Meet Ray Hsu | Brand Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ray Hsu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ray, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Growing up in Taiwan, my journey started with my mom, who would take my sister and me to museums every chance she got. Looking back, those visits were my first real exposure to art and creativity. I’d wander through exhibits, absorbing everything, and I think that’s where my passion for visual storytelling first took root.
By the time I hit my teenage years, while my classmates were hitting the mall after school, I was always gravitating towards art and design book sections. I had this quiet confidence that creativity was my path. While other kids were shopping, I was dreaming up bold, imaginative ways to make my mark on the world.
I was fortunate – in many Asian families, choosing an artistic career can feel like walking a tightrope. But my family? They were my biggest supporters. They gave me the space to explore, to experiment, to chase my creative dreams without holding me back.
Later on, I had the chance to work in Beijing for three years, and that experience had a huge impact on me. It gave me a deeper connection to traditional Chinese culture, but more importantly, it built up my resilience. Working in a fast-paced, competitive environment like Beijing challenged me in the best way possible — it taught me to stay adaptable, push through uncertainty, and trust my creative instincts.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Right now, I’m in the process of building my own creative business in New York. It’s still in the early stages, but I see it as a platform where I can combine all my skills — brand strategy, storytelling, visual design, and cultural curation — into one space. My goal is to help brands not only tell their stories visually but also connect deeper with their audiences through creativity and meaningful narratives.
What sets me apart, I think, is my background and the way I approach projects. I’ve worked across different industries — from art exhibitions to tech startups to brand consulting — and that allows me to see things from multiple angles. I’m not just thinking about how something looks; I’m thinking about how it feels, what story it tells, and how the audience experiences it. I love blending different creative forms together, like mixing art installations with brand storytelling or combining physical and digital experiences. That flexibility and curiosity have become part of my signature style.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve never taken the “safe” or conventional path. From choosing to study art, to moving to Beijing alone for work, to now building my business in New York — none of it was easy, but each step shaped who I am today. Starting a business here as an international creative comes with a lot of challenges — from cultural differences to figuring out the local market to handling all the legal and logistical parts. It’s definitely overwhelming at times, but I always remind myself why I started: I’m curious, therefore I am.
If there’s one thing I want the world to know about my story, it’s that curiosity can take you anywhere. I never had a traditional roadmap for my career, but I always followed my curiosity — and that’s what led me to some of my proudest moments. That’s also the spirit I want to bring into my business: staying curious, staying open, and helping others tell stories that truly reflect who they are.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend came to visit me in New York, I’d definitely start with museums and galleries — that’s my favorite part of the city. I’d take them to the Guggenheim, not just for the art but also for the incredible architecture.
At night, I’d bring them to some of my favorite bars — Tiki Chick for awesome chicken sandwiches, Lullaby for great cocktails, and Hard to Explain for a cool, hidden spot. Honestly, in NYC, the options are endless. Whether it’s late-night food, live music, or just wandering around different neighborhoods, there’s always something exciting happening.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
If I could dedicate my shoutout to a group of people, it would definitely be my first colleagues at Layer One, a 3D printer company I worked at in Taipei. Layer One made an incredible mark in the crowdfunding world between 2012 and 2016, successfully launching campaigns on Kickstarter in the US and ZecZec in Taiwan. Our 3D printers, ATOM 2.0 and ATOM 2.5, weren’t just products — they were creative experiments that pushed boundaries and taught me what it really means to build something from the ground up.
That team was filled with incredibly talented people — from industrial designers to figure modeling artists to brilliant engineers. As someone just starting my career, I was lucky to work alongside such passionate and creative minds. They didn’t just teach me technical skills; they showed me how to think boldly, step out of my comfort zone, and still stay organized and thoughtful in my creative process.

Website: https://rayhsu.cargo.site/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-hsu-b1a86b103