assets under management.

He brings a structured approach to early-stage investing, managing substantial capital deployments across the firm’s funds, primarily focusing on healthcare technology and interactive media.

Zhang has spearheaded several notable deals in the gaming and developer tool sectors. In 2023 Upfront invested $7.6M into the serverless multiplayer game hosting platform Hathora.  The following year Zhang led a nearly $10 million combined investment in GlassFlow, a streaming infrastructure for python developers, and the AI-infused dev environment platform Daytona.

Before his tenure at Upfront Ventures, Zhang got his start in 2009 at the healthcare software firm Verisk Health as a business analyst for two years and then moved on to The Boston Consulting Group as an associate providing strategic insights for clients in technology, healthcare and industrial fields.

Zhang graduated from Harvard with a bachelor’s in biology.

American stars have a long history of making massive waves in Chinese basketball.  Most famously, former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury became a living legend in the Chinese Basketball Association, winning three championships with the Beijing Ducks and earning both a statue and a museum in his honor.  Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas also drew massive crowds, proving that the CBA eagerly embraces American star power.

International eyes are on the CBA once again after the Nanjing Monkey Kings latest signing – not a veteran NBA star, but rapper J. Cole.  While he is known for multi-platinum masterpieces like 2014 Forest Hills Drive and a Grammy wins for “A Lot” and “All My Life,” he’s had lifelong hoop dreams.

Before choosing to pursue music, 6’3” rapper/shooting guard walked on at St. John’s and later turned heads at the 2012 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game by throwing down an alley-oop with the assist coming from Kevin Hart.  In 2021 Jermaine Cole joined the Patriots BBC in the Basketball Africa League, suiting up for 3 games, averaging 1.7 points per game.  The following year he suited up during four games for the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Scarborough Shooting Stars. He averaged 2.4 points over four games.

Though the CBA awards a domestic and international MVP, J. Cole fans obviously should not expect the now 41-year-old to mirror Starbury’s MVP-level dominance.  With likely another short stint on the horizon, hip-hop heads can appreciate Cole looking to scratch a last itch and bringing global eyes to the Monkey Kings.

Cole’s signing notably follows the February release of his highly anticipated seventh studio album, The Fall Off, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200.

 Historically, Asian representation in Hollywood has always been limited, but in the last decade, Olivia Munn has built her acting career while also navigating her identity as a mixed-race Asian American woman.

She was born in Oklahoma City in 1980 to an American father and her Vietnamese-born Chinese mother who fled to the United States after the Vietnam War. Munn’s childhood was mostly spent in Tokyo, due to her mother remarrying a member of the U.S. Air Force. Growing up in a military environment exposed Munn to different cultures from a very young age, but this experience also involved verbal abuse from her stepfather, bullying in school, and a struggle with her confidence.

Her mother divorced her stepfather, prompting Munn and her family to return to the States. When she arrived, she finished her junior and senior year in high school, then attended college at the University of Oklahoma, majoring in journalism with minors in Japanese and Dramatic Arts. After graduating, Munn took on an internship at NBC affiliate KJRH-TV in Tulsa and at Fox Sports Networks as a sideline reporter before relocating to Los Angeles.

Munn first started to gain attention in the mid-2000s as a host on G4’s Attack of the Show!, a live TV program that covered what was relevant in pop culture. At this time, Asian Americans and women were both still underrepresented, so Munn’s work in the gaming and pop culture world drew audiences to her.

After leaving Attack of the Show! in 2010, she scored a small role in Iron Man 2, leading to Robert Downey Jr. praising her for her improv skills. Munn later earned her most recognizable television role on HBO’s The Newsroom as financial journalist Sloan Sabbith, which is where her acting range was truly showcased. In 2016 Munn was casted as Psylocke from the Marvel Universe and appeared in X-Men: Apocalypse, marking one of her biggest blockbuster roles.

Beyond the movie screens, Munn has spoken up about representation in the industry, discussing the limited roles that have historically been available to Asian Americans. She has pushed for more authentic Asian portrayals and has also used her platform to speak on anti-Asian violence in the United States. From her multicultural upbringing to her Hollywood success, Olivia Munn is doing her part to help change the landscape of representation in media.

Coachella has evolved into a significant cultural hub for Asian American festivalgoers, who now represent a growing demographic of “power attendees.”  This influence is reinforced by the festival’s proximity to Los Angeles – home to the second-largest Asian American population in the U.S. – and the community’s high purchasing power, with Asian American household incomes being 45% higher than the national median.

Despite 2026 tickets being sold out, the financial investment remains high for a return to a projected full capacity of 250,000 attendees.  3-day passes cost between $549–$649 and resale prices climb to $860, while VIP tiers reach $1,960.  

A “Global Pop” roster designed to capture international demand has fueled this demographic shift.  In 2024, Asian Americans over-indexed making up 11% of attendees, with sets by Yoasobi and LE SSERAFIM drawing crowds that were over 60% Asian.  Historical demand for past acts like Blackpink and XG has further cemented this engagement.

The 2026 lineup features 10 key Asian acts across both weekends, including global girl group KATSEYE, Grammy-winner Laufey, and P-pop group BINI.  Other notable performers include Fujii Kaze, BIGBANG, and Yousuke Yukimatsu.

This convergence of global talent and local demographics has transformed Coachella into a high-stakes cultural summit, where the Asian American community’s influence is now woven into the festival’s financial and social fabric.

On April 2nd, pop star Olivia Rodrigo officially announced the release of her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, arriving on June 12th.

The 23-year-old has quickly skyrocketed to the top of the mainstream music landscape with over 46 million monthly Spotify listeners and 15 million YouTube subscribers.

Rodrigo arrived on the scene in 2021 with her debut album Sour, which contained two defining tracks, “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.”  Both number one hits helped the album reach the top of the Billboard 200, earning three Grammy Awards including Best New Artist.

Released in 2023 her sophomore album, Guts, again topped the charts led by her third number one single, “Vampire.”

The same year she unveiled the original song, “Can't Catch Me Now,” specifically written for the blockbuster soundtrack The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Rodrigo, who is of Filipino heritage, was raised in Temecula, California.  Her career in the entertainment industry began in 2015 with a lead role in the American Girl film series, before achieving breakout success on the Disney Channel.

She attended a poetry course at USC as a visiting undergraduate student, which helped inspire her second album.

Already with a combined following of 64 million on Instagram and TikTok, Rodrigo’s career trajectory is still in its explosive early stages.

The world has been introduced to K-beauty and J-beauty, but recently, a new wave of Chinese brands, or C-beauty, are beginning to attract global attention. Florasis is one of those brands that is blending Chinese aesthetics with modern cosmetics.

Florasis was developed in Hangzhou in 2017 by Chinese entrepreneur Wu Chenglong, alongside co-founder Fei Man with the vision to create a beauty brand that would showcase Chinese culture within their cosmetics while still competing with global giants.

From the very beginning, Florasis stood out because of their intricate engraved packaging and design. Products like lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes quickly went viral on social media, especially with rising Chinese trends that have been flooding the algorithm.

Not only were the company’s products aesthetically pleasing to look at, they also incorporated elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Florasis uses natural, sensitive-skin friendly ingredients like pearl powder, ginseng, and floral extracts, positioning the brand as both culturally rooted and science-backed.

During the early marketing stages, Florasis leaned heavily into influencer gifting and livestreaming, which has become a major way to generate sales for many industries. Florasis reported $800 million in annual revenue in 2021, which allowed them to begin expanding internationally across Asia.

Of course, success doesn’t come without challenges, and in 2023, the brand faced backlash after consumers were criticizing what became known as the “79 yuan eyebrow pencil”, which is currently equivalent to around $11.50 USD. Consumers questioned the price and whether it was fair in comparison to competitors and comments made during a live stream about the product only added fuel to the fire.

More recently, Florasis has been navigating leadership changes and global expansion with Melina Zhao currently active as CEO of the company’s North America Division. With goals to open 50 stores by 2027, Florasis is shifting into Western markets and the brand is tweaking their message, highlighting innovation and universal beauty rather than traditional symbolism.

Florasis is more than just a makeup brand. It represents a bigger change in the beauty industry where Chinese companies are beginning to compete on the international scale, even with those in the high-end sector.

Following the successful completion of their mandatory military service, K-pop icons BTS are officially returning to the global stage.  On Thursday, April 9, the group will launch the Arirang World Tour, an ambitious trek featuring 82 dates across 34 cities in 23 countries.

The momentum began with their first live performance in nearly four years on March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul.  The high-tech spectacle featured a synchronized drone show and drew 104,000 fans – a massive gathering, though notably less than the near quarter million projected by local authorities.  Digital engagement told a different story – an estimated 300 million people watched the performance via a global Netflix livestream, turning the Seoul square into a virtual worldwide stadium.

Released a day before the live performance, their new album, ARIRANG, has already achieved unprecedented heights.  Spotify confirmed that the project has become the most-streamed K-pop album in history, while also securing the title for the most-streamed album in a single day in 2026.

As the “Arirang” era begins, BTS has quickly reclaimed their status as the definitive global musical force.

Before H Mart became the most recognizable Asian grocery chain in the United States, it started as one small grocery store built by a Korean immigrant chasing the American dream.

H Mart was founded by Il Yeon Kwon and his story begins in South Korea where he was born and raised in a family of farmers before immigrating to the U.S. in the 1970s. Like many immigrants, Kwon and his family came to America in search of a better life and were able to settle down in New York City.

Being in the States led Kwon to notice the lack of Asian ingredients in American grocery stores due to the fact that only 1.5% of the population was Asian. With the goal to give his fellow immigrants a taste of home, Kwon opened up a small grocery store in Woodside, Queens called Han Ah Reum, which translates to “one arm full of groceries”. Kwon’s single market opened in 1982, but in just a few years, it turned into something much bigger.

He made sure to focus on sourcing authentic Korean products and started expanding into other Asian cuisines, which allowed him to build a loyal customer base. Throughout the 80s and 90s, Kwon expanded the business to the East Coast and eventually rebranded the company as H Mart.

H Mart was unlike traditional American grocery stores. It was more of a cultural hub than just somewhere to buy your groceries. Shoppers can purchase authentic ready-to-eat meals, pick up something to-go from a small establishment in the food court, or even buy full skincare routines from the dedicated K-beauty stores.

Once the 2000s hit, H Mart began expanding nationwide. Today there are nearly 100 H Mart locations across 18 different states with the highest concentration of stores in California, New York, and New Jersey. H Mart also operates twenty stores in Canada and two in the UK. The company climbed the ranks to become the largest Asian supermarket chain in America and that position is solidified with their annual revenue reports that surpass $1.1 billion.

40 years later, Il Yeon Kwon is still leading the business as CEO with his daughter, Stacy, as H Mart’s president. H Mart has played a huge role in introducing Asian ingredients to grocery shoppers and has helped popularize common Korean dishes like kimchi and gochujang. To many Americans H Mart is just another grocery store, but for Asian Americans, it is a place that connects them to their culture.

Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized sports betting in 2018, the industry has exploded all across the country. There are 38 states that allow some form of sports betting and over the last few years, it has developed into a big part of mainstream American culture.

Millions of citizens are participating. Pew Research Center reports about 1 in 5 adults in the United States say they have placed a sports bet in the past year, but the data gets even more shocking for Asian Americans. Studies show that around 22% of Asian Americans engaged in sports betting and a survey from the same year suggested that they make up about 5.5 percent of all sports bettors in the U.S.

Much of this growth is being driven by younger betters because of the fact that sports betting today is almost entirely mobile. Instead of physically going somewhere to place your bets, you can now do it through mobile apps like FanDuel or DraftKings, which allow users to place bets instantly during live games and track odds in real time. This turns sports into something much more interactive.

Sports betting gives fans a way to constantly engage by placing bets on outcomes and player stats. For younger users, it feels less like gambling and more like an entertaining game of strategy. Sports betting is based on odds that represent the probability of an outcome. If a team is highly favored, the winnings will be lower because they are more likely to win. Betting on underdogs comes with higher risk, but higher reward.

Other behavioral factors at play include the fact that Asian American audiences tend to be the most engaged sports viewers in the country. Nielsen reported in 2025 that Asian Americans spend about 15% more time watching live sports than the average viewer and are 33% more likely to subscribe to a sports streaming platform.

Sports, technology, and real-time data are merging and it's reshaping how people gamble completely. Today 94% of sports bets are placed online or through a mobile app, showing just how quick the industry has shifted.