What you need to know
- Apple has today highlighted the work of three Asian American and Pacific Islander developers.
- It spoke to the founders of Coffee Meets Bagel, HmongPhrases, and Weee!
- They talked about how all three use technology to create powerful platforms and apps that lift up their communities.
Apple has today highlighted the work of three Asian American and Pacific Islander developers who have used the App Store to create apps and build communities.
The company stated:
Many of today's most impactful creators are combining the power of technology with their personal experiences to offer valuable spaces for users to learn, share, and connect on the App Store.
Apple spoke to Larry Liu, an immigrant who created an app called Weee! that delivers Asian and Hispanic groceries to people who want to create their favorite dishes, no longer limited to small ethnic aisles in grocery stores.
It also spoke to Dawoon Kang, who teamed up with her twin sister to create a dating app called Coffee Meets Bagel, with an algorithm focused on creating meaningful conversations and an intentionally slower approach. The app has facilitated more than 150 million matches to date.
Finally, Apple spoke to Annie Vang, creator of HmongPhrases, an app designed to protect the Hmong dialect:
Though the Hmong population has been in the U.S. for over 40 years, it is widely considered one of the most marginalized Asian groups. Her app allows users to search for a phrase in Hmong, hear what it sounds like, and then practice saying it out loud. As a true labor of love, not only does Annie do the coding for the app herself — she even records the phrases in her own voice.'
Apple asked all three why they thought the world needed their apps, the challenges they faced as creators and entrepreneurs, the influence of their own experiences, and advice for those hoping to create their own apps in the future.
You can read the full feature here.
