Community is everything to Alice Kao, whether she’s building climbing gyms or showing up for the local businesses that make LA feel like home.
Published May 22, 2026 by Homero Rosas Navarrete
In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, Alice is sharing a few of her favorite AANHPI-owned businesses across LA. Whether it’s a longtime neighborhood staple or a newer local favorite, each place reflects the creativity, care, and community that continue to define our city’s culture.
Photo: Alice Kao
Alice Kao is the co-founder and CEO of Sender One Climbing, a premier indoor climbing company with six locations throughout Southern California. Alice discovered climbing while living and working in London in 2008, following a difficult breakup. She was inspired by the healing and self-discovery that climbing brought her, which led her to co-found Sender One in 2011 upon returning to the United States with her business partners.
Photo: Alice Kao
Alice hates following rules but loves rallying people to believe in an idea. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is not afraid to cry in meetings. She was born and raised in Taiwan, and moved to the US when she was 12. Alice's superpower is her ability to ask for help relentlessly — because no one has all the answers!
THE LOCAL'S LIST is our weekly series where we tap locals to share their favorite spots, personal recs, and the kind of tips you usually only get from a friend.
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Here are five of Alice's favorite AANHPI-owned local businesses:
Photo: Brooke Olsen for The Infatuation
1800 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
The Mulberry on Sawtelle is one of my favorite newer restaurants in LA. I love how thoughtful and intentional the whole experience feels — from the design to the food to the energy of the space. It’s elevated without feeling pretentious, and it reflects something I really admire about Asian-American entrepreneurship right now: building spaces that feel both deeply personal and community-driven.
Photo: Solid Coffee
12147 South St
Artesia, CA 90701
Solid Coffee in Artesia is one of my favorite local coffee shops because it feels so much bigger than just coffee. You can tell the team behind it cares deeply about craftsmanship, design, and community.
Photo: Upwards
Over 1,575+ Daycares in Los Angeles
I really admire what my friend Jessica and the team at Upwards are building. Childcare is one of the biggest challenges facing working families today, and they’re tackling it in a meaningful way by helping make childcare more accessible and affordable. As a working mom and business owner, I know firsthand how life-changing reliable childcare support can be, and I love seeing Asian-American founders building companies that solve real human problems with both empathy and ambition.
Photo: NiHao Chinese
Multiple locations in Santa Ana, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Hawthorne, West Covina, Venice, and Culver City
My kids have been taking after-school Chinese classes at Ni Hao Chinese for almost 8 years, and it’s become such an important part of our family’s life. As someone who immigrated from Taiwan, it means a lot to me that my kids are connected to their language and culture — and honestly, their Chinese is really good now! I’m incredibly grateful for businesses like this that help second-generation kids stay connected to their roots in such a supportive and joyful way.
Got a better take?
Think Alice missed something? Love her picks? Email us at [email protected] (subject: LOCAL's LIST) and share your thoughts.
More Local Picks
This guide is part of The Local's List — a series where we ask people who actually live here to share their favorite spots, routines, and opinions about the city.
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