We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Irene Kang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Irene, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
As a minority woman of color, I have often been in a room full of those who don’t look like me – from my career in technology consulting to my work with electrical grids in the energy industry to attending startup events. I’ve learned that building trust and effectiveness is a combination of preparation and building a track record.
When you’re meeting someone or a group of people for the first time, it’s worth doing your research and putting in the extra effort to make a good first impression. You’ll find that your relationship afterwards will flow much easier.
Most importantly, regardless of how you look and how similar or different that is to anyone else, it’s important to focus on being the best version of yourself while showing up authentically. Your own work and successes will speak volumes.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Irene Kang, and I’m an author, creator, and the founder of Spark Collection bilingual books and cultural toys. I created Spark Collection when I found a big gap in representation and access to learning Asian languages. As a parent of a Chinese-Korean American family, it’s important to me and my partner that we share our heritage languages and cultures with our children. To my surprise, it’s really difficult to find high-quality, accessible and engaging resources to help us on this journey. I wanted to create physical books and toys that spark joy and curiosity, and that the whole family can enjoy and use to learn languages together. I feel especially connected to my work with Spark Collection because our everyday lives are so closely tied with the company’s mission. I also feel honored to be connected to my local Austin community and the broader international community through my work with Spark Collection.
Our full bilingual book sets will be released this year in Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Hindi editions. We just released our first cultural toy, a beautiful set of fun stackable Wooden Zodiac Animals inspired by the Chinese Zodiac. We are also working on launching the first ever Korean Kimchi Plush and a Chinese Learning Toy – stay connected to hear more!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1) Talk to as many people as possible in the space you are pursuing. Those conversations and relationships are invaluable. When you join a new team, set up coffee chats with each team member. When you are considering a new path, talk to people who have already been there. Hearing their perspectives, lessons learned, tips and challenges will help immensely.
2) Say yes, because you never know what could happen or who you could meet that could impact you in a big way. Looking back at my life journey, there have been moments when I was on the fence about saying yes to something – attending an event, collaborating on an initiative, spending my time and resources. But, if you can manage it smartly, say yes instead of no. Because those exact things that I was on the fence about led to opportunities and impact that I would have never foreseen.
3) Think outside the box and question the status quo. When you’re unsure of something, don’t be afraid to ask questions. And just because something has always been done a certain way, doesn’t mean that there isn’t another way or an even better way to do it.
Are you looking for folks to partner or collaborate with? If so, describe the sorts of folks you are looking to collaborate with and how they can connect with you if they are reading this and want to collaborate.
Yes, I love collabs! If you are a fellow small business owner or brand owner, connect with me! If you are a shop owner, librarian, home-schooler, PTA member or teacher, connect with me! If you are someone who loves our mission of bringing joy and access to language learning, connect with me! You can email me at [email protected] or message directly on Instagram at @thesparkcollection.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sparkcollection.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesparkcollection
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesparkcollection
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparkcollection
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sparkcollection
Image Credits
Cathy Sunu Photography, Kelly Zhu Photo, Faheem Khemani, Vanessa Cerday Photography
