For Min, Product Development Manager at Impact Toolbox, the journey to designing human-first digital spaces began at home. Growing up in Toronto, Canada, they were shaped by two powerful examples: the protective resilience of their Chinese-Cambodian father, who survived the Cambodian genocide and anchored his family in safety, and the entrepreneurial courage of their Chinese-Vietnamese mother, who left nursing in Vietnam to rebuild her dream as a hairstylist in Canada.
From them, Min learned that survival is only the beginning; people also need spaces where they can heal, grow, and thrive. This belief continues to shape how Min uses creativity, technology, and design to build spaces where others can do just that.
“I’ve been creative my whole life,” shares Min.
Inspired by their older sister Lisa’s drawings, Min spent their childhood doodling, crafting, and always making something. As the internet opened up new creative possibilities, Min immersed themself in online creator communities, exploring digital illustration, YouTube videos, and motion graphics while collaborating with young people around the world—many of whom they never met in person. This early digital sandbox showed Min that creative technology is most powerful when it fosters curiosity and genuine human connection.
In high school, supportive teachers created spaces where Min used tech and art to build community and belonging. Whether designing posters for student clubs or planning hangouts with friends, they focused on helping others feel seen and included. This passion took on a larger purpose when Min joined their senior Mandy’s student-run nonprofit, creating handmade cards for communities supported by organizations like SickKids and local Pride initiatives. Seeing a fellow teen mobilize creativity for collective care inspired Min, showing how art could drive social impact.
This interest in creating more supportive spaces deepened through the Queer and Trans Asian Youth (QTAY) program at Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS). There, Min began reflecting more deeply on their intersecting identities, noticing gaps in representation and support around them. “It made me realize how nuanced our identities are,” they share, “and how deeply our inner worlds are shaped by the systems around us.”
Fascinated by art and human behaviour, Min pursued Media Production at Toronto Metropolitan University’s RTA School of Media while minoring in psychology. Alongside their studies, they launched a small art business selling custom-designed merchandise, blending creativity, community, and entrepreneurship. Min also returned to ACAS as a peer educator for QTAY, supporting youth in the same program that had once supported them. Through this work—and their own journey in psychotherapy—they came to see how inaccessible health and wellbeing support can be, especially for underserved communities.
“People carry a lot of pain and challenges, and I’ve learned how much a supportive space can change a person’s life,” Min reflects. “I want to help create those kinds of spaces, where we can all learn, connect, and tune into our unique strengths as we work towards a more equitable world.”
Seeking to align their creative practice with a larger systemic purpose, Min joined a university internship that introduced them to Impact Toolbox and its co-founder, Segun Fatudimu. Drawn to an organization that trusts young people to lead, create, and contribute, Min found fulfillment in a human-first space where technical artistry, systems thinking, and ambitious entrepreneurship intersected.
Today, Min leads the development of our educational platforms, including content production and web design. By translating complex ideas into more intuitive, accessible, and human-centred digital experiences, they help emerging changemakers learn, connect, and create impact. Through this work, Min continues to build the kind of spaces that shaped their own journey—spaces where people feel supported, discover their strengths, and realize their potential to create change.
