The People Element: Ansir Innovation Center
Over five weeks this summer, I dedicated my support from the John E. Linck & Alanne Headland Linck Fellowship to complete a mural in my hometown: San Diego. Growing up, my Asian American identity shaped me tremendously, especially through inspiration from the Convoy Asian Culture & Innovation District. That’s why my project was based in this district.
My fellowship led me to Ansir Innovation Center, a local startup hub and one of San Diego’s first co-working spaces. Ansir represents the Chinese term “安世,” which means world harmony. Indeed, Ansir recognizes the global community that drives its innovation.
When I first walked into Ansir, I was unfamiliar with co-working and entrepreneurship. Yet, I connected with the space owners Phelan, Ping, and Sophie: through our initial meetings, we learned of our collective creative flame and collaborated on several blueprint ideas. We aspired to capture the cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural spirit of Convoy. Further, I attended lunches with local entrepreneurs who worked at Ansir. I was shocked by their tenacity. I listened to stories of a man explaining his research on drones and home security, while peeking into a conversation about a woman who had extensive training knowledge in biotech and sought to transform the field. These entrepreneurs displayed a fierce belief in themselves—their pride and commitment to their craft encapsulated the power of Convoy.
That’s why for part of the design, I created the design of a wave. In Asian culture, water represents power. Whoever controls water controls the power. inspired by Hokusai’s “The Wave Off Kanagawa,” my design of the wave conveyed the strength of spirit within these dreamers and their ability to overcome barriers to believe in themselves.Â
The next aspect of this mural was the “elements” idea. Dr. Ping, in naming Ansir after world harmony, held a deep respect for the nature that binds us all together. That’s why the design incorporates the elements of air, fire, earth, water, and at the center, people. The glove in the center underscores Ansir’s commitment to a global innovation and world progress, but it also signified the most important element to human growth: the human aspect. That is the fifth element.Â
Blueprints
One thing that is so special about Ansir Innovation Center is how truly cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural it is. At the heart of our Asian Culture & Innovation district is this melting pot of ideas and cultures. This is a space where tech enthusiasts, biotech investors, and article intelligence experts converge in one space. Spending weeks in Ansir, I realized how special this truly was: in how many places on earth can people who strive for different end goals still work so harmoniously?
The Process
Our project culminated in a Mural Unveiling Event. I received sponsorship from the San Diego City Council District 6 office, in collaboration with the Convoy District. This collaboration brought exposure and recognition to local businesses in our Asian Empowerment District. At the Mural Unveiling Event, City Council members, Ansir space owners, and Convoy District board leaders converged to celebrate this piece of public art and our local innovation. In terms of academic development, I gained a deep understanding and respect for the craft of entrepreneurs. As an Economics and Political Science student, I witnessed firsthand how vital collaboration between entrepreneurs and artists can advance economic development and political power.Â
I grew as an artist in understanding the crafts of those in the startup world, and their creativity will stick with me forever. I’m glad I could enhance a space for them to continue dreaming. Especially in the Convoy Asian Culture & Innovation District, where my dreams were always amplified. I know “The People Element” will continue bringing politicians, business leaders, and entrepreneurs together to inspire ongoing innovation.
