Growing up Filipino American in rural Alaska, Ariel Estrada learned early that he existed at the edges. Raised in a strict Asian household, he carried those pressures with him when he set his sights on New York's acting scene, only to find new walls waiting: class barriers, industry gatekeeping. Searching for empowerment, he spent twenty years inside a brutal martial arts cult before finding his way out — and his way forward.

Today, Ariel is an actor, theater maker, producer, and the founder of Leviathan Lab, an award-winning nonprofit creative studio dedicated to advancing Asian and Asian American performing artists. In this episode, Ariel talks about the journey that shaped him and the community he built because he needed it to exist.

Learn more about Ariel at:  ...