There is strength in numbers, something that the House of Slay understands well. In the midst of the horrifying rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, longtime friends Prabal Gurung, Phillip Lim, Tina Leung, Laura Kim, and Ezra William joined forces under the shared mission to fight back. While each comes from different corners of the world, they have found a chosen family through living in New York. Recognizing the importance of community, the House of Slay was founded to bring this sense of strength to a wider audience. What began as a digital comic series upon their launch in 2021 has since become something greater – a space for the underrepresented to come together and “be your own superhero”.

We heard from each of the founders on how their platform came to life – and what they hope to accomplish with it.

Prabal Gurung

“Representation matters. Growing up, we didn’t see people like ourselves as superheroes, nor in mainstream media. We thought, why not channel our influence and our stories into a project that shines more positive light on our cultures?

That is why, for me, the House of Slay is a place for everyone – a safe, inclusive space where underrepresented voices of life are represented. It is built on the idea where individually we can make noise – but collectively, as a community, we can build a revolution.”

 Phillip Lim

“For me, I understood that I had to lean in and use my space to participate and put in the work for my community. Collectively, we were all seeking a community built on self -expression, inclusivity, found family and shared cultural backgrounds. We recognized that in order to create this inclusive community, it was very important to first build a house where everyone is welcomed, felt seen, and accepted.

In creating House of Slay, we wanted to create a platform of empowerment. There is a power in speaking up and fighting for what we believe in, to create a space where everyone can be their own superhero.”

Laura Kim

“There was something powerful when we talked about House of Slay. It was an idea we initially talked about during COVID. I liked the idea, because I felt like as a group of five friends, we could do much more than I could do as one individual. I feel empowered together, with strength to speak out in numbers.”

Tina Leung

“Everything inspires me. But it is people more than things that inspire me. People who are devout in their faith inspire me. People who are disciplined enough to not eat that last cookie inspires me. How someone puts together a look inspires me. Those who laugh without abandon. Those strong in their vulnerability. We created this space where we can be all of that together.

In creating this platform, I wanted to inspire people to be their true selves, and to not be afraid of showing who they are, because they can very well inspire someone to do the same.”

Ezra William

“As an immigrant from Jakarta, Indonesia, having moved to America over 10 years ago, I found myself battling between my traditional upbringing and the desire to embrace and express my individuality. In these years, I have come to learn how to embrace individuality and uniqueness while simply valuing and respecting our traditions and values. Even though finding the harmony or balance between these two sets of different values can be tough, I am glad to be able to have these values in my life.

House of Slay was something we created together, bringing each other’s differences and uniqueness, carving our own ways to help others be their best true authentic self to the world.”