Celebrating AAPI Ingenuity

With May comes the first hints of summer: the first days of sweltering heat, graduations, and weddings. One more goody that comes with the May flowers? The chance to celebrate our Asian American Pacific Islander developers during AAPI Heritage Month. In this week’s blog, we’ll be celebrating some of Bitwise Industries’ very own AAPI tech mavens that are helping propagate Bitwise’s mission. 

Representation Starts Within

In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, we asked some of our AAPI teammates at Bitwise to highlight their favorite things about being AAPI, how they’re celebrating the month, and what the work that Bitwise does to be diverse and inclusive means to them.

DJ Agellon (He/Him)

Director of Software Development

DJ Agellon has been in the Bitwise ecosystem for four years and is one of the directors of software development for digital product development services. This month, DJ is aiming to celebrate AAPI Heritage month by teaching his kids aspects of Filipino culture and appreciating the rich heritage that the AAPI community encompasses. And it’s true–as of 2023–Bitwise’s home city of Fresno houses more than 100,000 AAPI residents, which makes up more than 10% of the city’s total population. DJ’s most thankful for the work Bitwise does via social media to spotlight the company’s AAPI community, and the company’s commitment to including every culture and every walk of life in their work. 

Lucas Phan (He/Him)

Director of Development

Lucas Phan oversees the software development department alongside DJ Agellon, with his journey beginning at Bitwise eight years ago. “I am proud to be part of the AAPI community for its resilience in the face of challenges, the richness of cultural heritage, and the strong unity and support we offer each other. Together we overcome, celebrate diversity, and stand together in solidarity.” Celebration and solidarity are at the forefront of the AAPI community. With the uptick in anti-Asian hate crimes in the last few years, now is the time to stand strong with the AAPI community. In the last year alone, our country has seen 146 documented acts of anti-Asian hate crimes, which makes AAPI representation more important than ever. In celebration of Heritage Month, Lucas is engaging in dialogues that promote cultural understanding and inclusivity in our community. Far and wide, cultural competence is the driving force that helps demystify racial misconceptions, with the eventual goal of lowering (and hopefully, eradicating) race-related hate crimes in our communities. Lucas continued, “Bitwise empowers me to embrace my cultural identity through allowing authenticity, encouraging diversity, and consistently highlighting the importance in team meetings. One of the aspects I cherish most about working for Bitwise is the company’s genuine encouragement to be my most authentic self. Moreover, Bitwise fosters a relaxed work environment, understanding the importance of work/life balance and mental well-being, providing extensive support.” In a time that is fraught with unrest, Bitwise seeks to celebrate all of our employees, and empowers them to take care of themselves, and by extension, their communities. 

Chelsey See Xiong (She/Her)

Quality Assurance Technician

Chelsey See Xiong is a quality assurance technician at Bitwise. When asked what makes her proud to be part of the AAPI community, she shared, “As a Hmong person, my community’s history and diaspora have prepared me to be resilient and adapt well to whatever environment I may be in,” and it is with that energy that Chelsey moves through the world. She loves the company’s commitment to including diverse voices and the celebration of every community that makes up the Bitwise ecosystem, additionally, she deeply appreciates how supportive the company is of families. Chelsey shared, “I am in a place where I am able to support my family, be available for my family, and work with a team that understands that I’m not just my job. My leads, my department, and human resources are easy to work with, and in retrospect, I feel blessed to have gone through this life change while being a part of this company.” While AAPI Heritage Month is celebrated during May, the work that Bitwise does to celebrate families of all kinds isn’t limited to the month. It’s a focal point throughout the year. 

Celebrating Our AAPI Community Year Round

Diversity is what makes our communities unique and strengthens our overall sense of togetherness, and that’s why we continue to celebrate our employees from every corner of the world, and embrace all identities. It is together, through solidarity and celebration, that we continue to empower underestimated communities through transformative technology and digital equity. To check out how we’re celebrating AAPI Heritage Month on social media, visit our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to learn more.

Community Building Starts Here

Bitwise Industries builds tech economies in underestimated cities, driving digital transformation through its Salesforce, DocuSign, and digital project development services. Developing innovative tech solutions, and training individuals living in underestimated communities with in-demand tech skills to improve their standard of living is our mission. Centering our efforts in the heart of the downtowns of these overlooked cities, Bitwise is creating a place for the technology industry to take root and ignite local economies.

This post was written by Amber Carpenter, Junior Copywriter, at Bitwise Industries. If anyone needs her, she will be happily planted in a kiddie pool for the next three months–California summer in the Central Valley, amiright?

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