Naomi Osaka - @naomiosaka
Naomi Osakais a professional tennis player. Who was born in Japan to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother, and has lived and trained in the United States since age three. She has been ranked No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. At the 2018 US Open and the 2019 Australian Open, Osaka won her first two Grand Slam singles titles in back-to-back Grand Slam tournaments. She was the first woman to win successive Grand Slam singles titles since Serena Williams in 2015, and was the first to win her first two in successive majors since Jennifer Capriati in 2001.
Fun Facts:
• The Office is her favorite TV show
• She was only 20 years old when she won the US open
Why do we like this athlete? She is an inspiration for many young girls in and out of the United States and has made great strides at a very young age. She has always made it clear that she always looked up to Serena Williams and was able to face and defeat her in 2018 in a very emotional match.
How do they support the community? She has always been an advocate for mental health encouraging everyone to take time for themselves and professional help if needed and has taken time off from playing and interviews in order to take care of herself. She also launched Play Academy in Japan with the intention of helping to change young girls’ lives through play and sport.
Links to Support/Content: Play Academy
Keshi - @keshimusic
Keshi, from Houston TX, learned to play guitar at 13 and is now known for distant falsetto vocals and a lo-fi hip-hop feel. He began sharing music on Soundcloud in 2017 and eventually quit working as a nurse in 2019 to sign with record label, Island Records.
Fun Fact:
• Born Casey Luong, the well known stage name Keshi was coined by his girlfriends parents and was a childhood nickname.
• He left his day job as a registered nurse to pursue his music career.
Why do we like this artist? Keshi is giving a different meaning to the term "lo-fi hip hop". We often picture the sound used for working or studying but he is giving the image of an art form to this type of production.
How do they support the community? 100% of the net proceeds generated from the purchase of certain items in his online store are donated to the musicares® covid-19 relief fund.
Links to Support/Content: Keshi Music | Asian Pacific Fund
Tim Chantarangsu - @timchantarangsu
Tim Chantarangsu, popularly known by his professional pseudonym Timothy DeLaGhetto, is a YouTube star who has millions of followers online. He amuses his audience with his funny videos and is known for his charming personality and sense of humour. Timothy, who was formerly known as Traphik, is also a rapper, actor, and comedian. He is famous among YouTube viewers for the unique topics he chooses to make videos on and entertain the audience. He became a regular cast member on the American TV show Wild ‘n Out. In addition to his comedy videos, he has made a mark with his music videos and featured songs, too. Immensely popular on YouTube with over 4.22 million followers, he is also quite well-known on Twitter and Instagram with 546.7K and 1.5 million followers respectively.
Fun Facts:
• His former stage name, Timothy DeLaGhetto, was inspired by an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
• Tim's main YouTube channel was once in the top 100 most subscribed of all time in the early 2010s.
• He was born in Billings, Montana, to parents of Thai heritage. He was raised in Long Beach, California, until the age of nine before moving to Paramount, California, where his parents opened the Thai Smile restaurant.
Why do we like this artist? He brings a comedic relief to a hectic world and always seems to bring a positive outlook on things despite the tough times.
Links to Support/Content: Tim Chantarangsu YouTube
Bruno Mars - @brunomars
Born and raised in Hawaii as Peter Gene Hernandez, known professionally as Bruno Mars, he is a singer, songwriter, record producer, musician, and dancer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. He rose to fame in 2010 with his song Nothin' on You with B.o.B and is currently at the top of the charts as a part of the versatile duo Silk Sonic with Anderson .Paak.
Fun Fact:
• His mother moved to Hawaii from the Philippines, where she met his father, who is half Puerto Rican and half Ashkenazi Jewish from Brooklyn.
• At 4-years-old he was the world's youngest Elvis Presley impersonator and appeared in the documentary Viva Elvis in 1989.
Why do we like this artist? His on stage presence is also phenomenal as he is always dancing and playing with the crowd. The funky style he brings just makes you want to keep dancing, something I really enjoy.
How do they support the community? Bruno does like to help out behind the scenes. Most notably in 2020 Bruno donated $1 million to MGM employees displaced by COVID-19. And in 2018 he donated 24,000 Turkeys to families in need in Hawaii for Thanksgiving.
Links to Support/Content: Candace's First Dunk | Families in Hawaii
Steven Adams - @stevenadams
Steven Adam is a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. After playing one season with his hometown team Wellington Saints in 2011, Adams moved to the United States in 2012 to play college basketball. He was then selected by the Thunder with the 12th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. In August, 2021, Adams was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies and is currently a vital part of the team's playoff run.
Fun Fact:
• He’s the youngest of 16 children.
• He’ll eat 5 meals in a day.
• He is now the highest paid professional New Zealand athlete ever.
Why do we like this athlete? He is a player that literally comes to play the game and it shows. He is a team player that just wants to win and doesn't care about much else but the team. Coming into the NBA, he did not know much about it and who the big players were, and that didn't phase him, because he just wanted to do his best and help the team win.
How do they support the community?He has been conducting free basketball camps for the kids in New Zealand since 2013 using sponsor to provide food, bread and milk to the camp attendees.
Links to Support/Content: Steven Adams Camps