Glamour girl Ruby Veridiano is a writer, speaker, and media personality who is a dedicated advocate and voice for Asian American women. She is passionate about creating media that bridges entertainment with messages of positive social change.

Just as her first published book, Miss Universe, is set for re-release, we sat down with Ruby to find out more about what she does and how social media and digital technology help her along her glamorous path.

FMM: What inspired you to become an advocate for Asian American women?

RV: The issue of Asian American visibility has long been a challenge for our community. Every time I would speak to other young Asian American women, it would always be difficult for them to readily identify positive role models that shared their cultural background and experience. Thankfully, media is changing quite a bit, and there are more and more Asian Americans creating impact in music and entertainment (Bruno Mars, Olivia Munn, Lisa Ling, to name a few). However, there continues to be a lack of a strong Asian American voice that vocalizes our issues and brings light to our community’s strengths. I wanted to create a space where Asian American women can feel empowered and find their voice, and at the same time be inclusive of women (and men!) across cultural borders  create a dialogue with us.

FMM: How does social media and other technology play a role in your mission to redefine glamour and social change?

RV: Social media and technology are crucial in my ability to reach people across the world, and to share my ideas. It makes it so much easier to catapult my message instantly, reaching destinations I would never expect. I’ve received such inspiring messages from young women I’ve never met, (from France to Egypt to states across the U.S.) who I’ve been able to exchange advice and ideas with. I’ve also begun to include social media in my speaking engagements, using Twitter and Facebook (via a projector) during class to post discussions that come up, encouraging in-class participants to post their thoughts about a topic, and welcoming others from around the world to participate in the discussion. It’s really cool to have other people engage in the dialogue who aren’t in the room with us! It makes it feel like we are all connected.

FMM: You’ve got a lot of things in the works, including books and a mini-documentary. How has the recent launch of your website helped these ventures?

RV: The new website has been such a tremendous help in translating my vision. I had grown out of my old website’s design, and I didn’t feel that it represented who I am now, and what I aspire to become. The new website re-introduces me in a way that makes my ideas clear, and it took a lot of hard work, self-searching, and a serious cultivation and shaping of what my personal mission really was to come up with an effective way to project the images and words I chose to describe myself and my projects. I lead a multi- layered career that can’t be described in a single word, so now, when someone visits my website, I feel so encouraged when they say they “get me”!

FMM: You do a fair amount of traveling in your line of work. What are your go-to tech gadgets and programs that help you get the job done?

RV: Hootsuite, Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress, and my smart phone — it helps me be mobile and accessible!

FMM: What advice could you offer to women who want to be a voice for a cause they believe in?

RV: Be prepared to fight for your what you stand for. If you are truly passionate about something, and you see your vision clearly, keep exploring it, keep searching for it, and trust. Like Steve Jobs says, “All the dots will connect eventually.” I believe that having purpose is the most alluring quality of a person. As author Simon Sinek says, “People don’t care about what you do, they care about why you do it.” Shape your vision and hone in on how it translates through images, colors, and words. These are the ways people connect with you, so once you understand the core of what you’re about, those images, colors, and words will come to you. When you’re confident in what you’re about, you won’t be afraid to shout your voice far and wide!

Visit rubyveridiano.com and follow Ruby on Twitter @rubymsuniverse.