Set the Setting: March 2023
Meme Drop, Playlist: Empowerment, Community Support Circle, Catch me IRL in Las Vegas, Haters Gonna Hate, Envision Festival, Rave to the Grave
Meme of the Month
We recently achieved an important milestone at MAPS: a successful confirmatory Phase 3 trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); work that began 1992 and funded through philanthropic donations. These results confirmed findings from our earlier study; no serious adverse events were observed and, in a first for psychedelic-assisted trials, more than half of participants identified as people of color. It’s been a long road to get here and I couldn’t be more proud of our progress towards making MDMA a medicine and bringing psychedelic healing to all.
Disclaimer: The safety and efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies are currently under investigation. No psychedelic-assisted therapy has been approved by the FDA or other regulatory authorities; no therapy works for everyone; and all therapies, even in clinical settings, carry risks.
Set the Setting Playlist — Empowerment:
I have many different playlists to help me set the setting. My Empowerment playlist is all about rising to the challenge. It has a lot of heavy bass and dub; shaking my bones, vibrating my soul, and allowing me to shed the social conditioning that told me to stay small. This playlist makes me feel big and bold.
Listen to this playlist to tap into your inner power and strength. For me, this playlist hypes me up for going into a negotiation or delivering a presentation, stepping onto a tennis court, generally anything risky or novel that requires courage (like asking out that cute guy). As a suggested drug pairing, I recommend cannabis.
Community Support Circle for Gay, Single, SF Men:
I’m continuing one of my offerings to the community this month. It’s for gay men in San Francisco who are single and looking for support. It’s something I wanted for myself and I figured other people might also be looking for a judgment-free zone to share what’s on their mind and look after their mental health. Dating can be really tough, so spread the word to a friend in need. Space is limited!
Catch me IRL: Transform at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, March 27-29:
Transform sits at the intersection of technology and the people transforming the workplace. This will be a year of deeper community outreach, bringing together people-driven executives, future of work entrepreneurs, and workforce tech investors.
I’ll be leading a session called: “Leveraging psychedelics to deepen your DEI practice” where I’ll feature 3 CEOs who will share their experiences - and we’ll hold space for others to share their stories as well. I actually wrote about this topic over 2 years ago — and I remember hovering my mouse above the “publish” button thinking… am I about to tank my career? But nah, it was a self-limiting belief that wasn’t serving me. I hit “publish” and have found a pathway to the most meaningful work of my life.
Watch out for the haters!
Haters gonna hate. Some jabroni wrote a hit piece on me a few weeks ago called “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion on Drugs”. The person who wrote it dug deep into my work history, LinkedIn profile, and online presence to write a piece trying to take me down.
“Blending drugs, tech, psychotherapy, cults, corporations and leftism might be the best way to understand the cultural moment behind DEI that took Huang’s career from the London School of Economics, Nielsen and Facebook to preaching the joys of psychedelic diversity.”
- Some Jabroni
After reading it 10 times… I realized this is the most attention I’ve gotten from a man in a long time. Do you think he has a crush on me?
Envision Festival, Costa Rica
Pura vida! This was my 4th trip to Costa Rica - but my first Envision Festival. I try to check out a new festival every year and Envision did not disappoint! Yoga in the morning, workshops in the afternoon, and music till sunrise. Rinse and repeat for an entire week. Here’s a tip if you’re thinking about going: staying on site is hot and humid; consider staying in the luxurious rental properties just a few minutes outside the festival grounds!
Rave to the Grave
YUP! It’s that time of year again. I’m a year older, but my commitment to the rave only grows stronger.
Of all of the music I heard at Envision Festival, my absolute favorite was Daily Bread. As it turns out, he’s playing at the Independent in San Francisco, just a block from my house! Coincidence? I think not.
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