The Cosmos Summit

The Cosmos is a community for Asian women creators to flourish and thrive. Through content and experiences, we empower Asian women to create the representation and culture change we deserve.

As children of resilient immigrants and refugees, many of us are the first in our family to speak English fluently; to have full citizenship rights; to graduate from college. These milestones were made possible with our parents’ sacrifices, and it is on their shoulders that we proudly fight for our stories to be heard at work, on screen, and in leadership. And yet:

• We are underpaid. Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander women have some of the highest wage gaps in the nation.

Data Source: National Women's Law Center (March 2017)

• We are overlooked. Asian women are the least likely to get promoted to executive positions of leadership out of any racial group.

• We are dying. Young Asian American women have the second highest suicide rate among all racial/ethnic groups in the United States.

• We are living under constant threat of deportation. Southeast Asian refugees are at least three times more likely to be deported on the basis of an old criminal conviction, compared to other immigrants.

• We are tokenized and harmfully stereotyped on television.

• We are still told we are foreigners who don’t belong.

We deserve more. We are the first generation with the privilege (and pressure) to pursue creative careers; to navigate multiple cultures unapologetically; to question how the tools to survive will never allow us to flourish and thrive. Together, we can create a different future for Asian women, and it starts with having a safe, supportive, and ambitious platform made by us, for us!

Since March 2018, we’ve provided a platform for Asian women creators to authentically share their work and expertise. We've hosted 50+ workshops by Asian women, for Asian women on confidence, mental health, self-care, blockchain for WOC, and sexual health that amplified our voice as Asian women. 

We designed and produced sold-out retreats in New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Asian women from across the US gathered for three-days to explore the question that started it all: What does it look like for Asian women to flourish and thrive? The impact has been lifelong friendships, self-acceptance, and representation on our terms.

We launched a book club in partnership with the reputed Asian American Writer’s Workshop and found a shared sense of peace in reading our stories for the first time. We talked in person with National Book Award Finalist author Lisa Ko, interviewed memoirist Nicole Chung, and hosted a giveaway with award-winning poet and author Fatimah Asghar! Partners have included Penguin Random House, Little A Books, and Boba Guys. 

We produced The Cosmos New Year Market to showcase and support 15 local East, Southeast, and South Asian women entrepreneurs, artists, and small businesses at New Women Space in Brooklyn. Our Market created a micro-economy for Asian women creators to get the money and visibility to sustain their ventures. 

We launched a bi-weekly newsletter with original and curated content for Asian women creators and rule breakers to value their work; take their hustle / business / brand to the next level; and get inspired.

We grew an engaged online community where Asian women can promote their work, connect with future collaborators, and learn from peers and experts. 

In this space, we raised money for each other’s initiatives. We gave each other advice on IUDs. We supported each other when we felt the pressure of going against cultural or family expectations. We showed up to each other’s launches, podcast recordings, art shows, happy hours, and photo shoots. 

In 2019, we’re taking things to the next level by producing The Cosmos Summit: a historical gathering of 500 Asian women creators and rule breakers in New York. This one-day experience will bring Asian women together to imagine a world where we can all flourish and thrive. The theme of the Summit is IMAGINATION. We are a community dreaming up the world we want to live in — one that recognizes our identities and experiences.

• Representation: How do we, as creators, make the representation that’s authentic to us? What does that look like?

• Money: How do we make sure we’re getting paid what we deserve for what we make? How do we handle money in a healthy way, acknowledging money has been a taboo and sensitive topic in our culture.

• Health & Wellbeing: How do we take care of our mental and physical health as we hustle, build, make, and create? How do we find care that is thoughtful about the Asian woman experience?

• Support: How do we show up for each other as a community? What does that FEEL LIKE? (hint: amazing!)

Today women of color receive less than 0.2% of venture capital funding. This is why we are crowdfunding and turning to our community of supporters for help.

• Book, design, and decorate a venue space in NYC for ~500 Asian women attendees
• Invest in audio/visual equipment rentals and tech support to ensure a high quality experience 
• Develop programming (lightning talks, panels, workshops) tailored to the Asian woman creator's needs
• Invite speakers and workshop facilitators you care about and want to learn from (we can't guarantee that Chrissy Teigen or other referenced dream guests from our video will be there, but if you can put us in touch with them, we sure will try!)
• Build a custom immersive art installation featuring work by up-and-coming Asian women artists
• Create custom grab bags of swag for all Summit attendees  
• Fairly compensate members of our programming, partnerships, and production teams: photographers, videographers, artists, designers, and more

• “I think I speak for more than myself, but I had felt such a loneliness and alienation for not having people in my life to have conversations as candid as we did. It's such a relief not to feel that way anymore, because I feel like I suddenly have sisters I never had before.”
• “Being a first time entrepreneur has surfaced a new set of fears and insecurities, but knowing that I can call on this sisterhood for love and support gives me the strength to step into my power. Their energy and resilience give me the confidence that I can continue making a difference in the Asian American community — while still living my best life.”
• "We found solidarity in sharing our stories with one another. We could relate on so many levels, whether it was related to family, finance or career. I’m eternally grateful for our sisterhood and pledge to do my part in ensuring that we all thrive!"
• "Karen & Cass delivered on the promise of a soul nourishing weekend full of growth and powerful sisterhood. I am so excited to be part of this community, The Cosmos, and can't wait to take all my power harnessed this weekend and continue to shape the world I live in! I feel empowered to give more.”

• "Cassandra and Karen created a safe space, where every one of us had permission to be our most authentic selves. For the first time in a long time, I felt heard. People told me that my feelings mattered, that my struggle was their struggle, and that I was more than enough. It was a powerful and healing experience to know that I wasn’t alone. I have kept in touch with most of the girls post-retreat, and I am obsessed with every single one of them! I guess it was kind of like The Bachelor in that I fell in love 18 times - except everyone wins in Cosmos!"

• “Karen and Cass are the most thoughtful, passionate, and inspirational individuals that I've ever met. They've created a space that most people only dream of and I've been so blessed to stumble on this community. I've always been inspired by their energies and I'm so excited to see what comes of the Cosmos and the journeys we all take!”
• “The Cosmos filled a void in my life that I didn't even realize existed. Karen and Cass were so intentional in planning every detail of the weekend, and their meticulous attention to detail showed. Their leadership is amazing.”
• "It was powerful to be surrounded by a group of such resilient, like-minded Asian American women from across the country who could so deeply relate to each other’s journeys. Beyond shared experiences, we became united in our commitment to overcome our histories and barriers to achieve holistic health, success and joy. The best part is the community and sisterhood continues after the retreat." 

The Cosmos was founded by Karen Mok and Cassandra Lam in a cafe on the Lower East Side. In 2018, The Cosmos began with a blog post asking "Who is the Asian American Woman? An Open Letter to Our Community". The Cosmos community is inclusive of self-identifying women, femmes, gender nonconforming, queer, and transgender individuals of Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian, and mixed descent.

We chose iFundWomen because we share a vision for empowering women creators. We're proud that iFundWomen directly reinvests 20% of their profits into active campaigns on the platform.

Video by Rebel Motion
Design by Irena Xia