Founded in 2021, Modem is the first ever wellness digital media company designed for Asian Americans. Modem’s mission is to “strengthen, empower, and heal the Asian American community” as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In addition to delivering wellness and lifestyle newsletters, they also provide pro-bono digital marketing services and free monthly drop-in wellness coaching to Asian Americans.
The first service that Modem offers is digital content focused on normalizing Asian American mental health and wellness, which consists of digital media content and a weekly newsletter. Currently, over 14 newsletters sharing cultural narratives and conversations on holistic health have been published on their website (modem.substack.com). Aiming to keep their weekly newsletters an easy read, they include short features on various Asian-led organizations, community members, and leaders. Previous features on Gen-Z and millennial changemakers include: Dear Asian Youth, basement27, and Red Envelope Stories. Modem’s digital content was created as an outlet to produce content curated to the Asian American experience due to the lack of representation of Asian American voices in mainstream media. Modem’s content is written by and for Asian Americans, providing their perspectives and experiences on topics such as mental health practices, intergenerational dynamics, and navigating identity to newsletter subscribers.
The second service offered by Modem is Modem Health, a monthly telehealth program that offers free services in mental health, professional development, nutrition, and sexual health. This program is currently being piloted and undergoing finalization, but will be fully available to the public in two months. Modem is tackling the accessibility barrier to mental health treatment many Asian Americans face, as the underrepresentation of Asian Americans in mental health professions makes it difficult for Asian Americans to speak with non-Asian mental health providers due to the lack of cultural common ground. Modem Health’s goal is to facilitate a program that gives Asian Americans free access to consult with a network of holistic wellness providers of similar cultural backgrounds, paving the way for a more innovative healthcare delivery model.
Founder and Executive Director of Modem, Tiffany Yu, is a current senior at UC Berkeley and Mills High School alumni (2017) studying her Bachelor of Arts in Data Science and Public Health. In addition to creating the first comprehensive holistic wellness telehealth company for Asian Americans with a 30+ person team, Tiffany is nationally recognized as a Forbes Under 30 Scholar, advisor for the United Nations, and attaining a Master of Science in Clinical Informatics Management from Stanford University this year. While reflecting on her established projects at Modem, Tiffany shared, “Every initiative that I’ve launched at Modem was shaped largely by my own experiences growing up Asian in America, so every detail of this company was created with intention… Whether it be media, healthcare, or policy, Modem is tackling it all. I feel inspired by the work my team and I have put in, and it gives me hope that our work, as well as the incredible work that organizers, activists, and advocates are doing for all underrepresented communities across our nation, will help rip out the deeply ingrained roots of racism in our society in order to build a safer, healthier, and more inclusive world. We’re witnessing a turning point in history, and this is just the beginning.
This might be our past and our present, but this doesn’t have to be our future.”
Tiffany Yu, Founder of Modem
At the age of 21, Tiffany is a social entrepreneur, cultural commentator, and seasoned leader. Using her entrepreneurial expertise and company knowledge, Tiffany discloses advice for young innovators: “For all of you aspiring entrepreneurs at my alma mater, here are my words of advice. First, do your research. You don’t have to be an expert in your field, but you do need to have a thorough understanding of the problem you are trying to solve and the needs of the demographic you plan to serve. Be familiar with the competitive landscape and what specifically your product can do to disrupt the field. Second, partner with smart and reliable people to build your business. Contrary to the popular American imagination, no one can do it alone. Find people who share your vision and can help you build and expand your product. Third, trust yourself. As a founder, you’ll be thrown into situations that school won’t prepare you for, so you’ll have to learn how to trust your instincts, lean on your intuition, and have confidence! Finally, never forget what motivated you to start your project or business. Founder burnout is a real phenomenon, and starting a company takes time and resources. You may also face rejection from others about your idea. It’s a long road ahead, so always remember why you started in the first place.”
The Modem Team is currently in the process of forming an advocacy branch at Modem dedicated towards writing and advocating for policies that push for a more comprehensive legal definition of a hate crime and more measures in place to improve the safety of Asian Americans in public spaces. Sparked by the Stop Asian Hate social movement, Modem is working on formal bill writing and advocacy training as well as contacting state and federal legislators in this new advocacy initiative. As the first comprehensive holistic wellness telepath company for Asian Americans, Modem is breaking the mold for Asian American health services and multimedia representation in the nation.
Photo Credits to Jakob Owens via Unsplash
