Trevor Lui & Abby Albino | Expanding the Narrative: Identity, Belonging, and Being Asian on Our Own Terms

Expanding the Narrative is a live AAPI Heritage Month panel recorded at STACKT’s Asian Night Market.In this special episode of Tune Up Your Warrior, Jenny Chen is joined by Trevor Lui and Abby Albino for an honest, layered, funny, and thoughtful conversation about identity, belonging, visibility, stereotypes, mental health stigma, representation, and what it means to take up space on our own terms.Trevor Lui is an entrepreneur, chef, author, and hospitality leader whose work has helped shape the cultural and culinary landscape of Toronto. As President and CEO of Highbell Hospitality Group, co-founder of Quell, and Chair of Destination Toronto, he brings a powerful lens on storytelling, community-building, and creating spaces where culture is truly valued.Abby Albino is a brand strategist, builder, and community-minded leader whose work sits at the intersection of sport, culture, and purpose. Through her leadership in brand and business strategy and her work as co-founder of Makeway, she brings a thoughtful perspective on identity, belonging, and building platforms that reflect people more honestly and fully.Together, they explore family expectations, cultural pride, the tension between fitting in and fully being yourself, and the importance of making room for fuller, more nuanced Asian stories.This is not a performative conversation. It is a real one. The kind that opens doors, widens the room, and reminds us there is no one way to be Asian.Special thanks to STACKT, Highbell Hospitality Group, Quell Now Inc., ALLNXNE Productions Inc., Isaac Bobb, Brian Tong, and MILO’s Doan Nguyen for helping bring this live recording to life.