MN Zej Zog

09/05/2026

Another fabulous opportunity

09/04/2026

Support another amazing organization!

Join us Friday, Oct. 2, for an inspiring evening celebrating the strength, resilience, and achievements of Hmong women.

We are honored to welcome Catherine Yang as one of our featured panelists for Living Your Dreams: Hmong Women Leading Across Industries!

Catherine Yang is the Founder and CEO of Thriving Dot, a marketing agency that helps women-owned businesses grow through strategy, storytelling, and digital marketing. With over 10 years of marketing experience, including 8+ years in tech managing large advertising budgets, she has helped businesses generate more than $5 million in revenue while building brands that create meaningful, lasting impact.

As a Hmong woman, entrepreneur, and mother of three, Catherine's leadership has been shaped by navigating the tension between being a Hmong nyab, honoring cultural traditions and redefining what leadership looks like for Hmong women and daughters. Rather than separating her identity from her work, she has embraced it using her voice to challenge expectations, create opportunities for others, and build spaces where women can lead authentically.

She also developed Thriving Circle, a growing community dedicated to connecting, supporting, and empowering women through meaningful relationships, honest conversations, and shared growth. Through her work, Catherine is passionate about helping women step into their own power and leadership, creating pathways for the next generation to thrive.

Hear from an incredible panel of Hmong women leaders who are breaking barriers, creating change, and shaping the future of our community.

📅 Friday, Oct. 2
🕕 6–9 p.m.
📍 Mosaic Venue, Minneapolis

🎟️ Get your tickets and save your seat today! Don’t miss this special evening of connection, celebration, and inspiration. https://www.hmongwomen.org/livingourdreams

08/14/2026

On behalf of our entire iStrive family, thank you for trusting us with your children! We tried our best each year. This year was heartbreaking as we close our NHCC location, but our new home is at HOPE Community Academy in St. Paul.

Today was a reminder of how important each one of us have in reclaiming the HMong language, inspiring HMong youths to speak the HMong language. When parents speak HMoob at home, when educators do their best staying in the target language and when young leaders become role models in the classroom, magic happens.

Today’s showcase lunch was made possible by Auntie Sanida, Rocky’s Asian Bistro, and Thanh Vi. Cakes donated by Plua Yaaj. MN Zej Zog loves supporting small businesses to help them thrive.

08/13/2026

Does anyone remember the Hmong voice teacher who taught at a college in California a few years ago? Or the Hmong choir teacher in Minnesota that taught his American students Hmong songs? Looking to connect with Hmong who have studied voice or music education.

Please share with your network.

Inspired by the HMong experience, our programs invite participants of all backgrounds to explore the voice through language, identity, and expression.A space where creativity, community, and research come together to discover the many possibilities of the human voice. Can you speak Hmong/Mong?Have y...

08/06/2026

What a beautiful evening to be in spaces of the one and only Kao Kalia Yang along with so many other amazing rising authors. May one day, Hmong books fill countless shelves so that our children see themselves in a world where their stories matter. It begins at home and in spaces where Hmong kids can be who they are such as at iStrive Hmong Camp.

Get literacy resources to support your child at:
https://greatmnschools.org/

07/31/2026

And that’s a wrap up. Thank you HOPE leadership for believing in iStrive framework and the amazing leaders, teachers and ttyl. Now to NHCC next two weeks.