36th Cascade Festival of African Films

It was a privilege to join former Oregon State Senator Michael Dembrow at the 36th Cascade Festival of African Films—an event that invites us to see Africa through the eyes of Africans.

We were honored to be on stage in the Talkback Sessions, sharing our tea heritage and Chinese tea culture. In Chinese tradition, tea is more than a drink—it is a ritual of slowness, presence, and reflection. It creates space for listening and genuine connection.

That spirit resonated deeply with "Black Tea", a film exploring migration, identity, and belonging across cultures. Like tea, it reminds us that understanding begins when we pause.

Bringing together our background in technology and a concept we’ve been cultivating since last summer, we're launching “100 Tea-Talk”—a weekly hour long 1:1 tea conversation exploring AI, technological transformation, and culture. In a world moving at algorithmic speed, we need intentional spaces for thoughtful dialogue.