How might one’s identity and cultural background shape the way someone approaches their design, and how might community building help strengthen and evolve one’s design philosophy? In this episode, my dear friend Ana Mengote Baluca, a designer, educator and activist, joins me in a conversation to talk about how she uses design as a medium to weave culture, history, and philosophies to create impactful products and solutions, and how community building plays an active role in the work she does. Ana’s recent pop-up exhibit “Bagay at Buhay”, curated with culturally defining yet seemingly insignificant objects for Filipinos in the diaspora, was an enriching and thought-provoking experience for anyone who seeks to further explore and connect with their identities through untold stories and unrecognized artifacts. Ana also shares how she has found her voice and value in design by continuing to challenge the Eurocentric design standard, and how she has established more equitable practice by taking on an independent journey through her creative agency “lowercase innovation”.