More than 260 AANHPI leaders, creatives, executives, storytellers, entrepreneurs, and community builders gathered at Rideback Ranch in Historic Filipinotown for the inaugural Across the Industry event on May 31st. The gathering, hosted by Augie Max Vargas and Narumi Inatsugu and presented by The Vargas Company and Rumiville Inc., aimed to strengthen connections across the AANHPI entertainment community and broader creative industries during AANHPI Heritage Month.
Attendees represented a broad cross-section of the industry, including professionals from major guilds, academies, unions, production companies, studios, networks, cultural institutions, and civic organizations. Unlike traditional industry events, Across the Industry featured no panels, awards, fundraising, or red carpets. Instead, the focus was on creating space for authentic conversation and relationship-building among professionals who rarely intersect despite working within the same entertainment ecosystem.
"The idea was to bring together the absolute best Above-The-Line and Below-The-Line AANHPI entertainment professionals working across television and film," said Augie Max Vargas, founder of The Vargas Company and co-host of the event. "A common thread I heard all night was a feeling of joyful emotion where attendees felt inspired and, more importantly, part of a community that is larger and stronger than many people realize."
Narumi Inatsugu, CEO of Rumiville Inc. and co-host, added: "What happened in that room was bigger than networking. It was a reminder that community is one of the most powerful forces in our industry. When people from different generations, disciplines, and backgrounds come together with a shared sense of purpose, new ideas emerge, new relationships are formed, and the future becomes a little more connected."
The event also featured professional headshot activations, curated brand participation, and community experiences designed to facilitate connections across sectors that do not often gather together. The success of the inaugural gathering has sparked conversations about future editions, with plans to develop the platform as an annual opportunity to strengthen community, collaboration, and connection across the AANHPI entertainment community and beyond.
Across the Industry was organized by Vargas and Inatsugu to address the need for a dedicated space where AANHPI professionals from film, television, streaming, technology, music, business, culture, philanthropy, and public service could come together without the distractions of typical industry events. The gathering underscored the importance of community building in an industry where representation and networking opportunities remain critical for career advancement and creative collaboration.
