The Cambodian Can Collector With Keo Sar Khmer Voices podcast

56:07

Chad Sammeth is a Khmer American who has been involved in the Cambodian community over the last two decades - primarily in Long Beach, California's Cambodia Town. This started in his early twenties whilst seeking to discover and reconnect with his Cambodian heritage and roots. This episode briefly covers his journey from IT to marketing, and focuses on the influential people that shaped him, the impact he wants to make, and his hopes for the Cambodian diaspora. We also discuss the complexities of navigating cultural expectations as first generation immigrants and the importance of community engagement. Despite battling terminal cancer the past three years, Chad is still planting the seeds for the Khmer community and next generation to thrive. His journey of self-discovery has recently led him to creating the Khmer Tree podcast where he interviews people of the Cambodian diaspora. He captures his guests' personal stories, cultural traditions, and reflections on identity, heritage, and community. Find Chad on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/khmer.tree/ Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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Seeing the Power of Privilege at Play with Savan Kong 1:03:19

22 дні тому1:03:19

1:03:19

When Savanrith (Savan) Kong attended Lakeside School, a prestigious private school with famous alumni such as Bill Gates and Paul Allen, he entered a world he only saw on television. In this episode, while exploring the theme of privilege, Savan also notes that luck sometimes comes into play, and grit. He talks about the limited access to resources and people his Khmer friends had compared to those in his alternate more privileged world. As a child of Cambodian parents who fled to Thailand as a result of the Khmer Rouge then settling in Seattle, Washington, United States he felt the pressure to exceed the highest expectations. A keener, go-getter, and always having a hard time slowing down, Savan's resume spans the private sector, where he built, scaled, and optimized innovative products across technology, real estate, and consumer industries. As the first employee at Redfin (NASDAQ: RDFN), he co-authored a patented (US9436945B2) interactive, map-based search and advertising technology that helped define modern real estate search. He contributed to medical software development at Kareo, led consumer design at Amazon, and held executive roles at Conenza and BlogTalkRadio during their early stages. Most recently, Savan served as the first Customer Experience Officer (CXO) for the United States Department of Defense, where he led the Customer Experience Officer Portfolio Management Office. He played a critical role in shaping strategies that modernized digital services and customer interactions across the defense enterprise. His impact in the field of defense innovation was recognized with the 2024 DefenseScoop Industry Leadership Award. Savan is currently in the process of writing a memoir and releases short stories on his website SavanKong.com . Connect with Savan: LinkedIn Savanrith Kong Instagram @halfway_light Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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Investment Banker Turned Startup Founder with Hervé Ky 1:00:46

5 weeks тому1:00:46

1:00:46

Hervé Ky is a second generation French Cambodian born and raised in a suburb of Paris, France. He is the Co-Founder of Keybento, a home exchange platform that caters to families, providing them with affordable family-friendly accommodations. Hervé shares how his parents pushed him and his two sisters to excel in school, and how he had a difficult time getting a finance job in London, England because his English wasn’t strong enough. Today, he’s a polyglot communicating in French, Spanish, English, and Khmer. We covered his transition from investment banking to founding a startup with his life partner, sharing his highs and lows of entrepreneurship. He also reflects on his inspirations and aspirations of his business. A great episode for those exploring entrepreneurship, particularly in technology. Become a Keybento member at Keybento.com Connect with Keybento on Instagram and TikTok and Hervé on Linkedin Follow Herve’s partner Ilona on YouTube where she details her life and journey in building Keybento. Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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All Things Cambodian with @allthingscambodian Creator Ryan Samn 1:21:39

7 weeks тому1:21:39

1:21:39

Ryan Samn is an Asian American writer, educator, and cultural practitioner. Ryan also runs the Instagram account @allthingscambodian where he shares impactful and insightful posts on Cambodian culture exploring themes of culture, identity, and language. In this episode, Ryan shares his career journey from starting as an English language instructor in Faa'a Tahiti, French Polynesia to now a College Recruiter, managing the Outreach office and collaborating with local high schools. We also delve into the complexities of Cambodian identity, the nuances of ethnic labels and language, and indigenous Khmer tribes. And importantly, he talked about his struggles with mental health, being bullied, and how his decisions led him to a life that not only put him in danger, but also his family. In 2023, he became a self published author and released Khmer Gat Chen - Southern Chinese Diaspora in Cambodia (a comparative study of the Chinese-Cambodian culture and I'll Be There, Too (a 45-piece debut collection of poetry). You may be interested in exploring these further: The IG of the young gentlemen who is super knowledgeable of Cambodian music: https://www.instagram.com/seihamedia The Podcast Ryan started for Tahitian American families: https://rss.com/podcasts/te-reva-nei-au/ The YouTube Channel Ryan praised for teaching us about the different ethnic groups in Cambodia: https://www.youtube.com/@Road_taste Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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It's Never Too Late with Sopheaktra Heang 59:24

9 weeks тому59:24

59:24

Sopheaktra Heang (aka Peter) is a Khmer Canadian who was born in a Thai refugee camp. He moved around a lot in his childhood and didn’t establish roots until he was an adult. Like many of us koun Khmer, his parents are survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide; this along with other emotionally and psychologically traumatic events in his childhood greatly affected him. He was in with the wrong crowd, dropped out of high school, and encountered problems with the law. Returning to high school at 19 and obtaining a diploma in Financial Management at 24, Sopheaktra eventually found his path through education and entrepreneurship, starting a now thriving floral business with his wife called The Heart Company . When they started the business 11 years ago, they had no floral knowledge! Now, The Heart Company caters to large scale special events such as weddings and corporate functions. Sopheaktra also serves as the Cultural Consultant for the play Cambodian Rock Band , in Vancouver highlighting the importance of cultural representation and storytelling. Cambodian Rock Band will be in Vancouver until April 6, 2025, so although tickets are limited, there are some left at the time of publishing this episode and there’s still time to attend. Buy tickets here . Follow The Heart Company on Instagram @heartcompany604 Sopheaktra's Favourite Books: Key Person of Influence by Daniel Priestl Atomic Habits - James Clear Art of Learning - Josh Waitzkin His Favourite Youtubers: Myron Golden - Peter writes, "This channel exists for the purpose of empowering entrepreneurs and encouraging them to the great heights that can not come from anywhere else." Little Bit Better - Personal development & business books to help small business owners improve their lives and businesses. JL Jupiter - Khmer American Food Vlogger Peter's Notable Instagram Influencers Randall Pich - Khmer American Entrepreneur. Owner of LVFT brand apparel A business podcaster Sopheaktra finds valuable: The Game with Alex Hormozi - Hosted by entrepreneur, founder, investor, author, public speaker, and content creator Alex Hormozi. On this podcast you'll hear how to get more customers. Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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Representation in Children's Books with Chanda Ouk Wolf 51:06

11 weeks тому51:06

51:06

Author of A Dozen Delicious Donuts: A Sweet Cambodian American Story, Chanda Ouk Wolf has loved reading for as long as she can remember, but growing up in the United States, she never came across stories that gave her a sense of who she is as a Cambodian American. Chanda grew up in Long Beach, California and later Lowell, Massachusetts, both home to the two largest Khmer communities in the US. In this episode, we discuss the cultural significance of Cambodian-owned donut shops, navigating higher education and exploring different career options, her motivations for writing children's literature, and the importance of representation in literature, plus much more. Chanda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology Major and Legal Studies Minor as well as a Law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. Get a copy of Chanda's book and you can connect with her on Instagram @adozendeliciousdonuts Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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Changing Careers at 37 with Cheata Nao from Cheata Cooks Cambodian 1:01:22

13 weeks тому1:01:22

1:01:22

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Cheata Nao is a second generation Khmer Canadian who is pursuing a new career showcasing Cambodian cuisine. She has always been a good cook and loved hosting dinner parties since she was a teenager, but back then she was focused on learning how to master western dishes. It wasn’t until she moved away for university that she really missed her mom’s Cambodian cooking. That’s when she started experimenting and trying to replicate her mom’s delicious dishes. Cheata spent the last 17 years in the wine industry as a buyer, events manager and educator. Her love for wine started when she landed a part-time job as a sales associate at a boutique wine shop in Vancouver, BC while she was pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies at the University of British Columbia. Disappointed by the lack of representation of Cambodian cuisine on food networks, magazine publications, and in cookbooks, she’s now on a journey to bring Cambodian cuisine to people through private catering, cooking classes, and pop-ups! Food and wine go hand in hand, so of course we discussed pairings with some staple Cambodian dishes! Here are Cheata's not-so-obvious recommendations: Salaw Machu Kreung - California Zinfandel with a little age or Primitivo Kathiew - Txakoli/Txakolina or Vinho Verde Khmer Curry - Zibibbo Bok Lahong - She went with more of a classic Asian pairing with this one: Mosel Riesling (Spätlese or Auslese) Cheata's "ah-ha" wine - Lucien LeMoine Bourgogne Rouge. Connect with Cheata: CheataCooksCambodian.com Instagram @cheatacookscambodian Email hello@cheatacookscambodian.com Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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Transforming Emotional Pain into Purpose with Heng Vay 1:03:52

15 weeks тому1:03:52

1:03:52

Heng Vay is a second generation Khmer American who was born in Los Angeles, Calfornia, spent his early teenage years in Minnesota, and then moved to Texas where he currently resides with his wife and two children. At the age of 14, Heng’s parents arranged a marriage for him. And guess what? Over 20 years later, they’re still together! Heng and his wife owned and operated a donut shop for 10 years. For a while, he was content making more than enough money to sustain his family, but he got tired of the long hours and he lost his passion for it. He did some soul searching after his father asked him a question he couldn't answer: What would you do if you didn't have the donut shop? In this episode, Heng discusses his upbringing, family obligations and shares how he is now able to fulfill his desire to help others in his career as a Physical Therapist by transforming emotional pain into purpose. Connect with Heng on Instagram @theKhmerPhysio Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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The "Lucky Princess" with Rothany Sar 1:11:23

17 weeks тому1:11:23

1:11:23

Rothany Sar is a first generation Khmer American who arrived in the United States via an arranged marriage. The Cambodian community here often said to her she was “so lucky” and her life was like that of a princess. But she didn’t identify with either of those labels. Was she lucky? Why didn’t she accept being a “princess?” Rothany was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. In 1992, when she was 6 years old, the camps closed and she and her family were forced to go to Cambodia. Their family of four started a new life there with only $150! You can imagine the sort of struggles they faced! Rothany shares the extraordinary story of her life then and how she got to where she is now. Today, Rothany is a Senior Mainframe Systems Programmer for a tech company that does contract work for the US government. She loves travelling the world with her family and is a passionate foodie! Connect with Rothany on LinkedIn Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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Finding Community After Loneliness & Making an Impact with Mitchell Keo 57:33

19 weeks тому57:33

57:33

Mitchell Keo is a second generation Khmer American born and raised in Houston, Texas. He grew up in a Mexican neighbourhood, and never felt a connection to a community growing up. He started exploring his Asian American identity while studying biology at University of Texas at Austin. Today, Mitchell works as a software engineer and credits his love for books and Sokha, owner of Mam's Bookstore , for helping him explore his cultural identity and cultivate his very own community through his book club, Seattle Chinatown Book Club . Connect with Mitchell on Instagram or LinkedIn . Here are some of Mitchell's favourite books by Asian American authors with his comments: 1) "Afterparties" by Anthony Veasna So. Incredible collection of Khmer-American based fiction short stories that touched so many fond memories of my own childhood as a Khmer-American. 2) "The Sympathizer" by Viet Thanh Nguyen. A thriller spy novel set after the Vietnam War, this book has very thoughtful themes of cultural identity, nationality, and what it means to find yourself displaced as an Asian immigrant from a war torn country. 3) "Stay True" by Hua Hsu. A memoir written about a Taiwanese American man and his experience growing up in Berkeley, CA. This book has themes of grief and the ways we process grief. 4) "Minor Feelings" by Cathy Park Hong. This book is a collage of personal essays that confronts Asian American identity and the politics that surround it. Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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The Cambodian Can Collector with Keo Sar 1:10:20

21 weeks тому1:10:20

1:10:20

Keo Sar is one of 6 children in his family. At a young age, his father who was the breadwinner got injured at work which resulted in him going on disability. To bridge the gap between disability cheques, he, his older brother, and their father would wake up early to dig in people's trash bins for cans before school started. Back then, recycling and garbage weren't separated! Kids at school called Keo, "the Cambodian Can Collector." In this episode, Keo shares his remarkable journey from being born in a Thai refugee camp to growing up in San Diego, California to now living in Belgrade, Serbia. A move to Valencia, Spain is currently in the works. Keo is a Khmer-American entrepreneur, advisor, speaker, and angel investor with over 10 years of experience scaling US-based startups (two unicorns, one acquisition) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Today he is COO and Partner at Matter Product Studio, a US-based firm focused on AI-driven digital transformation that collaborates with mid-market and enterprise clients to enhance their technology capabilities. Keo has a deep belief that talent is equally distributed but access and opportunities are not. This drives his passion to be involved in emerging markets, supporting underserved and underrepresented founders, providing mentorship in accelerators and incubators globally in the Western Balkans, MENA, and most recently in Cambodia. Keo's LinkedIn Federation of Cambodian Startups Facebook Techo Startup Center Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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Taking the Path Not Taught in School with Channy Salazar 56:56

25 weeks тому56:56

56:56

Channy Salazar is a strong, resilient, and tenacious lady from Texas, USA. She was born in Cambodia in 1973 and remembers bits and pieces of her time before arriving and settling in the US. Her recollections (at the 4 minute mark and lasting about 1 minute) are traumatic. Life wasn't easy growing up, but she had the love and support of her parents and grandparents. They instilled in her the importance of getting an education and how that will get her out of poverty. But school didn't teach her what she eventually became after 13 years in corporate: a successful entrepreneur. Channy is the founder of Resilient Edge Investments and Constructions, and alongside her husband, Adrian Salazar, the co-founder of North Texas Tint Institute, a trade school dedicated to teaching the skills of window tinting and paint protection film. Channy also recently launched the Resilient Education Initiative Scholarship, a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to those seeking education at North Texas Tint Institute and supports various educational projects in Cambodia. North Texas Tint Institute https://ntxtintinstitute.com/ Reslient Education Initiative https://rei-nonprofit.org/ Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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The Only Asian in The Class with Sokha Mov 58:03

27 weeks тому58:03

58:03

Sokha Mov shares her journey from being born in a refugee camp in Thailand to growing up in France where she was the only Asian in her class, navigating cultural identity, and pursuing a career in law and public service. She discusses her transition to Cambodia, the challenges of adapting to life there even though she’s koun Khmer and she speaks the language with good fluency. She’s currently working at an NGO that provides a well rounded education to girls from kindergarten to post-secondary and is also an Advisor for Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training. Prior to these roles, she owned and operated two businesses, worked for the French government in different Ministries, and practiced law in France. Sokha’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sokha-mov-932714bb Sokha’s mom’s restaurant, Maï https://maps.app.goo.gl/TVH2cWzfRcxsoWPn8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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From Stay-at-Home Mom to Technical Lead Delivering IT Projects 29:45

29 weeks тому29:45

29:45

Dimary (aka Mary) Leak didn't know how to speak English when she started kindergarten. A non-satisfactory test score in grade 1 ignited her desire to perform well academically, which she did all through primary and secondary school. When it came time to decide on a career however, she didn't have a clear direction or vision, and life went on. In this episode, we talk about Mary's pivot from stay-at-home mom to working in IT, the challenges she faced (some noted above) and how she overcame them. We connected over our parents' over-protectiveness and how we navigated that. We also touched on the importance of mentorship and how that propelled her career. If you'd like to connect with Dimary, find her on LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dimaryleak Let's connect on Instagram and TikTok @KhmerVoices…

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What next? Rediscovering yourself with Soeun Outh 29:49

31 weeks тому29:49