Hannah Ryu is a storyteller, AI Strategist, and the co-founder of Oak Theory, a creative technology studio specializing in UX/UI, web, application design, and development. We explore:

• Co-founding a creative technology studio, aiming to address the lack of diversity in UX design firms.
• Confronting negative self-talk/narratives when building a business
• The role of perfectionism in Korean culture
• The exciting utility of AI in creating tailored educational information for children, increasing accessibility to education
• Use of AI for self-reflection and as a starting point to engage in therapy
• How to maintain being human through curiosity, accepting that we make mistakes, and unconditional love

==========================================

Hannah's full bio:

Hannah is a storyteller, AI Strategist, and the co-founder of Oak Theory, a creative technology studio specializing in UX/UI, web, application design, and development. With over a decade of experience across branding, UX/UI, and digital strategy, she partners with organizations navigating transformation, helping them turn complexity into clear, scalable experiences.

As a first-generation Korean American and mother of two, Hannah brings a layered lens to leadership, blending creative instinct, cultural awareness, and operational know-how, especially during times of growth, change, or reinvention.

Her expertise has been trusted by industry leaders and universities like Google, Optum, Columbia University, and Vanderbilt University. She’s been featured at the Women in Tech Global Conference, on the top 0.5% business podcast The UpFlip Podcast, and in outlets such as Forbes, Success Magazine, and Entrepreneur.

The company's websites are oaktheory.co and undertheoak.co. Under the Oak is a media company that seeks to discuss how to be more human.

Socials: https://www.instagram.com/oaktheory.co/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahryu/

Joe Daru is no stranger to thriving in new environments. From living in various countries to playing professional baseball, and now acting and directing, Joe shares how he continues to navigate his life and career. He highlights:

• How he developed skills through baseball, such as competitiveness, motivation, and work ethic, which he now applies to his career in Entertainment.
• The importance of open-mindedness and flexibility, particularly when living in various countries
• His fight scene with QUEEN, Michelle Yeoh in The Brothers Sun
• His dream project (spoiler alert: It's related to baseball)
• His recurring role in Peacock's crime drama, Long Bright River, opposite Amanda Seyfried.

==========================================Full bio:

Joe Daru is a Thai/Chinese-American actor born in Thailand. As the son of a diplomat, he has lived in Barbados, Laos, Hawaii, Florida, and Washington D.C.

After graduating from IMG Sports Academy in Florida, he played college baseball & also played internationally post-grad before moving to Los Angeles in 2017.

From there he went on to guest star on The Rookie (ABC), East New York (CBS), Legacies (CW), and Hydra (Apple), and recur on The Brothers Sun (Netflix), All American Homecoming (CW), and The L Word: Generation Q (Showtime).

Joe is currently anticipating the release of his latest Recurring Guest Star role in the new Sony crime series Long Bright River (Peacock) alongside Amanda Seyfried.

In his free time, Joe is an avid athlete and has played Division-1 baseball for four years for New York Tech. After graduating he went on to play in the Southeast Asian Games, World Baseball Classic Qualifiers and the Asian Games for the Thailand National Team.

In addition to sports, Joe also has a passion for directing and has won multiple awards - most recently an honorable mention in the AGBO 48 Hour Film Festival for his short film “A New Leash on Life”. Joe is based in Los Angeles and is represented by Entertainment Lab (Management).

IG: @joedaru

We are fortunate to have Producer, Winnie Cheung and actress, Celia Au on the show to discuss their short film, Last Call which premiered at the 2025 SXSW Midnight Short Program. This short fantasy thriller takes you on the psychological journey of a traumatized motorcyclist who daydreams about a sultry serpent woman and is haunted by her enchanting voice.

Winnie’s credits include being a co-producer on the SXSW Audience Award Winner “Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror” in 2021, and has won several awards at Sundance and more. Inspired by David Cronenberg’s body horror, American erotic thrillers, and Eastern fantasy films - LAST CALL reflects Winnie’s diasporic identity - a dreamlike blend of the ancestral East, and the rebellious West. Celia Au who previously starred in Wu Assassins and Lodge 49, brings Winnie’s vision to life in this story’s discovery of profound revelation.

We talk about:

• Integrating and displaying complex emotions in film
• Ways to deal with internal conflicts
• How Breath work, mental visualization, and Active Listening are key to facilitating a productive and safe work environment
• Storytelling as a powerful way to positively change the world.

SOCIALS

@LastCall_Film