Past Gala Honorees

Constance Wu

Actress

2024

Constance Wu

A vibrant and acclaimed actress, Constance Wu is steadily building her body of work of dynamic roles alongside some of the industry’s most respected creators.

Constance recently penned a memoir titled Making A Scene. The book is an essay collection that recounts Constance’s experiences growing up in suburban Virginia, scraping by as a struggling actress, falling in love again and again, confronting her identity and influence, and navigating the pressures and pleasures of existing in today’s world.

Onscreen, Constance will next be seen in The Friend alongside Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Ann Dowd, and Noma Dumezweni. She was recently seen in Will Speck and Josh Gordon’s Lyle, Lyle Crocodile alongside Shawn Mendes and Javier Bardem. The film is based on the bestselling children’s book of the same name by Bernard Waber.

Constance recently launched Tempo Wubato Pictures, a production venture alongside Justine Jones who was tapped as the Vice President of Development. Under this banner, Constance struck a first-look deal with eOne where she and Justine are actively developing and producing scripted series for the studio.

Most notably, Constance starred in Warner Brother’s romantic comedy hit, Crazy Rich Asians, directed by Jon M. Chu. For this role, Constance received a Golden Globe® nomination in the category of Best Actress in a Motion Picture in a Musical or Comedy and a Critics Choice® nomination in the category of Best Actress in a Comedy. The film itself received many accolades including a Golden Globe® nomination in the category of Best Motion Picture in a Musical or Comedy, SAG Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and Critics’ Choice Award nomination in the categories of Best Acting Ensemble and Best Comedy, coupled with box office success which made it the most successful studio romantic comedy in nearly a decade. Crazy Rich Asians also made Hollywood history as the first studio movie in over 25 years to star an Asian American woman.

Additional film credits include Christopher Makoto Yogi’s I Was A Simple Man; Lorene Scafaria’s, Hustlers, which was recorded as the highest box office opening for STX; Eric Darnell’s Crow: The Legend; Jenée LaMarque’s The Feels; Christopher Leone’s Parallels; Zal Batmanglij’s Sound of My Voice; Matt Tauber’s The Architect; and Hilary Brougher’s Stephanie Daley.

On television, Constance was last seen in Amazon Studios’ conspiracy thriller series The Terminal List alongside Chris Pratt and Taylor Kitsch. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Jack Carr, the series followed James Reece (Pratt) who’s entire platoon of Navy SEALs is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission. Constance portrayed the role of ‘Katie Buranek’ a risk-seeking war correspondent who uses her byline to speak truth to power. She finds an unlikely ally in James as she seeks to bring the truth about the conspiracy he’s fighting against to light in mainstream media. Prior, Constance was in the thought-provoking Amazon anthology series, Solos, alongside Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba, Nicole Beharie, Anthony Mackie and Dan Stevens. The series explored the deeper meaning of human connection, as portrayed through the lens of the individual, each from a different perspective and moment in time.

Constance broke out on screen in her starring role as ‘Jessica Huang’ in ABC’s comedy series Fresh off the Boat. The six-season run of the critically-acclaimed series was is loosely based off of the life of chef Eddie Huang. For this role, Constance was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Television Award in the category of Best Actress in a Comedy Series and was honored as part of the TIME 100 Most Influential People of 2017. Fresh off the Boat also made Hollywood history as the first American Network TV show to center an Asian American family in over 20 years. As of 2018, it also marked another milestone as the first Asian- American led TV show ever to reach syndication.

Ocean Vuong

Author, Poet

2023

Ocean Vuong

Ocean Vuong is the author of The New York Times bestselling poetry collection, Time is a Mother (Penguin Press 2022), and The New York Times bestselling novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (Penguin Press 2019), which has been translated into 37 languages. A recipient of a 2019 MacArthur “Genius” Grant, he is also the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds, a New York Times Top 10 Book of 2016, winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Whiting Award, the Thom Gunn Award, and the Forward Prize for Best First Collection. A Ruth Lilly fellow from the Poetry Foundation, his honors include fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, The Elizabeth George Foundation, The Academy of American Poets, and the Pushcart Prize.

Vuong’s writings have been featured in The Atlantic, Granta, Harpers, The Nation, New Republic, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Paris Review, The Village Voice, and American Poetry Review, which awarded him the Stanley Kunitz Prize for Younger Poets. Selected by Foreign Policy magazine as a 2016 100 Leading Global Thinker, Ocean was also named by BuzzFeed Books as one of “32 Essential Asian American Writers” and has been profiled on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” PBS NewsHour, Teen Vogue, Interview, Poets & Writers, and The New Yorker.

Born in Saigon, Vietnam and raised in Hartford, Connecticut in a working class family of nail salon and factory laborers, he was educated at nearby Manchester Community College before transferring to Pace University to study International Marketing. Without completing his first term, he dropped out of Business school and enrolled at Brooklyn College, where he graduated with a BA in Nineteenth Century American Literature. He subsequently received his MFA in Poetry from NYU.

He currently lives in Northampton, Massachusetts and serves as a tenured Professor in the Creative Writing MFA Program at NYU.

Simon Kim

Proprietor of Gracious Hospitality Management

2023

Simon Kim

Simon Kim is the proprietor of Gracious Hospitality Management, the brand behind the Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse in Manhattan’s Flatiron district, COTE Miami, and bespoke cocktail lounge Undercote, with exciting new projects in the pipeline.

Born in Seoul, Kim began his hospitality career at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, while studying Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada. He would go on to lead the front-of-house teams for notable chefs, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Thomas Keller, and open his first Michelin-starred restaurant, Piora, at the young age of 31.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Simon opened COTE in 2017, New York City’s first Korean steakhouse and the only Michelin-starred Korean tabletop grill restaurant in the world, an honor now shared by COTE Miami following its breakthrough first year in the city’s Design District. COTE quickly earned numerous accolades within its first few months, including GQ’s Best New Restaurants in America, two stars from The New York Times and New York Magazine, James Beard Foundation Award nominations, and semifinalist nods for Best New Restaurant and Outstanding Wine List.

An Associate Board Member of the National Restaurant Association, EY Entrepreneur of the Year New York 2022 winner, Crain’s 40 under 40 honoree, and recipient of the Next Generation Award from the NYC Hospitality Alliance, Simon is not only a leader in the industry known for his creative and polished execution but one that is passionate about supporting local Asian American communities. In 2021, Simon founded Taste of Asia, an annual tasting event celebrating New York City’s AAPI communities. Featuring a curated selection of 40 restaurants serving Asian-inspired bites in Madison Square Park, this event honors the diversity and vitality of AAPI culture and cuisine in New York City and beyond, raising $1.2M in its inaugural year and $1.4M in 2022 for three organizations: City Harvest, where Simon sits on their Board of Directors and is an active participant on their Food Council, Apex for Youth and Madison Square Park Conservancy. Simon is also a Board member of the National Restaurant Association and a father of two.

Eileen Gu

Freestyle Skier, 2-time Olympic gold medalist

2022

Eileen Gu

Eileen Gu made history at the 2022 Winter Olympics, securing two golds and a silver medal, becoming the only action sports athlete to clinch three medals in a single Olympic event. At age 18, she set the record for the youngest freeski Olympic gold medalist. Eileen’s extraordinary feats extend beyond the Olympics; she’s the first snowsport athlete to claim three medals at both the 2021 XGames and FIS World Championships and the inaugural female freeskier to execute a double cork 1440 and unnatural double cork 1620 in competition.

Eileen is not just a champion on the slopes but also a voice for cultural unity and youth empowerment. As a global freeski ambassador, she’s dedicated to inspiring youth, particularly girls, to transcend their limits and embrace sports for a confident and healthy life.

In recognition of her exceptional accomplishments, Eileen was honored with the “Action Sportsperson of the Year” at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Award. In 2022, she made the TIME100 Most Influential People List and was awarded Best Breakthrough Athlete at the ESPYs. Her advocacy for female empowerment earned her the Vogue Aurora Award in 2019, and her role as a cultural conduit between the US and China is evident in her role as ambassador for the Salt Lake City 2030 Olympic Bid.

Eileen’s foray into the modeling world was marked by her striking runway debut at the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2023 fashion show, followed by her recent opening and closing of the Bosideng 2024 show at Milan Fashion Week. Academically gifted and a fashion icon, Eileen balances a 4.0 GPA at Stanford University with a prolific fashion career that includes collaborations with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, IWC, and Tiffany & Co., as well as features on the covers of renowned magazines. As a global icon, Eileen Gu continues to inspire, achieving excellence and fostering international unity.

Amanda Nguyen

Founder/CEO, RISE

2021

Amanda Nguyen

Amanda Nguyen is a civil rights activist. She is a activist for the Stop Asian Hate movement and passed sexual assault survivor rights in the United States and United Nations. For her work she is a Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and TIME Woman of the Year. Amanda played Hanoi Hannah in Spike Lee’s film Da Five Bloods. She has served at the White House, Department of State, and NASA, and is currently an astronaut candidate at the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences.

Awkwafina

Actress

2021

Awkwafina

Awkwafina is a Golden Globe winning actress, writer, and producer from Queens, New York. Born as Nora Lum, her trademark comedic style has made her a breakout star. She will next be heard in Universal’s Kung Fu Panda 4, which will be released in March 2024. Most recently, Lum can be seen starring alongside Sandra Oh in Hulu’s comedy, Quiz Lady, which the duo also produced. She can be seen in three seasons one of her self-produced Comedy Central show, Awkwafina is Nora From Queens. She also recently starred in films such as The Little Mermaid, Migration, Jumanji: The Next Level, MGM’s Breaking News in Yuba County, Disney +’s Raya and the Last Dragon and Marvel’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings. Previously, Lum received universal acclaim as the protagonist of The Farewell, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical). Based on a true story about a family saying goodbye to their unknowing matriarch, The Farewell beat the record of biggest per-theater average of the year previously held by Avengers: Endgame. Lum also starred as Peik Lin in 2018’s breakout film Crazy Rich Asians, a movie which grossed $20 million for four straight weekends. Other appearances include Ocean’s 8, Dude written and directed by Olivia Milch, and her debut in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. Lum also voice acted as Quail in Storks. Lum’s impressive range and ability is apparent throughout her career. In 2018, Lum hosted Saturday Night Live in its 44th season.

Daniel Dae Kim

Actor, Director, Producer

2021

Daniel Dae Kim

Daniel Dae Kim has captivated global audiences with his transformative performances across film, television and theater. He continues to evolve his body of work in powerful roles and compelling narratives as an actor, director and producer.

Kim currently stars in Joe Penna’s Stowaway, opposite Toni Collette, Anna Kendrick and Shamier Anderson. After a stowaway is discovered on a mission to Mars, the crew is faced with an existential decision that may jeopardize all their lives. An intensely personal human drama, Netflix released the film worldwide on April 22. Kim also recently lent his vocal talents to Disney +’s Raya and The Last Dragon, which also features the voices of Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Benedict Wong and Sandra Oh.

Next year, Kim can be seen in AMC’s Pantheon, the ambitious one-hour animated drama, based on a series of short stories by Ken Liu about Uploaded Intelligence. Kim is currently in production on the second installment of National Geographic’s scripted anthology series, The Hot Zone: Anthrax. Based on the domestic terror attacks following 9/11, Kim stars as the federal agent on the case, opposite Tony Goldwyn.

The prolific actor is a longtime champion of increased diversity and Asian American representation in Hollywood, and has served as an important voice throughout the current surge of violence towards people of Asian descent. His work as an advocate has been documented in the New York Times, Washington Post, ABC News Nightline and a ground-breaking five-part PBS documentary.

Jon M. Chu

Filmaker

2021

Jon M. Chu

Jon M. Chu is known for his visually stunning blockbuster films, as well as his kinetic work across various genres, from groundbreaking series to commercials and films. He directed the worldwide phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians, which was nominated for numerous awards, including a SAG Award, a Golden Globe, and PGA Award. The film has earned more than $175 million in the United States alone, with a worldwide gross of almost $240 million, making it one of the top 10 highest grossing romantic comedies of all time. It was the first contemporary studio picture in more than 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast, and it represents a new chapter in Chu’s 10-year career.

Chu most recently served as an executive producer and director on Home Before Dark, for Apple, which premiered April 3, 2020. The series was inspired by the true story of 11-year-old investigative reporter Hilde Lysiak and stars Jim Sturgess and Brooklynn Prince. Home Before Dark will return for a second season on June 11, 2021 on Apple TV+, with ten episodes that will release week-to-week each Friday, which Chu executive produced.

Upcoming, Chu helmed his most ambitious project to date, the highly anticipated adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights for Warner Bros. Studios, which will also be released June 11, 2021.

Chu will next direct Universal’s Wicked, the feature-film adaptation of the record-breaking musical phenomenon that is in its 17th smash-hit year on Broadway.

Chu’s previous credits include Step Up 2: The Streets, GI. Joe: Retaliation, Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never and many more representing over 1.3 billion dollars in the worldwide box office. Additionally, his unique storytelling ability has earned him the honor of being on the Hollywood Reporter’s Power 100 list as well as Variety’s New Hollywood Leaders.

Gemma Chan

Actress and Producer

2019

Gemma Chan

Gemma Chan has quickly established herself internationally as one of the industry’s leading actors.

After graduating with a law degree from Oxford University, Gemma was offered a job with a leading law firm but turned it down in order to train at the prestigious Drama Centre London. Since graduating from Drama Centre, she has demonstrated her versatility in a career spanning multiple countries, mediums and genres.

Gemma has shown her range in television dramas such as Sherlock, playing alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, and in Humans, Channel 4’s (UK) most successful drama in 20 years in which she played Anita, an anthropomorphic robot. An accomplished stage actress, she performed in the sell-out run of the critically acclaimed Yellow Face by Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang. In 2015, Gemma starred in the West End revival of Harold Pinter’s masterpiece The Homecoming at The Trafalgar Studios.

Gemma was most recently seen starring in the Warner Bros. film adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel, Crazy Rich Asians, which quickly became the most successful studio rom-com in nine years at the U.S. box office. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and recently won a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Comedy.

Gemma also starred in the short film Mr. Malcom’s List, which used a culturally diverse cast to reclaim historical narratives traditionally played by white actors. This year will also see Gemma joining the cast of Captain Marvel, the first female-led superhero project by Disney.

Gemma is classically trained on the violin and piano and is a passionate supporter of human rights, working with charities including UNICEF.

Kenneth Lin

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

2019

Kenneth Lin

Kenneth started Intuit Credit Karma in 2007 to offer free credit scores and bring transparency and simplicity to the credit industry – an industry built around prioritizing banks, not consumers. Today, Credit Karma serves more than 130 million members in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. It continues to use technology to bridge the gap between consumers and financial services by consistently rolling out free, consumer-first tools designed to help members manage their full financial lives — to provide certainty in a world of financial uncertainty.

He has led the company from a small team of three to more than 1,500 employees who are disrupting consumer finance, serving millions of people. Kenneth’s vision is that one day technology will enable Credit Karma to automate a simple way for consumers around the world to manage their financial identities.

Kenneth also founded Multilytics Marketing in 2006 and has a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Boston University. He was selected to join the esteemed Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellows in 2018. Kenneth lives with his wife and two children in Oakland.

Olivia Munn

Actress

2019

Olivia Munn

Olivia Munn most recently starred in 20th Century Fox’s The Predator opposite Keegan-Michael Key and Sterling K. Brown. She also starred in the critically acclaimed second season of HISTORY series SIX, where she played “Gina,” a ruthless and smart CIA operative. Up next, she will star in the new STARZ series The Rook, premiering in 2019.

Munn was also recently seen voicing the role of “Koko” in The LEGO Ninjago Movie. In 2016, she starred in Office Christmas Party alongside Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston, in X-Men: Apocalypse as “Psylocke,” and in Universal’s Ride Along 2 with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube. From 2012 – 2014, Munn starred as Sloan Sabbith on Aaron Sorkin’s hit HBO political drama The Newsroom, which followed behind-the-scenes events of the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel.

Variety recognized Munn as the “2014 Breakthrough Actress” winner at the Variety Breakthrough of the Year Awards. Her film credits include Mortdecai, Deliver Us From Evil, Magic Mike and Iron Man 2. She had an arc on FOX’s Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated comedy The New Girl and appeared in the Emmy-winning Showtime environmental documentary series Years of Living Dangerously from James Cameron and Jerry Weintraub. Munn is a spokeswoman and activist on environmental issues, including working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s and DoSomething.org’s “Green Your School Challenge” and the Sierra Club.

An Oklahoma native, Munn spent the majority of her childhood in Tokyo, Japan and speaks fluent Japanese. She attended the University of Oklahoma after moving back to the U.S. and relocated to Los Angeles. In 2006, Munn joined G4 network’s popular Attack of the Show! as co-host. She later joined the Emmy-winning Comedy Central series The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as correspondent in 2010, becoming one of five female cast members to ever appear on the show. Her first book, “Suck it, Wonder Woman: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek” was also released that year and debuted on The New York Times and Los Angeles Times best sellers lists.

Humberto Leon & Carol Lim

American Fashion Designers

2018

Humberto Leon & Carol Lim

Carol Lim and Humberto Leon are the co-founders of Opening Ceremony, a retail destination and cult fashion brand founded in 2002, and were the co-creative directors of French fashion house KENZO from 2011 to 2019.

Lim and Leon met during their studies at University of California, Berkeley, where Lim graduated with a B.A. in Economics, and Leon with a B.A. in Art Practice and American Studies.

Inspired by their world travels together, the duo left their jobs in the corporate fashion sector to start Opening Ceremony in 2002. The brand, colloquially known as OC, has grown from its first flagship store on Howard Street in New York into a global brand with stores in Los Angeles and Tokyo. Opening Ceremony is renowned for scouting emerging fashion talent from around the world and supporting them alongside well established designers.

Each year, OC produces two seasonal collections of ready-to-wear and accessories, dressing notables such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Drake, Cate Blanchett, Justin Bieber, and members of the Obama family. Over the past two decades, OC has also collaborated with brands, including Vans, Google, Intel, Disney, Coach, Pendleton, Levi’s, Rodarte, Apple, and Maison Martin Margiela, and creatives, including Spike Jonze, The Linda Lindas, Yoko Ono, Solange, Beastie Boys, Beyonce, Chloë Sevigny, Whoopi Goldberg, Justin Peck, and Syd Mead. OC was elected by Fast Company as one of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies” in 2011 and received the prestigious Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion Design in 2016.

In July 2011, French luxury group LVMH appointed Lim and Leon as a co-creative director of KENZO, a storied Parisian fashion house founded in 1969 by Kenzo Takada. During his tenure at KENZO, the brand successfully re-launched as the world’s source for vibrant, forward-thinking contemporary fashion. Lim & Leon’s vision of “culture first” has led to musical collaborations with the XX, MIA, Solange, Air, Lauren Hill, Blood Orange, Vampire Weekend, Mike D (of Beastie Boys), Disclosure, Spiritualized, and more, on original scores for his historic shows at KENZO. Through shows, advertising, image, film, and special partnerships with innovators that include Jean-Paul Goude, TOILETPAPER, Natasha Lyonne, Karen O, Gregg Araki, Kahlil Joseph, and Carrie Brownstein, KENZO’s reach expanded far beyond fashion and into popular culture.

In 2016, Lim and Leon oversaw the release of KENZO’s first fragrance, KENZOWORLD, which was launched with an internet-breaking film directed by Spike Jonze and starring Margaret Qualley. In November 2016, KENZO and H&M collaborated on a highly -coveted collection that sold out instantly in stores around the globe. In 2017, KENZO was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, attributed to Leon & Lim’s multi-pronged approach to collaboration and advertising. In 2018, Leon wrote and directed his first film, “The Everything,” which served as KENZO’s Fall/Winter 2018 campaign film. Lim and Leon were judges for the LVMH Fashion Fund, advisors to the Parsons School for Design, and members of the selection jury for the ANDAM Fashion Award. In 2017, Lim and Leon were honored by New York nonprofit arts organization Creative Time at their annual gala. Lim and Leon have also been honored with the President’s Award for Excellence in Retail Innovation from the Academy of Art in San Francisco; Apex for Youth’s Inspiration Award; The Daily Front Row “Fashion Innovators” Award; The Fashion Group International’s 2018 Fashion Star Award.

In 2020, Leon opened his first restaurant with mother Wendy Leon, sister Ricardina Leon, and brother-in-law John Liu, in Eagle Rock, California. Inspired by their diverse heritage and deep-seated love for home cooking, CHIFA features a multi-cultural menu of traditional Cantonese, Peruvian, and Taiwanese recipes, many refreshed with a modern twist. As its visual director, Leon designed the restaurant’s custom interiors and furniture, which were featured in The Architectural Digest. At the end of its inaugural year, CHIFA received the prestigious Bib Gourmand Award by the MICHELIN Guide and earned a coveted spot on Condé Nast’s “The Best New Restaurants in the World” and the Los Angeles Times “101 Best Restaurants” lists for 2021. To critical acclaim Leon designed opened his second Arroz & Fun in Lincoln Heights, California. The restaurants have been featured in numerous publications including the Los Angeles Times, Eater, Bon Appetit.

Since 2020, Lim has consulted and advised for a number of brands including SK-II, Peter Do and Camper. In 2023, she worked with Jenny Han and Netflix on product collaborations for the show XO, Kitty.

Jhené Aiko

Singer and Songwriter

2018

Jhené Aiko

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Jhené Aiko was already more than a decade deep in music when she arrived at Def Jam in 2011 having been featured on projects by A-listers including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and more.

Jhené made history when her 2013 debut EP, Sail Out, became the biggest-selling EP in Def Jam history, earning RIAA-certified Gold status with Platinum and Gold hits “The Worst” and “Bed Peace”. She then joined Drake on his 39-city U.S. tour and collaborated with Big Sean on their 2016 duo project, TWENTY88.

Jhené’s sophomore project Trip, a Movie, Album and Poetry book (M.A.P.), details an alternate form of therapy to deal with the loss of her brother, Miyagi Hasani Ayo Chilombo, to cancer in 2012. Trip debuted at #1 on Billboard’s R&B Albums Chart with RIAA-certified Gold singles “Sativa” and “While We’re Young.”

A lifelong writer, Jhené completed her trifecta by authoring the Barnes & Noble Bestseller, 2Fish, presenting an intimate portrait of herself as Penny, the nickname given by her grandfather, with excerpts pulled directly from her childhood journals.

Jhené is a pop culture icon with a heavy presence in Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, CR Fashion Book, Nylon and more. While Jhené has proved to be a trailblazer in the music, art and fashion space, she has created a unique convergence of literature, philanthropy and personal well-being.

Last year, Jhené partnered with Viacom’s Get Schooled, an award-winning non-profit dedicated to using the power of technology and pop culture to inspire young people toward higher education, with the #PennysPen campaign engaging over 45 million nationwide. Jhené also launched the W.A.Y.S. foundation, an acronym for “Why aren’t you smiling,” in honor of her late brother. The foundation, led by Jhené and her family, is dedicated to instilling hope into the lives of those who need help.

John C. Jay

Designer, President / Executive Creative Director

2018

John C. Jay

The first child of Chinese immigrants living in Columbus, Ohio, John C Jay has been called a living legend and a creative mastermind. He has changed how brands immerse themselves in the culture of their communities, and his work has influenced design standards for a generation.

His first break came in 1980 in the menswear and home-furnishing departments of Bloomingdale’s in New York, which he landed despite having no experience in retail, fashion, advertising or marketing. He won them over with his passion, and during his 12 years there he climbed to executive vice president, director of marketing and creative services.

In 1993 he joined Wieden+Kennedy, the iconic ad agency, where he became Global Creative Director, led game-changing campaigns for Nike and established satellite offices in Tokyo, Shanghai and Delhi. John is now President of Global Creative at Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, Theory, Helmut Lang among others.

John has been inducted into the Art Director’s Club Hall of Fame, was included in Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in 2011, and has spoken extensively about creativity. He has also been selected in the 50 Most Influential Art Directors of the Past 50 Years by the readers of Graphic Design USA, and is the founder of the Jay Scholarship Fund at Ohio State University to encourage students of Asian descent to pursue careers in the arts.

Alex Chung

GIPHY, Co-founder & CEO

2017

Alex Chung

Alex Chung is currently the founder and CEO of Giphy, the people who bring you all the GIFs. At the time, the second largest search engine in the world, Giphy was acquired by Instagram and now home at Shutterstock. Before Giphy he founded over a dozen startups backed by investors such as YCombinator. He has worked on microprocessors at Intel, music videos at MTV, and recruited by Paul Allen the co-founder of Microsoft to work in his research and development lab. He was named on Business Insider’s Top 25 most influential technologists in New York, Ad Age’s 50 most creative people, Fast Company’s most creative people in business right next to Beyoncé. He has degrees in philosophy, computer engineering, and graphic design and is currently in graduate school at Oxford University studying Ethics.

Bing Chen

Creator & Entrepreneur

2017

Bing Chen

Bing Chen is an impact founder and investor devoted to building worlds that rebalance socioeconomic equity. Beginning with his career at Google in erecting the global YouTube creator/influencer ecosystem, hes been lucky to witness and drive a combination of stories and systems to assert, enhance, and extend billions of lives. In short, Bings dream has always been to make everyone elses dreams come true.

He is the Executive Chairman and Founder of AU Holdings, a new world builder: a family of companies that incubate and invest in multicultural creators and communities to rebalance socioeconomic equity. As well, he is Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-founder of Gold House, the premier collective of multicultural leaders dedicated to systemically unlocking socioeconomic equity for multicultural communities through unity, investments, and promotion. He is also General Partner and Co-founder of Aum Group, a multicultural film fund; and serves as a Board Director and Advisor to several leading digital media companies including Googles Global Marketing Board, Snaps Yellow Incubator, Omnicoms Sparks & Honey, Titan, Baobab Studios, Oura Health, Musely, and more. Previously, he was YouTubes Global Head of Creator Development and Management, where he was one of the original and principal architects of the multi-billion dollar influencer ecosystem that supports 300 million creators worldwide. He is a Hollywood Reporter Next Gen Leader; a Hollywood Reporter Most Influential Agent of Change; American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement and Jack Averett honoree; Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree; ABC News History Maker; ADCOLOR Catalyst Honoree; Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader; Magic Johnsons 32 Under 32 Leader; and Asian Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year. Bing is a third culture kid across North America and Asia, finally graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, which becomes obvious at $11.99 buffets.

Chloe Kim

Snowboarder, 2-time Olympic gold medalist

2017

Chloe Kim

Despite being born in 2000, Chloe Kim is arguably the greatest female snowboarder of all time, and could conceivably compete at several more Winter Olympics.

The American first burst into the public consciousness aged just 14 at the 2015 X Games, when she became the youngest ever winner of a gold medal, taking the prize in the superpipe ahead of Kelly Clark. The records continued to tumble – she won X Games gold again the next year, and in the US Snowboarding Grand Prix, she became the first female boarder to land back-to-back 1080s. She has six Winter X titles, all in SuperPipe.

Kim was too young to compete at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games – an event she was already talented enough to win a medal at – and therefore her first taste of Olympic action came at the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games. Kim was head and shoulders ahead of the competition, winning halfpipe and slopestyle gold. She also notched the highest score in YOG snowboarding halfpipe history, and acted as the USA flagbearer.

Connie Chung

Journalist

2017

Connie Chung

An award-winning investigative reporter/anchor and one of the most recognizable faces on American television, Connie Chung has been a powerful force in the news industry for more than 40 years. On the lecture stage she draws on her unique experiences in addressing the challenges today’s women face, advocating diversity in the workplace, and inspiring younger journalists to make a difference in their local communities and worldwide. Connie was the first woman to co-anchor a major networks nightly news (The CBS Evening News), and the first Asian (Chinese) to anchor news at any network. In 2023, the New York Times Opinion Section carried a front-page story entitled “Generation Connie” in which she discovered an untold number of Asian parents named their baby daughters “Connie” after her. Connie never knew about her namesakes and could not fathom the impact she had made.

Dhivya Suryadevara

General Motors, Chief Financial officer

2017

Dhivya Suryadevara

Dhivya Suryadevara is the Chief Financial Officer of Stripe, a global technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet. She was previously the Chief Financial Officer of General Motors.

Suryadevara has been recognized for her career accomplishments including MotorTrend’s 2020 Power List, Automotive News’ 2019 All Stars, Fortune’s Most Powerful Women to Watch, 40 Under 40 (Fortune magazine and Crain’s Detroit Business), World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders and others. She previously served on the board of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York.

Hayden Szeto

Actor

2017

Hayden Szeto

A Canadian actor, Hayden Szeto is best known for his roles as Erwin Kim the comedy-drama film The Edge of Seventeen and as Ken Laung in popular NBC TV series The Good Place. Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Szeto studied sociology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Hong Kong and later went to New York Film Academy`s Acting for the film program.

Szeto stared his career as an actor with the TV film Man of Light in 2011. He subsequently starred in series` like America`s Most Wanted (2012), and The Good Place (2017). After being successful in the TV industry, he made his debut with Secret Asian man: Rise of the Zodiac! (2012) and later starred in films like The Edge of Seventeen (2016) and Truth or Dare (2018), an English supernatural thriller directed by Jeff Wadlow.

James Chang

C. P. Advanced Imaging, PLLC – Founder

2017

James Chang

Dr. James Chang is a radiologist in New York, New York. He received his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

Jason Wang

Xi’an Famous Foods, President/CEO

2017

Jason Wang

Xi’an native Jason Wang grew up in New York City and attended college with plans to pursue a corporate career. When his father, a veteran of Chinese kitchens, opened the first Xi’an Famous Foods in 2005 to sell dishes based on family recipes, Jason saw the potential of the business and was eager to help the restaurant grow, at one point experimenting with dishes in his dorm room while in college. Following a brief stint in the corporate world after college graduation, Jason decided to fully invest himself in Xi’an Famous Foods, learning every aspect of the business from the ground up. Since 2009, he has expanded the hole-in-the-wall chain to multiple locations in the New York City area. Through these restaurants, Jason brings a dining experience that appeals to both Chinese families who come to eat expecting authenticity, to everyday Americans looking to explore flavors.

Jason graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2009 with multiple majors in finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, and international business. In the past years, he has been named: Nominee for Outstanding Restaurateur of the James Beard Awards 2020; Zagat’s 30 Under 30 listee; Forbes 2014 30 Under 30 listee; Crain’s 2014 40 Under 40 listee; Eater.com 2013 Young Gun.

Julie Yoo

Fanatics, SVP Global Head of M&A

2017

Julie Yoo

Julie Yoo joined Fanatics in 2021 as SVP Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions, bringing deep experience in various corporate development, M&A, strategy leadership roles within tech and media and entertainment businesses. In her current role, she leads all of Fanatics’ M&A efforts.

Prior to Fanatics, Julie led the Google TV Content Monetization efforts and the Media & Entertainment Strategy and Operations team at Google. Previously, she oversaw the corporate development efforts at Scripps Networks and the execution of M&A and ventures investments. Julie played a key role taking Food Network and HGTV content global and served on the boards of digital-first media and streaming companies including Refinery29, Food52 and PlutoTV.

Kathy Hirata Chin

Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP

2017

Kathy Hirata Chin

Kathy Hirata Chin has been a Partner at Crowell & Moring LLP since she moved there in October 2018 with the rest of the healthcare practice group after 38 years at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. She is currently planning to retire March 31, 2024, to spend more time with her family, including her granddaughter, while continuing with her other activities as described below.

Ms. Chin graduated from Princeton University and Columbia Law School, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Transnational Law. She served as a Commissioner on the NYC Planning Commission from 1995 to 2001 and is currently Acting Chair of the NYC Commission to Combat Police Corruption. She has served on the Federal Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the Eastern District of NY, Governor Mario Cuomo’s Judicial Screening Committee for the First Department, the Gender Bias Committee of the Second Circuit Task Force, former Chief Judge Judith Kaye’s Commission to Promote Public Confidence in Judicial Elections, the Second Circuit Judicial Conference Planning and Program Committee, the Board of Directors of the NY County Lawyers Association and the NYC Bar Association, and the Board of Directors of NY Lawyers for the Public Interest, a non-profit that advocates for marginalized New Yorkers.

She currently serves on the Attorney Emeritus Advisory Council and the Commercial Division Advisory Council, appointed to both by former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of the New York State Court of Appeals, and as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Medicare Rights Center, a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping older adults and people with disabilities get affordable health care. In 2012, 2014, and in 2021 she was nominated for appointment to the New York State Court of Appeals by the New York State Commission on Judicial Nomination. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Second Circuit Judicial Council Committee on Civic Education & Public Engagement and of the Governor’s Judicial Screening Committee for the First Department. In 2021 she became a member of the Board of EmblemHealth, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health insurers. Since 2022, she has been Chair of the Board of Advisors of Fordham Law School’s Center on Asian Americans and the Law, a first-of-its-kind institution with three core missions: civic education, scholarship and AAPI legal studies, and outreach and public advocacy. She has received the NYC Bar’s Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award, AABANY’s Women’s Leadership Award, the inaugural Hong Yen Chang awards from Columbia APALSA and Columbia Law School Association, and the 2022 Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

Krista Marie Yu

Actress

2017

Krista Marie Yu

KRISTA MARIE YU is a 5th generation Bay Area raised Asian American actress best known for her roles of “Elaine” in Hulu’s REBOOT, “Jen” in FOX’s LAST MAN STANDING and “Molly” in ABC’s DR. KEN. She also has played memorable parts in numerous TV shows, including Nickelodeon’s THE THUNDERMANS and Freeform’s SWITCHED AT BIRTH. Krista is a proud ambassador for Lupus LA and Saving Our Daughters’ Cinderellas Program. She is passionate about the importance of amplifying voices toward diverse representation and inclusion in all communities and looks up to her extraordinary mentors who have paved the way. She is grateful for Apex for Youth’s honor and deeply appreciates the dedication and mission of all involved.

Marcus Loo

Clinical Professor of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College

2017

Marcus Loo

Marcus H. Loo, MD, FACS is Clinical Professor of Urology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Attending Urologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Loo received his BS in electrical engineering with distinction in 1977 and MD in 1981 from Cornell University. He did his post graduate internship, residency and fellowship training at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He has been listed in The Castle Connolly guides: America’s Top Doctors and Top Doctors in the New York Metro Area. He has also been listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare and Who’s Who in Science and Engineering. Dr. Loo serves on the Advisory Board of the Cayuga Venture Fund, the Technology Transfer Advisory Committee of Cornell University and the Cornell Engineering College Council. Dr. Loo is the Past President of the Chinese American Medical Society and Board of Trustees of the Federation of Chinese American and Chinese Canadian Medical Societies (FCMS). Dr. Loo is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and Trustee Emeritus of Cornell University.

Michelle Lee

Global Marketing Executive

2017

Michelle Lee

Michelle Lee is a global marketing and content executive and the former VP of Global Editorial & Publishing at Netflix, where she led global social media, digital and print content marketing, and podcasts. She was named an Adcolor Legend in 2021 for her work over the years in diversity and inclusion. Prior to Netflix, she was the Editor in Chief of Allure for six years and transformed the well-known media brand into an innovative, multi-faceted brand that champions diversity and challenges old-fashioned beauty standards. She was named Adweek’s Editor of the Year in 2017, while Allure was named Magazine of the Year for their groundbreaking covers, such as the July 2017 This Is American Beauty cover featuring model Halima Aden in a hijab and their September 2017 oath to ban the term “anti-aging” from their lexicon, which sparked global conversation about how we speak about aging. Allure was also a 2019 National Magazine Award finalist for its March 2018 issue The Culture of Beauty, featuring Lupita Nyong’o.

Prior to Allure, Lee was Editor in Chief of NYLON, NYLON Guys, and nylon.com. In 2015, she launched NYLON Studio, the company’s in-house creative agency and was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer, putting her in charge of ideation and execution of native advertising, in addition to her EIC role.

Previously, she was Co-founder/Chief Marketing Officer at branded content agency Magnified Media.

Lee has spoken at SXSW, Google, CES, Cannes Lion, Columbia, Wharton, and has appeared on Today, GMA, CNN, and more.

Lee was a Scout for Sequoia Capital, an advisor for Silicon Foundry, and is an advisor for Sequoia-backed beauty tech startup NEWNESS. For four years, she sat on the board of ColorComm; and currently sits on the Board of Gold House and Advisory Council of Act to Change. She is a member of Adweek’s Innovators Council and was a member of Twitter’s original Content Council and was named to the Gold House A100 of most influential Asians, Digiday’s Glossy 50, and Create & Cultivate’s Creative 100 in 2017. She is a recipient of a 2019 ColorComm Circle Award.

Mitchell E. Harris

BNY Mellon, CEO, Investment Management

2017

Mitchell E. Harris

Harris, most recently president of BNY Mellon Investment Management, joined BNY Mellon in 2004 and has had a distinguished career in investment management and private banking spanning more than 30 years. Harris was CEO of Standish, a BNY Mellon investment boutique, from 2004 to 2009. He joined Standish from Pareto Partners, where he served as chief executive officer from 2000 to 2004 and as chairman from 2001.

Natasha Jen

Pentagram, Partner, graphic designer

2017

Natasha Jen

Natasha Jen is an award-winning designer, an educator, and a partner at Pentagram. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, she joined Pentagram’s New York office in 2012.

A six-time National Design Award nominee, Natasha’s work is recognized for its innovative use of graphic, verbal, digital, and spatial interventions that challenge conventional notions of media and cultural contexts. Her work is immediately recognizable, encompassing brand identity systems, packaging, exhibition design, digital interfaces, signage and wayfinding systems, print and architecture.

Working at the intersection of technology and culture, Natasha has developed branding for some of the most well-known brands in the consumer and tech spaces. Her clients include a wide range of collaborators from global technology brands, cultural institutions, to start-ups, including Google, Pfizer, Waze, Reddit, Lightmatter, Galaxy Digital, New York Botanic Garden, Van Leeuwen, The Asian American Foundation, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Metropolitan Museum, Fernando Romero Enterprise, Bjarke Ingels Group, and OMA New York.

Natasha has earned awards from every major design competition and is frequently published in publications, including Wired, Fast Company, Kinfolk Magazine, Print Magazine, Creative Review, and Metropolis. She was a winner of Art Directors Club’s Young Guns 4 and also served as a judge for the competition in 2007, 2011, and 2017. In 2014, Wired Magazine named her as one of nine “Designers Who Matter.” In 2023, the Royal College of Arts awarded Natasha an honorary fellowship in recognition of her contributions and achievements in the design field. Natasha was also recently elected to AGI (the Alliance Graphique Internationale), the prestigious association of the world’s leading graphic designers.

She serves on the board of Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York. She also served on the Board of Directors of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) from 2014 to 2017. She is a faculty member at the School of Visual Arts BFA Graphic Design Program and is a guest critic at Harvard Graduate School of Design, Yale University School of Art, Cooper Union, Rhode Island School of Design, and the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Nathaniel Ru

Sweetgreen, Co-Founder

2017

Nathaniel Ru

Nathaniel Ru is the Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of sweetgreen, leading the brand and their award-winning creative team. He oversees a team of thinkers and marketers who use creativity and storytelling to help redefine what the fast-food industry will look like in the years to come.

He has been named as one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company and one of Forbes’ Next 50 CMO’s. His team has collaborated with some of the world’s best chefs, athletes and musicians to amplify their mission. In both 2019 and 2020 sweetgreen was named as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of the Year. His passion for storytelling has led him to work at the unique intersection of food, lifestyle and social impact.

Nathaniel and his co-founders started sweetgreen in 2007, opening their first location in Georgetown, DC, just three months out of college. Their vision is to be as ubiquitous as traditional fast-food, but far more transparent and honest. Since inception, sweetgreen has served over 100 million healthy meals.

Nathaniel graduated from Georgetown University and lives in Los Angeles.

Patricia Shin Röckenwagner

STX Entertainment, Chief Communications Officer

2017

Patricia Shin Röckenwagner

Patricia Röckenwagner is a branding, communications and marketing expert, experienced in every aspect of developing and implementing global media campaigns for leading corporations and executives. Her recent work for startup entertainment studio attempting to IPO on the Hong Kong Exchange, for Condé Nast’s new investment arm, and at Standard & Poor’s parent company McGraw-Hill, has earned her a rightful reputation as a savvy profile builder, global brand cultivator and seasoned crisis manager. With a career spanning the fields of entertainment, technology, hospitality, politics and non-profits, she has served on the management teams of Paramount Studios, Comcast, Time Warner and AT&T.

Prior to her corporate career, Patti served as chief of staff, campaign manager and spokesperson for Senator Tom Hayden, as legislative director for Senator Art Torres and legislative researcher for Senator Edward Kennedy. She remains active in political and civic affairs.

Together with her husband, celebrated chef, baker and entrepreneur Hans Röckenwagner, Patti runs marketing, branding and business development for The Röckenwagner Bakery Group, one of the fastest-growing bakery brands in the nation. It partners with premium companies including Whole Foods, Gelson’s, The Cheesecake Factory and Peet’s Coffee (among others) to bring customers European breads, pastries and sweets, baked fresh daily. Its retail outlet, Röckenwagner Bakery Café, is a neighborhood favorite in-store and online marketplace (rockenwagnermarket.com). The Group’s Dear John’s restaurant, for which Patti curated the artwork and built the brand, was named one of the hottest new restaurants in Los Angeles by EaterLA, the Los Angeles Times, Esquire Magazine and Los Angeles Magazine.

A graduate of U.C. Berkeley, Patti is a trained sommelier, avid tennis player and speaks English, Spanish, German and Korean. She is an advisor to Korean American Leaders in Hollywood, a former board member of the National Foundation on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and a supporter of No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit whose mission is to eradicate childhood hunger.

Shan-Lyn Ma

Zola, CEO & Co-Founder

2017

Shan-Lyn Ma

Shan-Lyn Ma is CEO and Co-Founder of Zola, the wedding company reinventing the wedding planning and registry experience by combining compassionate customer service with modern tools and technology. Zola launched in 2013 and quickly became the country’s fastest growing wedding registry. Today, the company carries over 500 brands—from registry staples to up-and-coming designers—and over 300,000 couples have used the platform to register for gifts, experiences and funds. In April 2017, Shan-Lyn and her team released Zola Weddings, a free suite of wedding planning tools including wedding websites, a customizable checklist, guest-list manager, and, of course, registry.

Before starting her company, Shan-Lyn was Chief Product Officer of Chloe + Isabel. Prior to that, Shan-Lyn was Gilt Groupe’s first Product Lead tasked with defining and evolving the core site experience. She led key new business launches, including their successful foray into mobile, launching and managing their mobile web experience and apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Additionally, she was Creator and General Manager of Gilt Taste, the brand’s food and wine division. Before her time at Gilt, Shan-Lyn held product and marketing roles at Yahoo!. She holds a degree in BCommerce with First Class Honours from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and an MBA from Stanford University.

Ted Chung

Cashmere Agency, Founder

2017

Ted Chung

Ted Chung is the Founder of Cashmere Agency and drives the companys business development and creative strategy. Established in 2003, Ted has led Cashmere Agency to accumulate a diverse client roster, including: Snoop Dogg, Red Bull, Netflix, Overstock.com, Hot Pockets, Colt 45, Grenco Science, NAMCO Bandai, adidas Originals, The Weinstein Company, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, Interscope Records, RCA Records, BET, EA Sports and more. Ted holds a BA in Business with a specialization in Entertainment Marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Hes been a guest speaker at Harvard University, Babson School of Business and the Directors Guild of America Music for Film & TV Conference. Ted has been featured in Wall Street Journal, CNN, Ad Week, XXL and VIBE, as an expert on multicultural youth lifestyle and marketing. Ted Chung was recently nominated for the prestigious 2014 ADCOLOR Rockstar Award, which recognizes the top leaders and visionaries in their industry.

Victoria Hsu

J.T. Tai & Co. Foundation, Trustee

2017

Victoria Hsu

Victoria W. Hsu is currently a Director of the Board and Secretary of the J.T. Tai & Co. Foundation. She also serves as Board Secretary of the J. T. Tai & Co. Inc.

Prior to her current role, Victoria was a public relations and marketing manager for Pittard Sullivan, an award-winning design company where she organized global conferences and shows for the Cannes Film Festival, NATPE Television and TED Conferences. Victoria also worked in publishing at RGA Lowell House, a division of Simon & Schuster, as a Special Sales director of medical educational publications distributed to millions of readers.

In the beginning of her career at BBDO Advertising, Inc. she was a broadcast supervisor purchasing spot time for television commercials. Victoria is a Trustee of the Board of the Eisenhower Fellowship, a Special Advisory Council Member of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles and Founding Member of the recent successful #GoldOpen movement (GoldHouse.org) that has introduced education to mass audiences through projects on the big screen starring, written directed by many Asian Americans and others of diversified backgrounds. She is an avid supporter and advisor to several nonprofit organizations including American Red Cross, Harvard Medical School, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Columbia University College Physicians and Surgeons, Museum of Chinese in America, Apex for Youth, UNICEF USA, and The 1990 Institute. She has participated in collaboration with various events and educational programs that have partnered with Google and Amazon.

Victoria has a B.A. in History from Connecticut College and graduated with honors from Westfield High School in Westfield, New Jersey where she grew up.

Yie-Hsin Hung

President and CEO, State Street Global Advisors

2017

Yie-Hsin Hung

Yie-Hsin Hung is the President and CEO of State Street Global Advisors, the investment management arm of State Street Corporation. She is also a member of State Street’s Executive Committee. She was most recently CEO of New York Life Investment Management (NYLIM), a role she held from 2015 to 2022. During her tenure with the firm, Yie-Hsin led NYLIM to achieve a nearly four-fold increase in assets through a combination of geographic expansion, organic initiatives and acquisitions. Yie-Hsin was a member of New York Life’s Executive Management Committee and its highest-ranking female operating executive. Prior to that, Yie-Hsin held various leadership positions at Bridgewater Associates and Morgan Stanley Investment Management. She began her career in Real Estate Investment Banking. In 2022, Yie-Hsin was named to Barron’s list of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance and American Banker’s 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance. Yie-Hsin is a member of the Board of Trustees of Northwestern University and the Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute, the asset management industry’s leading trade association. She previously served on the Board of the Turtle Beach Corporation (HEAR), MainStay mutual funds, NYLIM’s boutiques, and the non-profit boards of Next for Autism and the New England Center for Children, reflecting her commitment to children and adults with autism. Yie-Hsin earned her MBA from Harvard University and BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Apl.de.ap

The Black Eyed Peas, Rapper, singer and record producer

2016

Apl.de.ap

Apl.de.ap is a Filipino American musician, rapper, record producer, entrepreneur & philanthropist best known as a co-founder/member of the Grammy Award-winning hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas.

Outside of creating music, Apl is a regular judge on the hit show, The Voice: Teen, Philippines and is also the founder of the Apl.de.ap Foundation which focuses on supporting youth to grant opportunities through arts, technology and healthcare in the Philippines.

Hudson Yang

Actor, Fresh Off the Boat

2016

Hudson Yang

Hudson Yang, named by Variety, The Wrap and other publications as a rising star to watch in young Hollywood, spent six years as irrepressible protagonist Eddie on ABC’s historic Asian American family sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat.”

His performance garnered him multiple NAACP Image Awards nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Youth and Teen Choice Awards nominations as Choice Scene Stealer in 2016 and Outstanding TV Comedy Actor in 2017 and 2018.

Yang has also appeared on “Family Guy,” Disney’s “Sophia the First,” “Liv and Maddie” and “The Lion Guard,” and PBS’s “Cyberchase.” He will next appear in the indie movie “The Ray.”

An amateur chef, Yang is an owner of the West L.A. restaurant/lounge Sorry Not Sorry and is developing a number of unscripted food TV projects through his production company, Huje.

Born and bred in Brooklyn, Yang now lives in Ladera Heights, Calif.

Norman C.T. Liu

President & CEO, Nordic Aviation Capital

2016

Norman C.T. Liu

Norm Liu was named President & CEO of Nordic Aviation Capital during the fall of 2021. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to Global Infrastructure Partners and a Board Member of GA Telesis. Prior to assuming the role of President & CEO, Norm was a Senior Advisor to NAC from May 2019.

Norm is the former Chairman of GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and left GECAS at the end of 2016. Norm’s 40-year career has included 5 years in investment banking and 30 years with GE Capital, of which 22 years were with GECAS. He served as EVP-Commercial for 14 years at GECAS and as Chairman, President, and CEO for 8 years. During these 22 years, GECAS’s net income and assets grew dramatically to over $55B AUM. GECAS was the world leader in aviation finance during his entire tenure as CEO. He also served as a Senior Advisor to ICBC Leasing for 4 years following his GECAS primary career.

Norm graduated with a BS from Yale in 1979 and received an MBA from Harvard in 1982. He was also a 2017 Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard.

Eva Chen

Vice President of Fashion at Meta

2015

Eva Chen

In 2015, after a decade spent honing her skills across a slew of leading fashion publications, including Lucky and Teen Vogue, where she was renowned for her digital savvy and impressive social media following, Eva Chen became Instagram’s first head of fashion partnerships. Working for the fashion industry’s favourite social media platform, Chen acts as a go-between for Silicon Valley company and the notoriously insular world of fashion. Raised in New York City by two immigrant parents, Chen planned on becoming a doctor in her younger years, pursuing pre-med studies at Johns Hopkins University. However, after a stint as an intern in Harper’s Bazaar’s features and beauty divisions, Chen changed her mind and, upon graduation, began freelancing at Lucky magazine (where she would later go on to serve as editor-in-chief) before landing an assistant role at Elle, where she spent three years and completed a master’s degree at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism at the same time. In 2005, Chen jumped ship to Teen Vogue, where she worked in various roles for eight years, chiefly as the teenage fashion magazine’s beauty editor. In April 2013, Anna Wintour quietly brought Chen onboard as a consultant to Lucky, hiring her as editor-in-chief within two months. Chen was just 33 at the time — making her one of the youngest editors to lead a national American magazine. In 2015, Chen announced her role as Instagram’s inaugural head of fashion partnerships. Utilizing her experience in editorial, Chen works closely across the fashion industry to strategize storytelling methods on the visual platform. In addition to her career in media, Chen became a children’s author in 2018. Now a New York Times bestselling author, Chen has written nine critically acclaimed children’s books. Her latest, We Are Golden, highlights AAPI/API trailblazers. Chen lives in New York City with her husband and three children.

Gregory Yep

Executive Vice President and Chief Technical and Research Officer, CJ Cheiljedang

2015

Gregory Yep

Dr. Gregory Yep assumed the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Technical and Research Officer at CJ Cheiljedang in September 2023, propelling the global leader in Asian and American foods, nutrition, and biotechnology into an unprecedented era of pioneering innovation. At the helm of the company’s global research and development strategy, Dr. Yep is a visionary leader spearheading transformative initiatives, pioneering technological advancements, fostering impactful external collaborations, and steering the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy. His strategic leadership is dedicated to delivering unparalleled new food products that not only captivate but also delight the global consumer, with iconic brands such as Bibigo and Red Baron.

Beyond his corporate role, Dr. Yep is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the executive sponsor for company initiatives, he actively engages in community service, shaping a future where inclusivity and social impact seamlessly intertwine. Prior to his role at CJ, Dr. Yep served as the Chief Science Officer at IFF and held the position of Senior Vice President of Research and Development at PepsiCo. In these influential roles, he crafted enduring, science-based strategies for core ingredients, leaving an indelible mark on the realms of food, flavor, metabolism, and nutrition. Dr. Yep’s impact is notably reflected in his leadership of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, a beacon of knowledge in sports nutrition and exercise science dedicated to enhancing the performance and well-being of athletes. His journey also includes a pivotal role as Global Vice President, Application Technologies at Givaudan Flavors and Fragrances, where he led a diverse global technology group, shaping research and development for taste and flavor delivery technology on a global scale. Earlier in his career at McCormick & Company, Dr. Yep ascended through executive roles, making a lasting impact on the field of food science. Dr. Yep’s holds or has held directorial roles on the Board of Directors for J.M. Huber Engineered Materials Company, IFF Hong Kong, Asian Pacific Islander Tennis Association, and Will Ventures. He currently serves on multiple advisory boards, including the United States Tennis Association National Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Cornell University.

Recognized for his exceptional commitment to underserved youth, Dr. Yep received the prestigious Apex for Youth Inspiration Award. His expertise in flavor science has earned him accolades as a Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association Excellence in Flavor Science awardee. Dr. Yep’s academic journey commenced at the University of Pennsylvania, where his passion for taste, scent, and nutrition took root, culminating in a master’s degree and a PhD in organic chemistry from The Johns Hopkins University. As a vital member of CJ’s Executive Committee, Dr. Yep’s influence spans continents, with a base in both Seoul, Korea, and the United States. His indomitable spirit and multifaceted expertise continue to drive CJ Cheiljedang towards a future defined by innovation, inclusivity, and global impact.

Ronnie C. Chan

Hang Lung Properties Limited, Chairman

2015

Ronnie C. Chan

Mr. Ronnie C. Chan is the Chair of Hang Lung Group Limited and its subsidiary Hang Lung Properties Limited, both publicly listed in Hong Kong. Founded in Hong Kong in 1960, Hang Lung expanded into mainland China in 1992, developing, owning and managing world-class commercial complexes in key tier one and tier two cities. Mr. Chan is active in many non-profit and educational organizations. He is Chairman of the Executive Committee of The Better Hong Kong Foundation. He founded and chairs the China Heritage Fund, which preserves and conserves heritage architecture of historical significance in China, and is a co-founding Director of The Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation in Beijing. He is Co-Founder and Chairman of the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society, and Founding Chairman Emeritus of the Asia Business Council. Mr. Chan had previously served as Chairman of the Hong Kong-United States Business Council, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the One Country Two Systems Research Institute and Vice President and Advisor of the China Development Research Foundation in Beijing. Mr. Chan is Chair Emeritus of the Asia Society and Chairman of its Hong Kong Center, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Committee on United States-China Relations, and the Committee of 100. Mr. Chan serves or has served on the governing or advisory bodies of several think tanks and universities, which include: Peterson Institute for International Economics, World Economic Forum, East-West Center, Pacific Council on International Policy, Eisenhower Fellowships, The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, University of Southern California, Indian School of Business, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Yale University, Tsinghua University, and Fudan University. In 1986, Mr. Chan co-founded Morningside, a diversified investment group engaged in private equity and venture capital investments in North America, Asia, and Europe. It was among the earliest private equity investors in Hong Kong and mainland China. Morningside is committed to philanthropy and preservation. Through the Morningside Foundation, it has made major gifts, including the establishment of the Morningside College at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, endowments to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, named after Mr. Chan’s late father, and the UMass Chan Medical School, and the creation of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design. Mr. Chan and his wife made the first named gift in the field of occupational science and endowed the Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California, named in honor of Mr. Chan’s mother. Mr. Chan is a frequent speaker at international conferences and has published numerous articles in Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, Newsweek, Fortune, Asian Wall Street Journal, Far Eastern Economic Review, and Japan Times.

Grace Park

Actress, Hawaii Five-O

2014

Grace Park

Grace Park (born March 14, 1974) is an American-Canadian actress. She gained recognition as Lt. Sharon ‘Boomer’ Valerii and Lt. Sharon ‘Athena’ Agathon on Battlestar Galactica (2004), as well as Shannon Ng in the Canadian television series teen soap Edgemont (2000). From 2010 to 2017, Park starred as Officer Kono Kalakaua in the CBS television series Hawaii Five-0 (2010), which debuted on September 20, 2010. Born in Los Angeles, Park moved with her family to Canada when she was 22 months old. She was raised in the Vancouver neighborhood of Kerrisdale. Park is of Korean heritage. She graduated from Magee Secondary School in 1992 and holds a degree in psychology from the University of British Columbia.

Ming Chen Hsu

J.T. Tai & Co. Foundation Trustee, Former Commissioner, US Federal Maritime Commission

2014

Ming Chen Hsu

Ming Hsu was a recognized expert on U.S.-China trade and in international business., operating successfully on both the public and private sectors.

She was a former Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission, appointed by President George H.W. Bush 41 and has been twice -confirmed by the United States Senate. She served in this capacity for ten years through 2000. Serving as Commissioner her primary role was to oversee the seven U.S. seaports leading her to work on government-related issues, in particular legislative and regulatory actions affecting carriers, shippers, NVOs.

Ming Hsu was actively involved in negotiations with the Chinese Ministry of Communications, which led to the U.S.-China Maritime Bilateral Agreement signed by President George W. Bush and Premier Wen Jiabao in Washington in 2004. She also piloted the Commissions unilateral decision to bar Japanese ships from U.S. Ports due to their inequitable treatment of U.S shipping companies.

Hsu testified before the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives pertaining to the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1988. Her representation of U.S. Maritime interests resulted in dealings with the European Union in Brussels and delivering Keynote speeches in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Hamburg and London.

Prior to service as Federal Maritime Commissioner she was New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Keans Special Trade Representative and Director of the Division of International Trade, leading over thirty overseas missions to promote U.S. exports and attract foreign investments to New Jersey cities and counties.

She worked in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce, attending trade exhibitions in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean Basin. It created new jobs and Hsus visits to Korea resulted in New Jersey being the first U.S. home of Samsung and Hyundai.

During the late 70s she held a number of executive positions at several divisions and wholly owned subsidiaries of RCA Corp. In 1979 she was elected RCAs VP for International Planning and Marketing, its headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. She led RCAs first delegation to Beijing in 1978 and numerous trips to China thereafter.

Hsu was a writer, researcher and lecturer on international affairs. Her publications include: Enabling Instruments of the United Nations, Arbitration Clauses in Multipartite Treaties, Suggested Amendment to the United Nations Charter, and articles on Russias policies in Asia. Shes appeared on network and local broadcast programs, as well as being featured in numerous articles including The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Working Woman, Newsweek, Forbes and Fortune magazines.

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Andrew Yang

Venture for America, Founder & CEO

2013, 2017

Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, non-profit leader, and former US presidential and NYC mayoral candidate.

After being a corporate lawyer for five short months, joining a few start-ups, and even launching his own company, Andrew eventually became CEO of an education company that became #1 in the country. He then started a national entrepreneurship non-profit, Venture for America, which worked to empower thousands of young entrepreneurs to bring economic dynamism to cities like Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, Birmingham, St. Louis, and others around the country. Leading the organization to become a national multi-million dollar charity, Andrew was named a Presidential Ambassador of Entrepreneurship by the White House under the Obama administration and a Champion of Change for his leadership.

After seeing the devastation that automation and the fourth industrial revolution were doing to the American workforce, Andrew decided to run for President in late 2017. Initially dubbed a “longer than long shot” candidate by The New York Times, Andrew’s grassroots support, known as the “Yang Gang,” propelled him to seven Democratic primary debates, outpolling and outlasting six senators, four governors, three members of congress, two mayors, and one secretary.

With a vision to rewrite the rules of the United States economy through a “Freedom Dividend” of $1,000 a month for every American adult, Andrew’s movement around Universal Basic Income and Cash Relief engaged over 3 million combined social media followers, raised nearly $40 million dollars in an average of $35 increments, and become one of the most exciting stories in the 2020 race., According to CNN, Andrew Yang’s campaign “didn’t just make history… [it] unquestionably put a sizable dent in the future as well.”

As an activist, Andrew has turned his movement into a political reality, launching a non-profit, Humanity Forward, that has successfully lobbied Congress to bring billions of dollars in cash relief and stimulus checks to millions of Americans in need.

Andrew is the author of three books, including his newest work, Forward, outlining the problems in our broken system and a way forward to prevent the decline of American Democracy. He currently lives in Manhattan with his wife Evelyn and two boys, is an avid basketball fan, a commentator on CNN, and host of a weekly podcast, Forward.

Lea Salonga

Broadway Actor & Singer

2013

Lea Salonga

Multiple award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga is renown across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. She is best known for her Tony Award winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to the Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards, in the field of musical theatre. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. Many fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend”. Lea stars in the first season of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (a reboot of the popular series) now available on HBO Max, after starring in the critically acclaimed Sony musical-drama Yellow Rose. Lea can also be heard in the Netflix animated series Centaurworld and in FX’s animated series Little Demon. Lea’s 2022 Dream Again Tour and her 2019 The Human Heart Tour saw sold-out audiences and record-breaking sales across North America and the United Kingdom. On Broadway, Lea most recently starred in Here Lies Love and on the West End in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. Lea has toured all over the world, performing sold out concerts at some of the world’s most iconic venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, 02 Arena, Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Singapore’s Esplanade, Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok and Carnegie Hall in New York.

Steven Cho

Kings Peak Asset Management LP

2013

Steven Cho

Alexander Tsui, DMD

Apex cofounder, Dentist

2012, 2017

Alexander Tsui, DMD

Alexander Tsui, DMD is a dentist in private practice in New York. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Design of the Environment and received his DMD from the School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut. After completing his General Practice Residency at the Albert Einstein/Bronx Municipal Hospital Center he started his general practice in Manhattan. He was a co-founder of Apex for Youth (Asian Professional Extension back then) in 1992 and served as its chair until 2006. He continues to be involved in non profit community work and has been recognized for his contributions over the years with awards and commendations.

Aasif Mandvi

Actor

2012

Aasif Mandvi

Many Americans first encountered Aasif Mandvi in 2006 during his first of many appearances as “Senior Middle East Correspondent” on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Mandvi, by then already an accomplished performer on stage and screen, seized his newfound spotlight to become a powerful spokesperson for Muslims and Asian Americans.

Born Aasif Hakim Mandviwala in Mumbai, Mandvi grew up in England and Florida before pursuing acting in New York City. He first made headlines in the late 1990s when Sakina’s Restaurant, a one-man off-Broadway show about the Indian immigrant experience that Mandvi wrote and performed, was called “wonderful” by The New York Times.

As his audience grew, Mandvi challenged stereotypes and provided a voice for Muslim Americans, changing the game in terms of how Asians are viewed on television. In 2015, he co-wrote, produced, and acted in the web series Halal in the Family for the popular comedy site Funny or Die, using the sitcom format to tackle Islamophobia. When not performing, Mandvi uses his fame as a force for good, advocating for an array of charity organizations such as Relief 4 Pakistan, which assists in flood relief in Pakistan; Partners In Health, which brings modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world; and Planting Peace, which helps spread peace around the globe through humanitarian aid and environmental initiatives.

Mandvi aspires not only to provide positive representation for Muslim America — he also hopes to challenge non-Muslim audiences, as he shared recently in The New York Times: “First of all, I want them to be entertained. And I want them to laugh. And then maybe it will make people think about the absurdity of fear and prejudice, and say, oh that’s interesting, I never thought about it that way.”

Ben & Emily Huh

Cheezburger, Founders

2012

Ben & Emily Huh

Ben Huh is a South Korean-American internet entrepreneur and the former CEO of The Cheezburger Network, which at its peak in 2010 received 375 million views a month across its 50 sites.

Huh was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in Rancho Cordova, California, attending Cordova High School there. In 1999, Huh graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism, although English was not his first language. With regards to this, he said “I got a degree in a language I didn’t speak because I felt something in the power of media that attracted me.”

The Web’s influence on journalism was growing, and Huh decided to go into a career in the Internet. He founded a web analytics company, which folded after 18 months. After that, he worked at three companies in six years. In 2007, Huh started a blog for fun with his wife about living with a dog in Seattle. Later that year, there was a series of pet food recalls, and the company responsible took down their company website. Huh went through the company’s cached files and found a PDF that outlined the company’s customers, revenues, and facility locations. He posted this to his blog, and the post got linked around the internet. One of the links was from a site called I Can Has Cheezburger and Huh struck up a friendship with the two owners.

Chad Troutwine

Freakonomics Producer; Co-founder & CEO, Veritas Prep

2012

Chad Troutwine

Chad has financed and produced seventeen documentary and narrative feature films, including Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, Emmy, and Academy award winners and nominees. In 2011, he co-founded Freakonomics Media, which today produces one of the world’s most popular podcasts.

Chad is also co-founder and CEO of Veritas Prep, the nation’s largest privately held college test prep and admissions consultancy; Codesmith, an immersive software engineering academy; and Torn Label, a craft microbrewery in Kansas City’s Crossroads Art District.

Chad is a graduate of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, the Yale University School of Management, and the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.

Gwynne Chow Tuan

Fundraiser

2012

Gwynne Chow Tuan

Born in Shanghai, Gwynne moved to Washington, D.C., in 1949 with her family. During her 30-year professional career, she was a development executive for Regional Plan Association, St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital Center, Asian American Federation and China Institute in America and the development director for the Committee of 100?s. Additionally, Gwynne volunteered extensively in the Asian American community through the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Renwen Society and helped to raise critical millions that enabled the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), a small, grassroots community museum in Chinatown that tells the vital story of the Chinese diaspora and more than 160-year history of the Chinese in America.

Alina Cho

CNN, Correspondent

2011

Alina Cho

Alina Cho is an Emmy Award-winning contributor to CBS Sunday Morning, producer of the upcoming Netflix documentary on Martha Stewart and host of The Atelier with Alina Cho at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Previously, for nearly a decade, Ms. Cho was a National Correspondent for CNN. She also hosted the network specials, Fashion: Backstage Pass and Big Stars, Big Giving. Prior to her work at CNN, Ms. Cho held various posts at ABC and CNBC. She earned an M.S. from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a B.A. from Boston College. She also holds an honorary doctorate from Old Dominion University for her contributions to journalism.

Daphne Kwok

Vice President Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Asian American & Pacific Islander Audience Strategy, AARP

2011

Daphne Kwok

Daphne Kwok is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Asian American & Pacific Audience Strategy at AARP. Her work empowers Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to choose how they live as they age. She brings to AARP her experience as a “leader of leaders” through her community service in promoting and empowering the AAPI community.

Ms. Kwok was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010 to chair his Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Commission served as the “eyes and ears” of the community advising the President and the federal government about the issues impacting the AAPI community. The priority policy issue addressed was data equity and data disaggregation.

Previously, Ms. Kwok was Executive Director of Asians & Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California. She was also the Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation in San Francisco. For 11 years, she was the Executive Director of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a national membership based civil rights organization. She was the first elected Chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a network of national APA organizations. She also served as Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies.

A 1984 graduate of Wesleyan University, Ms. Kwok is the first Asian American to serve on its Board of Trustees, is a trustee emeritus and chaired the Wesleyan Alumni Association.

Ms. Kwok’s current community service includes: Advisory Councilmember, Amplify AAPI; board member, Normal Next; member, and Committee of 100. Past service includes: Chair of APIAVote; a member of the Comcast-NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Advisory Council; Co-Chair of the Nielsen External Asian Pacific Advisory Council; and board member of the Asian American Advertising Federation.

Padma Lakshmi

Top Chef, Cookbook author & host

2011

Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy-nominated producer, television host, food expert, and a New York Times best-selling author.

She is the creator, host, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed Hulu series Taste the Nation, currently in production for its second season. Taste the Nation is the recipient of a 2021 Critics Choice Real TV Award for Best Culinary Series, a 2021 Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Series, and 2022 Critics Choice Real TV Award for Best Show Host. In June 2022, Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition won a James Beard Foundation Award in the Visual Media – Long Form category.

Lakshmi also serves as host and executive producer of Bravos two-time Emmy-winning series Top Chef, now in its 20th season. Top Chef has been nominated for 42 Emmys, including her four-time nomination as Outstanding Host for A Reality-Competition Program. In 2022, she accepted two Critics Choice Real TV Awards for Best Culinary Show and Best Competition Series on behalf of Top Chef as well as an award for Best Show Host.

Anita Lo

Chef, Annisa Restaurant

2010, 2017

Anita Lo

Anita Lo is a French trained chef and cookbook author (Cooking Without Borders and SoLo, a Modern Cookbook for a Party of One which won Eater’s Cookbook of the Year and was nominated for an IACP award) based in New York City. She is best known for her work at annisa, a contemporary American fine dining restaurant in the West Village which she owned and operated for 17 years and which received a three star rating from the New York Times and a Michelin star among other accolades. She was the first female chef to collaborate for a state dinner at the white house under the Obama Administration. She has appeared on numerous television shows and films including Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America and The Heat. She is currently working with the Tour De Forks, hosting culinary tours around the planet. She was recently knighted to the Order of Agricultural Merit from the French government.

Bill Imada

Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Connectivity Officer, IW Group

2010

Bill Imada

Bill Imada is Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Connectivity Officer of IW Group, an advertising and public relations agency specializing in the multicultural markets in the U.S. For more than three decades, Bill and his team have played a critical role in engaging the growing Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Today, his agency has expanded its reach to include other diverse consumers, including Hispanics/Latinos, Black Americans/African Americans, LGBTQIA, and others. IW Group has offices in Los Angeles, Dallas, New York City, and San Francisco U.S.A.

IW Group’s client partners include AARP, Bank of the West, BeamSuntory, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, City of Hope, CVS Health, Edison International/Southern California Edison, Jack Daniels, Janssen, Lexus, Love Bonito, MARVEL, McDonald’s, NBCUniversal, Nielsen, Northwestern Mutual, On Lok, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Walmart, Walt Disney, Warner Bros. Pictures Entertainment, Wells Fargo, and many others.

Bill serves on the boards of the ANA Educational Foundation, Coalition for Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, Institute for Public Relations, LAGRANT Foundation, National ACE, PBS Southern California, and the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. Bill believes in supporting post-secondary education and serves on several marketing, public relations, and advertising advisory councils for universities such as California State University Northridge, the University of Southern California, the University of Florida, the University of Oregon, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Western Connecticut State University.

At ADCOLOR 2016, Bill received a Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2022, Bill was inducted into the PR Week Hall of Fame. His agency has also received dozens of prestigious industry awards, which includes being named Multicultural Agency of the Year by AdAge in 2022. In 2024, Bill will be inducted in the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Fame.

In his spare time, Bill co-authored “You Got This!”, a career skills book published by Wiley. He also serves on the Innovation Committee for the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a global organization which accredits more than 1,000 business schools. And he founded or co-founded six national organizations, including the Asian/Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE), ACE NextGen, APIA Scholars, AAPI DEI Leaders, the National Millennial and GenZ Community, and VOICES for AAPIs in Communications.

IW Group has been a proud partner of Interpublic Group (IPG) for more than two decades. His agency also is a member of Worldcom Group, a global network of independent marketing and public relations agency.

Bill credits his success to the Anheuser-Busch Companies, who gave him his very first contract just before 1990. He also wishes to thank and acknowledge the agency’s many clients, staff, media partners, civic leaders, and suppliers for their steadfast support. And finally, to the executives and senior leadership at Interpublic Group (IPG) and Worldcom.

Karen Wong

Cofounder and Chief Creative Officer, Guilty By Association

2010

Karen Wong

Karen Wong was the Deputy Director of the New Museum, a mid-size museum renowned for its entrepreneurial platforms and mission: new art and new ideas. She co-founded the initiatives IDEAS CITY (2010), a residency and conference exploring the future of cities with the belief that art and culture are essential to our metropolises, and NEW INC (2014), the first museum-led incubator for art, technology and design. Both initiatives are models for the intersection of cultural and civic engagement. She lectures often on museum innovation and emergent culture. Recent talks include keynotes at museum conferences (Toronto, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Athens, Paris) and panels (SXSW, Frieze Art Fair, Kickstarter, Sotheby’s, A/D/O). She recently developed a design talk series for Google NYC.

In September 2021, Karen embarked on a new adventure to build a scaleable online marketplace for underrepresented artists across the nation — GBA/Guilty By Association where she is Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer.

David Chang

Momofuku Restaurants, Owner & Chef

2009

David Chang

David Chang is the chef and founder of Momofuku, which includes restaurants in New York City, Washington DC,
Sydney, Toronto, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, a casual chicken concept (Fuku), and a bakery (Milk Bar) established
by award-winning pastry chef Christina Tosi with multiple locations.

Since opening Noodle Bar in 2004, David has been honored with five James Beard Foundation Awards (Rising Star
Chef of the Year, Best Chef New York City, Best New Restaurant – Momofuku Ko, Outstanding Chef, Who’s Who of
Food and Beverage). Momofuku Ko has two Michelin stars which it has retained since 2009, and the restaurant is
featured on the S.Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants list.

David has been featured on the covers of Forbes Life and New York Magazine and recognized as one of Time
Magazine’s 100, Fortune’s “40 Under 40”, Fast Company’s “1000 most creative people in business”, and Esquire’s
“most influential people of the 21st century”. He was also named a GQ man of the year and is now a regular
contributor to the magazine. David’s cookbook, Momofuku, is a New York Times best seller. David has collaborated
with Academy Award-winning Director, Morgan Neville, on a Netflix original documentary series, called Ugly
Delicious which debuted in February of 2018.

Kam Mak

Illustrator

2009

Kam Mak

Kam Mak was born in Hong Kong. His family moved to the United States in 1971 and settled in New York City. His interest in painting was awakened through involvement with City Art Workshop, an organization that enables inner-city youths to explore the arts. Kam continued to pursue his interest in painting while attending the School of Visual Arts on a full scholarship, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1984. Mr. Mak’s works has been exhibited at the Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibition, The Original Art show (dedicated to the best of children’s picture books) and in a one-person show at the Brooklyn Public Library. He has illustrated over 200 paintings for book covers, magazine and editorial pieces for such client as, HarperCollins, St. Martins Press, Random House, National Geographic, Time magazine, Newsweek, and the New York Times.

Kam’s most recent art has graced the second series of the USPS lunar New Year stamps and also a new postcard stamp for the USPS adored with the fish Koi was released in spring 2009. His most recent book My Chinatown: One Year In Poems received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and is about a little boy growing up in Chinatown. My Chinatown was the Parent’s Choice 2002 Recommended Award Winner by the Parents’ Choice Foundation. The Dragon Prince, published by HarperCollins won him the Oppenheim Platinum Medal for the best children’s picture book of 1997, and the National Parenting Publication Gold Medal for the best children’s picture book of 1997. Mr. Mak was awarded a gold medal for the cover art for The Kite Rider and silver medals for the cover art for My Chinatown from the Society of Illustrators 45th Annual Exhibition in 2003. He also won the Stevan Dohanos Award from the Society of Illustrators (awarded to an artist in recognition of his or her artistic excellence). In November 2008 Mr. Mak was awarded The Asian American Dynamic Achiever Awards of OCA-Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter, for his outstanding accomplishment in the arts and In 2009, The past awardees include Elaine Chao, The previous Secretary of the US Department of Labor under the Bush’s administration, and Mr. Ang Lee, an acclaimed film director & producer. In 2009 he was the recipient of the Inspiration Award from APEX.

Kam is a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology as well as guest lectures at many of the public schools and institutions. He is currently working on a series of portrait and still life paintings incorporating the use of egg tempera; it is a painting process that uses egg yolk to bind pigments. Egg tempera was a medium of choice for many renaissance artists in the 14 and 15 centuries. Kam currently lives with his wife Mari and children Luca and Dylan in Carroll Garden, Brooklyn.

Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim, Designer

2009

Phillip Lim

Phillip Lim was born in Thailand, in 1973 to Chinese immigrants (his father from Hunan, his mother from Canton) who then fled to Southern California to escape Cambodia’s civil war, where his mother found work as a seamstress and his father became a professional poker player. While his mother has clearly had an early influence on his ethos, Lim didn’t fantasize of being a designer. Lim studied finance for three years at California State University of Long Beach, where it became evident that Lim was sitting in the wrong classroom and he found himself switching to a degree in home economics.

Whilst unpacking boxes at a weekend job at Barneys in Beverly Hills, Lim came across the name of a designer Katayone Adeli. He had his own career epiphany and decided to call Adeli’s office and ask to work for her. Despite not knowing what a portfolio was, he got himself an internship and eventually, through his innate talent and tenacity, earned a position in her design team. When Adeli relocated to New York, Lim remained in the Los Angeles area and co-founded his first label, Development. After four years, the then 31-year old departed to launch his collection business partner and friend, Wen Zhou, also 31. This meant switching coasts to New York, where he now works and resides in Soho.

Phillip Lim debuted his eponymous brand, 3.1 Phillip Lim, in the fall of 2005, bucking the ostentatious runway trends of the time. His line of youthfully elegant wardrobe classics with a twist, was an instant sensation and adored by critics, fashion editors and customers alike. Widespread recognition of Lim’s talent and accolades quickly followed, including the 2006 Fashion Group Internationals Women’s Designer ‘Rising Star’ Award, the 2007 CFDA Swarovski Award in Womenswear, the 2012 CFDA Swarovski Award in Menswear, and the 2013 CFDA Award for Accessories Designer of the Year.

After 10 years as creative director and co-founder of 3.1 Phillip Lim, he finds himself at the helm of a pioneering contemporary brand-designing women’s, men’s, accessories, and shoes – making him one of the most talented and successful young designers of his generation.

John Chun Yah Liu

NY State Senator

2008

John Chun Yah Liu

John Chun Yah Liu is an American politician in New York City. A member of the Democratic Party, he is a member of the New York State Senate for the 16th district in northeast Queens. He previously served as the 43rd New York City Comptroller from 2010 to 2013, and as a member of the New York City Council from 2002 to 2009, representing the 20th district in northeast Queens. He was the first Asian American New York City Council member and Comptroller, and one of the first two Asian American New York State Senators, as well as the first elected to legislative or citywide office in New York. He was also a candidate in the 2013 New York City mayoral election.

Liu currently teaches municipal finance and policy at Baruch College and Queens College of the City University of New York, and at Columbia University.

Vivian Lee

NY1 News, Reporter and Anchor

2008

Vivian Lee

Vivian Lee joined NY1 as an anchor and reporter in 2008. Since then, she has anchored and reported on stories of vital local and national interest, including anchoring NY1’s team coverage of Pope Francis’ historic visit to Cuba and the U.S. in September 2015. In March 2013, she reported from Vatican City for several weeks leading up to Francis’ election as pope and was the first reporter of the NYC market to break the news that a new pope had been elected. Several months before that she was reporting from the flooded Financial District hours after Hurricane Sandy hit NYC. In 2011, she was the first in the city to report the sale of fake gold bars in the Diamond District of Manhattan, and the Treasury Department’s investigation. Vivian has also anchored hours of continuous coverage of breaking news, including the assassination of Osama bin Laden in May 2011 and the mid-air collision of a helicopter and plane over the Hudson River in 2009 that killed nine people.

Vivian’s career in New York started at WNBC in 2002, where she was a general assignment reporter for several years. Prior to that, she was the parliamentary correspondent for federal affairs for the CHUM Television Network in Canada. Her home town is Toronto. Her seven years reporting and anchoring in various cities across Canada included stints at CJOH in Ottawa, ATV/ASN News in Halifax, A Channel News in Calgary, and CityTV and CP24 Cable News in Toronto. She graduated with high honors from Carleton University’s journalism program in Ottawa.

She has appeared as a guest speaker in New York City area high schools and colleges, including Centenary College in New Jersey, Hunter College in Manhattan and Long Island University in Brooklyn. She was awarded Mentor of the Year by The City University of New York’s Asian American/Asian Research Institute, and has volunteered as an English and Math Tutor with Asian Professional Extension at PS 1 in Manhattan. Vivian lives with her husband and two daughters in New York.

Georgia Lee

Red Doors, Independent Film Director

2007

Georgia Lee

Georgia Lee is an American writer and director known for her 2006 film Red Doors. Lee has also written and directed episodes of The Expanse and The 100. She has also developed and serves as the showrunner for the Netflix series Partner Track based on the novel of the same name by Helen Wan.

Lee apprenticed on Gangs of New York after its director Martin Scorsese saw Lee’s first short film, The Big Dish. Lee’s next short film was Educated (2001), which was shown in over 30 festivals around the world.

Lee wrote and directed the feature film Red Doors. It won the Best Narrative Feature Award in the NY, NY Competition at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. It also won the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Acting at CineVegas, and the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Award for Screenwriting at Outfest. Lee has served as juror for both the Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival.

Irene Tse

Tse Capital Management

2007

Irene Tse

Irene Tse brings more than 17 years of portfolio management and investing experience to her new role. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Chase, she was a managing director and portfolio manager at Duquesne Capital Management, focusing on global macro investing. During her three years at Duquesne, she worked closely with founder Stanley Druckenmiller, focusing on various rates, mortgage, credit, foreign exchange, equity, commodity and structured product offerings. Prior to joining Duquesne in 2008, she was a partner and co-head of U.S. rates at Goldman Sachs.

Ms. Tse was also a member of the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee, which is a Government appointed panel of economic advisors that has counseled lawmakers for almost half a century. The committee offers quarterly recommendations to the U.S. Treasury on managing the Government’s debt, and members are appointed by the Treasury in consultation with the group’s chairman.

Aiyoung Choi

Community Activist

2006

Aiyoung Choi

Aiyoung Choi was born in what is today North Korea, moved to Seoul in todays South Korea, and grew up in China, Taiwan and Japan before moving to the U.S. for college. Her connection to the Korean community in the U.S. started in the late 1980s when she co-founded the Coalition for Korean American Voters. Aiyoung has a long history of working with grassroots movements, including with womens and immigrant groups. She is also a member of Women Cross DMZ, an organization of women peacemakers mobilizing to finally bring an end to the Korean War. She participated in an historic walk across the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) from North to South Korea in 2015 to bring attention to the ongoing conflict.

Christine Chen

Executive Director, APIAVote

2006

Christine Chen

Christine Chen, the founding executive director from 2006-2008 returned to APIAVote in January 2011 to serve as its current Executive Director. During her tenure she had strengthened and expanded APIAVote’s partners into 28 states. APIAVote’s research and polling of Asian American voters and their regional trainings and field programs have strengthened the local grassroots programs in reaching and mobilizing Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. Through all these efforts, APIAVote has played a key role in elevating the Asian American and Pacific Islander electorate to an unprecedented national level in recent years.

Profiled by Newsweek magazine in 2001 as one of 15 women who will shape America’s new century, Chen served from 2001 to 2005 as national executive director of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), one of the leading APIA civil rights organizations in the country. Leading an organization with more than 80 chapters and affiliates across the nation, she worked with OCA’s national board, executive council, chapter representatives, members and funders while managing a staff of 13.

Chen is well-known by activists across the county. Her track record in building coalitions and working at the grassroots and national levels established her as one of the strongest voices in the APIA community. She has more than two decades of experience in organizing and advocating on issues such as immigration, hate crimes, affirmative action, census, racial profiling, voting rights, election reform, and various derogatory and racist media incidents. Her role as a trusted coalition builder has her effectively building relationships with key Congressional offices including the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, federal agencies, and the administration.

Throughout the years, Chen also was a member of the executive committee of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. She also served on numerous boards such as the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Demos Board of Trustees, Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL), Youth Vote, Gates Millennium Scholarship Advisory Council, advisory board for the Progressive Majority Racial Justice Campaign, and the Board of Advisors for the Midwest Asian American Students Union, East Coast Asian American Students Union and the Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association. In 2003, she was a founding member of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund and also in 2006, a founding member of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote.

Chen was a Resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics during the 2022 spring semester. She currently serves on the Kennedy Center Community Advisory Board, Center for Asian American Media, OCA Northern Virginia Chapter, and the advisory board for CAPAL. She is also a member of the Election Assistance and Policy (EAP) Standing Committee at the American Political Science Association.

Janice Min

Former Editor-in-Chief, Hollywood Reporter

2005

Janice Min

Janice Byung Min is an American media executive. She started her career in journalism, working at People magazine and InStyle, and was editor-in-chief at Us Weekly from 2002 to 2009. As an executive, she revamped entertainment industry publications The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard.

In 2021, Min collaborated with Richard Rushfield to launch Ankler Media, which expanded the Substack newsletter focused on entertainment news called The Ankler into a larger media business to include podcasts and events, also covering the entertainment business. Min currently serves as co-owner, CEO, and Editor in Chief of Ankler Media.

Joyce Chang

Chair of Global Research, JPMorgan

2005

Joyce Chang

Joyce Chang is the Global Head of Research and a member of the management committee for J.P.Morgan’s Corporate & Investment Bank. From 1997 through 2012, Joyce held top rankings in Institutional Investor’s Fixed-Income Research surveys for Emerging Markets research, including the distinction of earning 25 #1 individual rankings. In 2014, she was inducted into the Fixed Income Analyst Society Hall of Fame. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan in 1999, Joyce was a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch and Salomon Brothers.

She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Inter-American Dialogue and serves on the Board of Directors of Trickle Up and Girls Inc. She also co-chairs J.P. Morgan’s Corporate and Investment Bank Women’s Network. She has been named as one of Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance by American Banker for the past four consecutive years and recognized by the Wall Street Journal (Top 50 Women to Watch), Crain’s Business New York (40 Under 40), the Asian American Business Development Council (Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business) and the Women’s Bond Club (Annual Merit Award). She received her B.A. from Columbia University and won the College’s John Jay Award in 2014. She earned a Master of Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.

Alan Muraoka

Actor, Sesame Street

2004

Alan Muraoka

Alan Muraoka is an 2 time Emmy Award winning actor/director/and producer. For 25 years he has portrayed Alan, the proprietor of Hooper’s Store on the iconic children’s series Sesame Street. He has appeared in 7 Broadway shows; Disney’s Aladdin, the Roundabout Theatre revival of Pacific Overtures, The King and I, My Favorite Year, Shogun, the Musical, Mail, and most notably Miss Saigon, where he played the lead role of the Engineer. Other film and television credits include It Could Happen To You, Curb Your Enthusiasm, City on The Hill, 30 Rock, Brotherhood, and The Tonight Show. As a director of both television and theatre, Mr. Muraoka received a 2023 Emmy Award for directing Sesame Street, and a 2021 Emmy Award for co-directing Sesame Street: The Power of We. He also received a 2021 NAACP Image Award nomination as Best Director for this show. He was nominated for 3 Emmy Awards for Sesame Street-See Us Coming Together, an AANHPI special which introduced the first Korean American muppet named Ji-Young. He co- directed Sesame Street: Family Day, which introduced the first same-sex family to the show, and the show received the 2021 GLAAD Media Award for Best Children’s Program. He has directed theatre both in New York and around the country. Mr. Muraoka is a graduate of UCLA, where he received the Carol Burnett Musical Comedy Award for performance. He was also the 2004 recipient of the APEX Inspiration Award and the FCC’s 2007 Role Model of the Year Award. Please visit his website at: www.alanmuraoka.tv. You can also follow him on Instagram @alanathoopers.

Ti-Hua Chang

Broadcast Journalist

2004

Ti-Hua Chang

Ti-Hua Chang is an award-winning investigative reporter and is TYT’s investigative reporter on climate change.

His reporting highlights include exposing that Rudy Giuliani situated New York Citys emergency-response center in a donors building at 7 World Trade Center, which collapsed on 9/11. Chang is especially proud of discovering four witnesses in the 1963 murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, which helped jail the assassin 30 years later.

From 2015 to 2016, Chang worked as a freelance correspondent with the CBS Evening News Weekend Edition. He joined WNYW/Fox 5 in 2009 and until 2015 was a general assignment reporter. He transferred from sister station WWOR/My9, where he served as a general assignment and investigative reporter since 2008. Previously, Chang worked at WCBS-TV where he served in the same capacity. Prior to that, he was a reporter with WNBC. On 9/11, he was the first reporter to inform the public on the number of casualties that day, quoting city officials. Chang joined WNBC from WNYC-TV, where he hosted his own talk show, New York Hotline. Before he began his on-air career in New York City, he was an investigative producer at ABC News.

Chang is the recipient of numerous awards. In 1996, he won the prestigious Peabody Award for a series of reports he filed on accused drug-dealing murderers that led to dozens of arrests. In 2004, he won a New York Press Club award for his reports on a shooting at City Hall. He received an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2005 for a piece exposing police officers using a helicopter and high tech infra-red equipment to spy on private citizens.

Chang, who always reported, produced and wrote all his stories, did investigations that led to the jailing of the Detroit police chief for stealing drug forfeiture monies, showed how to buy a semi-automatic machine gun pistol by mail, exposed sex trafficking in New York and New Jersey, and revealed that hundreds of New York City buildings had been approved for fire-alarm systems without proper inspection because of corruption. That report resulted in the overhaul of the NYC Fire Departments sprinkler inspection division.

Chang has reported overseas from Bosnia, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, and the Philippines Chang has also won five Emmys; and journalism awards from the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Philadelphia, Denver and Detroit Press Associations, the Associated Press and United Press International.

Very active in Asian-American community affairs, Chang was both a national and local New York Board member of the Asian American Journalists Association, which gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Chang has been published in a number of magazines, including The New York Times Magazine, The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press.

From 2016 to 2019 he worked as a media and political consultant for Democrats running for Congress, New York State Assembly and New York City council races. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (in Biology with a concentration in Genetics) and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Chang was named by Columbia in 2004 as one of 10 most influential Columbia alumni in New York City, where he resides with his family.

Doris Ling-Cohan

New York State Supreme Court Justice

2003

Doris Ling-Cohan

Justice Ling-Cohan is the first woman of Asian descent to be appointed to an appellate panel in New York State and in 2002 became the first woman of Asian descent to be elected to the Supreme Court. Justice Ling-Cohan was elected to New York City Civil Court in 1995 from the Chinatown district, a first for that community. In 2005, ten years before the U.S. Supreme Court, she became the first trial judge in the state to decide in favor of marriage equality in Hernandez v. Robles. During her career, she has given opportunities to hundreds of diverse interns, ranging from junior high school to law graduates. A number of them now work for the court system.

A former law professor, Legal Services managing attorney, and assistant attorney general, Justice Ling-Cohan received a B.A. summa cum laude from Brooklyn College in 1976 and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1979. Justice Ling-Cohan is a founding member of the Asian American Bar Association; the Jade Council, an organization for court employees of Asian descent; and the New York Asian Women’s Center, the first organization to focus on preventing domestic violence in New York City’s Asian communities.

She served on the New York State Bar Association’s House of Delegates, the Chief Judge’s Judicial Advisory Committee and currently serves on the International Affairs Committee of the New York City Bar, the Dispute Resolution Section of NYS Bar Association and is a Commissioner on the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission.

Recently, the Historical Society of the New York Courts interviewed her as to her trailblazing career. She was recognized by the National Law Journal as one of its Outstanding Women Lawyers, nominated by the New York Post as a finalist for its Best of the City Liberty Award, recognized by National Asian Pacific Bar Association with its Women’s Leadership Award, and recognized by Brooklyn College with its Distinguished Alumna Award for her service to New York City as well as her advocacy for immigrants and non-English speakers’ rights.

Jeannie Park

Former Executive Editor, People Magazine

2003

Jeannie Park

Jeannie Park has been an advocate for the Asian American community throughout her 22 years as a journalist and now as a full-time volunteer and advocate.
Her professional career included positions at Time, Entertainment Weekly, InStyle and People; she was an Executive Editor at the latter two publications and and one of the highest-ranking Asian Americans in magazines.

She was founding president of the Asian American Journalists Association in NY, developing and promoting diverse leadership in the news business.

She has been honored by numerous professional and community organizations including the National Association of Minority Media Executives, the Asian American Federation of New York and KoreanAmericanStory.org.

She is a member of CKA, is a former advisor for NetKAL and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the KACF Board. She is the President of the 6,000-member Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance and co-founded their Global Summits in 2010.

She is also a Co-Founder of the Coalition for a Diverse Harvard, advocating for diversity and inclusion in higher education. She is also a member of the Council for the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, supporting efforts to increase their collections of Asian American women. She is the mother of two young adults.

B.D. Wong

Tony Award-winning Actor

2002

B.D. Wong

BD Wong has appeared on screens big and small during the past 20 years, appearing in hits including “Law & Order: SVU,” “Oz,” “Mr. Robot,” “Gotham,” “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World.”

His Broadway debut in “M. Butterfly” earned him a Tony Award, an Outer Critic’s Circle Award, a Theatre World Award, a Clarence Derwent Award and a Drama Desk Award as he became the only actor to ever win all five major New York theater awards for a single role.

Wong has appeared in more than 20 films, including notable roles in both “Father of the Bride” movies, “Seven Years in Tibet,” Disney’s “Mulan” and the HBO adaptation of “The Normal Heart.” He has starred in the widely celebrated revival of the musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and Stephen Sondheim’s “Pacific Overtures.”

Wong has spoken out about his experiences with rejection, typecasting and racism in the entertainment industry and has been praised for addressing issues including racial self-image, Asian-American parental pressure and the “model-minority myth.” In his memoir, “Following Foo: The Electronic Adventures of the Chestnut Man,” Wong recounted the highs and lows that he and his former partner endured on the road to parenthood.

David Henry Hwang

Tony Award-winning Playwright

2002

David Henry Hwang

David Henry Hwang’s stage works include the plays M. Butterfly, Chinglish, Yellow Face, Golden Child, The Dance and the Railroad, and FOB, as well as the musicals Aida (reconceived revival launched 2023 in Europe), Soft Power, Flower Drum Song and Disney’s Tarzan. Called America’s most-produced living opera librettist by Opera News, he has written thirteen libretti, including five with composer Philip Glass. His screenplays include M. Butterfly and he is penning an Anna May Wong biopic to star actress Gemma Chan. Hwang co-wrote the Gold Record “Solo” with the late pop music icon Prince and was a Writer/Consulting Producer for the Golden Globe-winning television series The Affair from 2015-2019. He is currently showrunning and creating a new television series, Billion Dollar Whale. A professor at Columbia University and recent Chair of the American Theatre Wing, Hwang is a Tony Award winner and three-time nominee, a Grammy Award winner and two-time nominee, a three-time OBIE Award winner, and a three-time Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. He was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2018 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021; his star was unveiled on the Lucille Lortel Playwrights Sidewalk in 2022.

Benny Agbayani

Professional Baseball Player

2001

Benny Agbayani

Benny Peter Agbayani, Jr. is an American retired professional baseball player. He attended Saint Louis School, Hawaii Pacific University and the Oregon Institute of Technology. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Boston Red Sox and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

Agbayani and his wife Niela have three children; daughters Aleia and Ailana and son Bruin. Aleia currently attends UC Berkeley and plays for their softball team. He is of Samoan, Filipino, Hawaiian, Chinese and Portuguese descent. Following his retirement, Agbayani was hired as an educational assistant at Mililani High School in Oahu in 2010. Agbayani is currently a ramp agent for Hawaiian Airlines. He is also the softball head coach at ?Iolani School in Honolulu, where both of his daughters attended as well as played softball.

Ming Tsai

Blue Ginger Restaurant, Chef

2001

Ming Tsai

Ming Tsai is the James Beard Award-winning chef-owner of Blue Dragon in Massachusetts and his latest venture BABA at the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana. An Emmy Award-winner, Ming hosts PBS-TV’s Simply Ming, now in its seventeenth season. Ming is the author of five cookbooks: Blue Ginger: East Meets West Cooking with Ming Tsai, Simply Ming, Ming’s Master Recipes, Simply Ming One-Pot Meals and Simply Ming In Your Kitchen. As a way to emulate his lifestyle and share it with the world, Ming is launching his new line of veggie filled patties, MingsBings, which hits grocery stores fall 2020. Ming supports many charities, including Family Reach, a non-profit whose mission is to provide financial relief and support to families fighting cancer, of which he is currently the Chairman of the National Advisory Board. For more visit www.ming.com. (Boston, MA) @mingtsai

Cindy Hsu

WCBS-TV, Reporter and Anchor

1992

Cindy Hsu

Cindy Hsu is an Emmy Award-winning anchor and reporter who has been at CBS New York since 1993. Her passion is sharing stories about children, seniors, education, adoption, animals and mental health awareness.

Cindy has earned Emmy Awards for stories including “Smuggled from China,” exposing the horrific plights of Chinese refugees trying to make it to America. Her most poignant story, was the two-part series “Bringing Rosie Home.” Through home videos, she brought viewers to China as she adopted her daughter Rosie as a single mother. The series won the New York AP Broadcasters Award for Best Feature and was nominated for an Emmy.

She has worked as a journalist throughout the country, including Richmond, Virginia, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Steubenville, Ohio. She spends much for her off-duty time in community work and is open about her struggle with depression, hoping to break down the stigma surrounding mental health. She has worked with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and is strongly involved in the Asian-American community. Some of her past and present philanthropic affiliations include: The Asian Professional Exchange (APEX) which is a big brother/big sister program. Cindy and her little sister have been together for more than two decades. She’s also worked with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The Humane Society of New York, The Children’s Miracle Network and the Museum of Chinese in America.

Cindy served as President of the New York Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, and paddled for years on a championship Dragon Boating team called Women in Canoe. Cindy’s parents immigrated from China. Her father was a Coast Guard pilot, so the family moved every two to four years. Cindy was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and graduated from Virginia Tech. She lives in New York City with her daughter Rosie and their rescue dog Lilo.

Juju Chang

WABC-TV, Correspondent

1992

Juju Chang

Juju Chang is a multiple Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline.” She also reports regularly for “Good Morning America” and “20/20.” Chang’s decades of reporting converged in two hour-long prime time specials in 2021. She co-anchored an ABC News Live special “Stop The Hate: The Rise In Violence Against Asian Americans.” And after the mass shooting at three Asian-themed spas, Chang co-anchored and reported from the scene for an “ABC News 20/20” breaking news special “Murder In Atlanta”, which won a Front Page award in 2022.

A former news anchor for “Good Morning America,” Chang joined ABC News just after college as an entry-level desk assistant in 1987 and rose to become a producer for “World News Tonight.” After reporting for KGO-TV in San Francisco and the ABC News affiliate service NewsOne in Washington, she co-anchored the overnight show “World News Now.” Chang’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including multiple Emmys, Gracies, a DuPont, a Murrow and Peabody Awards.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Northern California, Chang graduated with honors from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communication. She is married to WNET president and CEO Neal Shapiro and, together, they have three sons. Chang is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a founding board member of the Korean American Community Foundation.

Past Gala Honorees

Constance Wu

Ocean Vuong

Simon Kim

Eileen Gu

Amanda Nguyen

Awkwafina

Daniel Dae Kim

Jon M. Chu

Gemma Chan

Kenneth Lin

Olivia Munn

Humberto Leon & Carol Lim

Jhené Aiko

John C. Jay

Alex Chung

Bing Chen

Chloe Kim

Connie Chung

Dhivya Suryadevara

Hayden Szeto

James Chang

Jason Wang

Julie Yoo

Kathy Hirata Chin

Krista Marie Yu

Marcus Loo

Michelle Lee

Mitchell E. Harris

Natasha Jen

Nathaniel Ru

Patricia Shin Röckenwagner

Shan-Lyn Ma

Ted Chung

Victoria Hsu

Yie-Hsin Hung

Apl.de.ap

Hudson Yang

Norman C.T. Liu

Eva Chen

Gregory Yep

Ronnie C. Chan

Grace Park

Ming Chen Hsu

Andrew Yang

Lea Salonga

Steven Cho

Alexander Tsui, DMD

Aasif Mandvi

Ben & Emily Huh

Chad Troutwine

Gwynne Chow Tuan

Alina Cho

Daphne Kwok

Padma Lakshmi

Anita Lo

Bill Imada

Karen Wong

David Chang

Kam Mak

Phillip Lim

John Chun Yah Liu

Vivian Lee

Georgia Lee

Irene Tse

Aiyoung Choi

Christine Chen

Janice Min

Joyce Chang

Alan Muraoka

Ti-Hua Chang

Doris Ling-Cohan

Jeannie Park

B.D. Wong

David Henry Hwang

Benny Agbayani

Ming Tsai

Cindy Hsu

Juju Chang

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