AZN AMERICANA began in February 2023 as a small group of Asian American women & femmes coming together in a our co-founder Gabby’s living room — talking about how we wanted more spaces where we could be and feel ourselves, learn from each other, talk about topics that only we could relate to AND also have fun.

When talking about identity, the tone can often feel serious or heated — often justified — but our group wished there were more spaces for us to just have fun and while also celebrating the beauty of being Asian in America.

Gabby & Connie met on a shoot for a Meta campaign highlighting Asians & Pacific Islanders for AAPI Heritage Month. The campaign featured Asian Americans using Meta’s platforms (ie Instagram, Facebook) to support them in their creative interests & take creative risks.

The two bonded over their shared passion to support the creative community and stayed friends ever since.

Gabrielle Nguyen is a child of Vietnamese refugees and was born and raised in Houston, TX. She is an experienced, entertainment, culture and tech marketer now applying her skill-sets to supporting the Asian American creative community. She most recently led Brand marketing for Meta Prosper, Meta’s program supporting AAPI small businesses, nonprofits, creators and communities. 

Gabrielle left Meta this year and has embarked on a new journey, launching her own organization, AZN AMERICANA, a creative collective for Asian women & femmes, with her co-founder Connie Chweh.  

Connie Chweh is a Korean American art director hailing from Orange County, CA. Her expertise lies in building brands and shifting perceptions through film, social, and digital experiences. She’s worked with clients like Girls Who Code, Meta, and Volkswagen and has been featured in Hypeart, Adweek, whatisnewyork, and even The Price is Right.

Her true passion of creating space for women and underrepresented voices in the creative industry has led her to co-founding AZN AMERICANA with Gabrielle Nguyen.