My life has been a continuous story of overcoming the odds. As I grow older, my focus has shifted to the impact I will leave on this world — how I can make it better for my children and their children.

As an immigrant growing up in New York City in the early ‘90s, I experienced every “ism” there was — sexism, racism, otherism. Asians weren’t “cool” until Hollywood put out a few hits like Rush Hour and Charlie’s Angels. Against the odds, I received my naturalized citizenship just one week before reporting to basic training at West Point. At 5 feet, 1 inch and 100 pounds, I walked onto that campus with no real understanding of what it meant to be in the U.S. Army, surrounded by military legacies and traditions foreign to me. I was the first in my family to attend an American university. I wanted to fit in, but I knew I didn’t. I was a minority among minorities — Asian women make up an incredibly small .01% percentage of the military. And yet, I served because I wanted to. Because I wanted to be proud.

I remember watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11 from across the Hudson River in New York City. I walked through the debris and smoke in the aftermath, and that moment solidified my commitment to service. I deployed to Afghanistan and returned, only to continue facing new battles in the corporate world. I joined Tesla because I believed in the mission of sustainability. I worked at Amazon because I loved how it made people’s lives easier. But when I became a mother, I faced an entirely new challenge that neither of those experiences had prepared me for — postpartum mental health struggles.

After dealing with my own perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD), I realized that enough was enough. If not me, then who? I am a doer, a dreamer, and a pragmatic idealist (the title of my blog). The idea for Yuzi Care wasn’t just a business concept. It was a necessity. Women and families in America deserve better care, better perinatal care. The system is broken, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how to fix it.

If anything, I should have been the last person to start a company. I had two little ones still in day care, a mortgage in one of the most expensive cities in the country, and I was the primary breadwinner at the time. But the problem was too big to ignore. So, I built Yuzi Care to change how our society cared for our families during the critical postpartum period, leveraging technology to ensure every mother gets the care she deserves.

As I reflect on my journey, I know that my story is far from over. I am still fighting, still pushing forward, still building something bigger than myself.

Seattle has been an incredible place to build this vision. It’s a city with one of the highest percentages of women-owned businesses, a place where innovation and mission-driven work thrive. My husband and I both served in the military, and Seattle is our home. We had our two children here, and this is where we are raising them. But we still have a long way to go. Women entrepreneurs — especially women of color — continue to face funding gaps, systemic barriers, and a lack of representation in leadership. I hope, now more than ever, women who have the means to deploy capital should invest in women-founded businesses because we need more access to capital, more mentorship opportunities, and more investment in businesses that improve the lives of women and families.

As I reflect on my journey, I know that my story is far from over. I am still fighting, still pushing forward, still building something bigger than myself. Because at the end of the day, my work isn’t just about me. It’s about the mothers we serve, the children they raise, and the future we’re shaping together.

This feature is part of our annual Trailblazing Women series, honoring 10 women who turn challenges into progress and lead with courage, vision, and grit.