Bakers and creatives across the US activate to help build a Very Asian Creators Fund for underrepresented AAPIHN creators
by Kat Lieu
DC Baker Jill Nguyen of https://www.capitoljillbaking.com will be baking out-of-this-world buttery black sesame coconut shortbread for the Very Asian Creators Fund DC Bakers Box (headshot by Maria Helena Carey)
Historically and presently, AAPIHN creators have been severely underrepresented across all creative fields, not just in the US. In time for The Very Asian Foundation (VAF)’s first-anniversary celebration in January 2023, Meta Facebook Group Subtle Asian Baking’s Kat Lieu has partnered with VAF to launch the Very Asian Creators Fund. Up to $15,000 in donations will be matched, one-to-one!
Since publicizing the fund, bakers and creatives across the US have activated to help build the fund. More than twelve DC bakers have answered the call to fundraise and will work together to bake up a beautiful and bespoke Bakers Box filled with unique cookies, each with diverse and global flavors. This group of DC-based bakers participates in annual holiday cookie swaps organized by pastry chef Rochelle Cooper, food writer Nevin Martell, and others. They often fundraise (thousands and thousands of dollars!) for great causes with their amazing cookie boxes, filled with diverse and global flavors. DC Pastry chef and food photographer Jonni Scott is this activation's lead baker. To reserve an amazing DC Bakers Box, visit this page for more information. It is anticipated Jonni and team will raise at over $5000 with this baking activation for the Very Asian Creators Fund.
photo by Jonni Scott @pastrychefjonniscott of a previous DC Bakers Box, sold for charity
In St. Louis, renowned contemporary realism artist, Michelle Lee Rigell, will be auctioning a beautiful painting and donating proceeds to the Very Asian Creators Fund. Additionally, she is gifting prints of her cute stars and macaron print to a limited number of donors who donates $25 or more to the fund.
Bakers across Seattle (Leann Dang, CIndy Yuong, Tanantha Couilliard , and Kat Lieu) have also come together to build a bespoke cookie/macaron box and gifting it to 25 donors who donate $88 or more to the Very Asian Creators Fund. This group of bakers have raised over $1500 already for the Very Asian Creators Fund. To order a bespoke Seattle Bakers Box, visit this page for more information. This box is shipping nationwide across the US; there are only 5 boxes left.
About Tanantha Couilliard, one of the Seattle Bakers
Ohh…macaron is an online and pop-up macaron shop specializing in handcrafted, characters, and macaron cakes. We create Asian inspired and fun classic flavors. Based out of a commissary kitchen in Woodinville.
Tanantha, the owner and founder of Ohh..macaron, is a proud Thai and a mother of 2 boys. Baking is her creative outlet and a way to spread joy. Follow Tanantha @ohh_macarons
About Chelsea T, one of the DC Bakers
Chelsea will be making savory Chili Crisp Peanut Cookie. Follow Chelsea @chiboobakery http://www.chiboobakery.com/
A huge shoutout and thank you to Jonni Scott @pastrychefjonniscott for leading this DC Bakers Box project in support of the Very Asian Foundation Creators Fund! Jonni has been instrumental in supporting Subtle Asian Baking fundraisers since the very beginning! Thank you, thank you, Jonni!
“In the past few years, I have had the opportunity to join forces with other chefs and bakers to bake for change— and it’s always been such a wonderful experience! It really brings our communities to together— the baking community, our local community, and our online communities.
This time is special, though, because instead of having a bake sale reactively to an extremely devastating event, we are baking to proactively to provide continued to support Asian Creators. It feels wonderful to team up with my local DC baking friends once again to create positive change in our country!”- Jonni Scott
#veryasian macarons by Seattle baker Leann Dang
Dang is the owner of Danggoodies and she started making macarons during quarantine in May 2020 and have been obsessed with making delicious kawaii macarons ever since! (Especially Hello Kitty!)
Leann and Lena Dang and crew at Books and Brew (Lucky Envelop Brewing x SAB x Michelle Li)
Donate today because the fund will provide underrepresented AAPIHN creators (artists, authors, bakers, musicians, podcasters, journalists, content creators, etc…) with mini-grants to help pave their creative journeys. Full details of the fund (application process, programming, direction etc…) will officially be announced in the first quarter of 2023.
AAPIHN creators and communities, let’s support each other and raise some funds! We’d love to see you shine in the coming year - make your tax-deductible donation today!
You can also mail a check to The Very Asian Foundation: 2650 S. Hanley Road, Suite 100. St. Louis, MO 63144. Please add “VA Creators Fund” in the memo line.
If you are unable to donate at this time, you can help by:
Sharing this link: https://www.veryasianfoundation.org/va-creators-fund
Raffling creative goodies like artwork or ceramics or jewelry you’ve made. Example: artist Michelle Lee Rigell will be sending prints of her original artwork to those who donate at least $25 to the fund.
Bidding on a painting by Michelle Lee Rigell (link to come)
Meet Caroline Ta
Ta is the owner of http://www.sweetsbycaroline.com/
She will be making a refreshing Matcha Yuzu cookie
Follow Ta @sweetsbycaroline
Meet one of the bakers, Pastry Chef at La Collina Rochelle Cooper (image by Deb Lindsey)
A huge shoutout and thank you to all the AMAZING DC bakers behind this bespoke DC Bakers Box! These wonderful bakers participate in an annual holiday cookie swap organized by Rochelle Cooper, food writer Nevin Martell, and others. They often fundraise (thousands and thousands of dollars!) for great causes with their amazing cookie boxes, filled with diverse and global flavors.
Cooper will be making Delicious chocolate crinkle cookie
Follow Cooper @shakinbaker219
Meet Cindy Yuong, a Seattle Baker
Yuong is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York and former pastry lead of Fogrose Atelier in Bellevue, WA. She is an enthusiast of tea parties, flowers, and all things cute, and plans to fully launch her small business Sweet Dream Bakes in early 2023 featuring subtly Asian ingredients.
Follow Yuong @cherrycindyy
Meet one of our DC Bakers!
Audrey Valerio is the owner of http://www.dessertsbyaudrey.com/
Audrey is making Ube-os (Ube Sandwich Cookie) Ube shortbread filled with coconut buttercream and ube halaya for the DC Bakers Box
Follow Audrey @dessertsbyaudrey
