AANHPI Heritage Month 2026: Community Impact Report

AANHPI Heritage Month 2026 just wrapped, and we’re excited to share the impact we made as a community of intentional spenders.

From sports partnerships and small business spotlights to BECU’s support of the Equity in Action program, here’s a look at what we accomplished together.

Starting with a target of $40,000, we had to raise the bar twice as the community’s support kept growing, and we surpassed our super stretch goal of $55,000. We’re thankful to Seattle’s pro sports teams – the Storm, Sounders FC, Reign FC, Seahawks, Mariners, Torrent, and Kraken – for rallying behind the cause, and incentivizing spending at AANHPI-owned businesses in Seattle and beyond.

Receipt & Receive Totals

Receipts uploaded: 998
AANHPI-owned businesses where receipts were uploaded: 350+
Total amount reported: $55,738

Small Business Receipt & Receive Leaderboard

Congratulations to the following Intentional Spenders who visited AANHPI-owned small businesses, uploaded their receipts, and won prizes from our sports teams!

Kraken: Jennifer T. uploaded a receipt from Aroom Coffee and won a Kraken Common Threads AANHPI Heritage hat and print
Mina L. uploaded a receipt from Sairen and won a $350 ticket voucher for 4 Torrent tickets
Jessie Z. uploaded a receipt from Gao Lhao Bangkok Noodle Shop and won 4 Mariners tickets and a Bryan Woo autographed baseball
Karina L. uploaded a receipt from Yoka Tea and won a Seahawks shirt and hat
Cindy C. uploaded a receipt from Sweet Dream Bakes and won 4 Storm tickets and an autographed photo
Mindi R. uploaded a receipt from Tolu: Modern Fijian Cuisine and won 2 Reign FC tickets and pre-match sideline passes
Sam R. uploaded a receipt from Aloha Plates and won 2 Sounders tickets and pre-match sideline passes

Small Business Spotlights

Inside Pacific Place Mall in downtown Seattle, Transcend is rewriting what a clothing store can be. Founded by Nazia Siddiqui, the studio blends sustainable retail, custom tailoring, and small-batch production under one roof, all grounded in a deep skepticism of fast fashion. Nazia opened the physical space in October 2025 after nearly five years operating online. We sat down with her to talk about bazaars, bombers, and spending like it matters. Read more about Nazia’s story and Transcend here!

Twenty-five years ago, two sisters started making chocolates in Santa Rosa, inspired by a candy shop across the street from their parents’ nail salon. Wendy Lieu and her sister, Susan, co-founded of Socola Chocolatier, a San Francisco institution celebrated for weaving Vietnamese flavors, from pho and sriracha to guava and durian, into handcrafted bonbons and truffles. With a flagship shop in the Mission and a location at San Francisco International Airport, Socola has grown from a home kitchen experiment into a beloved Bay Area destination. Read more about Wendy’s story and Socola Chocolatier here!

Two months into its life on Madison and 12th in Capitol Hill, Nudibranch Coffee is already doing something Seattle has never quite seen: a Thai-inspired coffee shop built on community, ethical sourcing, and a deeply personal sense of welcome. Owner Emily Sirisup, a 24-year-old lifelong barista and Seattle native, opened the shop with her partner Cole after a Kickstarter campaign brought her vision to life. Drawing on her Thai American heritage and memories of visiting family in Thailand, Emily built Nudibranch as both a coffee shop and a third place. Read more about Emily and Nudibranch Coffee here!

Kemi Dessert Bar is a small but mighty bakery on Capitol Hill where Asian and American flavors come together. Owner Kelly opened the shop just over a year ago, drawing on her Chinese American upbringing in New York and a deep love of the food that shaped her community. Since opening, she has built a loyal neighborhood following, one mango sticky rice Rice Krispie treat at a time. Read more about Kelly’s story and Kemi Dessert Bar here!

BECU: Equity in Action

A huge thank you to BECU for sponsoring the Equity in Action Initiative this AANHPI Heritage Month. BECU put their commitment to addressing social and racial inequity into action — literally picking up the tab for treats at AANHPI-owned businesses across the Greater Seattle Area.

Here’s how it worked: community members signed up for an Intentionalist account, visited their favorite local spots or discovered new ones, and enjoyed complimentary items courtesy of BECU. The result? A direct financial boost to small businesses and a reason for customers to walk through doors they might never have opened otherwise.

Artist Spotlight

Local artist Kate Saylor (@katesaylor_art) was our featured artist behind this month’s designs and illustrations.

Tell us about the inspiration behind your art!

I drew off an old Chinese idiom that has been a driving force for myself for the last few years. “Liyu tiao long men” translates roughly to “The carp leaps over the dragon gate.” The story tells of carp fish swimming upstream, they come to a waterfall that is very tall, they each try to jump over the waterfall but one by one give up. Except one fish that keeps trying and trying and eventually jumps over. When the fish leaps out of the water it turns into a dragon. The story tells of perseverance and reaching success.

A long time ago I got a koi fish tattoo and told myself when I ”made it”, I would get the dragon tattoo, but along the way the definition of success has changed. I decided to depict the koi fish against the background of water into clouds to represent the transformative time we are in, but to acknowledge the ongoing struggle that Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders continue to face.

When you’re not creating, what types of activities do you love?

I am very active. I love hiking, running, and lifting. I like to merge my interests and love getting outside for a hike with my camera and shooting some pictures.

How would you describe your artistic style?

I describe my drawings/paintings as semi realistic, a lot of my more recent works are one-line art, and emotional and my photography as raw, the in-between and documentary style.

Where can folks learn more about you and your art?

My art has always been a way to express myself, whether it’s an outlet for stress or things I am passionate about. I often draw/capture a lot of the current political climate and have used my art as a way to bring awareness and raise money for issues such as COVID, Black Lives Matter, the ongoing wildfires, school shootings, Stop Asian Hate, and more.

That also gets really heavy, and sometimes I need more positive expressions, so I am also a photographer. I currently am focusing on being a Queer Photographer for Queer Couples and entering into the engagement and wedding photography scene.

Learn more: katesaylorphoto.com

What are three of your current favorite small businesses?

Rough and Tumble Pub for good vibes, always
Miro Tea for a matcha
Pink Bee Thai Food + for Thai take away

What are your 3 must-haves when creating?

Matcha
Music always, mostly Taylor Swift or country (Speak Now TV, Fearless, Midnights)
My 8 year old iPad

Support AANHPI-Owned Year Round

Supporting AANHPI-owned businesses is not a month-long commitment, it’s a year-round opportunity to strengthen our neighborhoods and create lasting economic impact. Keep that energy going and continue to #SpendLikeItMatters. The strongest communities are built one intentional purchase at a time, and we’re already excited to see what we’ll accomplish as a community next!