COUNTDOWN TO GALA

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We’re honored and deeply grateful to share that the 34th Inspiration Awards Gala is officially sold out.

What began as a vision to IGNITE possibility for low-income Asian American youth has grown into an evening that turns belief into opportunity. We are humbled by the outpouring of support and can’t wait to gather on April 16 at Cipriani South Street to celebrate.

While tickets are no longer available, there are still meaningful ways to support Apex for Youth:
• Make a donation to help us reach more youth
Sponsor or purchase tickets to our Gala After Party at NoFlex NYC and continue the celebration of possibility

Please reach out to events@apexforyouth.org with any questions or inquiries.

Every act of belief fuels a young person’s future. Thank you for being part of this movement.

Thank you to all who celebrated our 34th Inspiration Awards Gala with us on April 16, 2026!

Our 34th Inspiration Awards Gala at Cipriani South Street was a momentous celebration, raising a recording-breaking $3.7 million to support low-income Asian American youth! The evening celebrated our IGNITE theme with moving speeches from youth speaker Eric Ren and Executive Director Jiyoon Chung, and special recognitions of our 2026 honorees Lana Condor, presented by Avantika, and Michael Chung, presented by Eileen Gu. Their leadership and authenticity reflects the spark we hope to nurture in every young person we serve.

 

The funds raised, including a record-breaking $1.6 million during the paddle raise led by BD Wong, will directly support our growing mentoring and community programs, continuing our 34-year mission of breaking barriers and building a world without limits. Through these programs, we’re creating intergenerational change and empowering Asian American youth to unlock their full potential today and embrace a world of possibility tomorrow. 

 

Together, we IGNITE.

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This year, we’re celebrating and igniting possibility by empowering low-income Asian American youth. Through mentoring programs and access to critical resources, we are able to spark confidence, unlock opportunity, and create a deep sense of belonging.

When mentorship ignites courage, potential begins to grow. From the spark of one young person's belief to the impact of our community, we can light the way forward together. Help us create that spark.​

GALA HONOREES

Lana Condor

Nữ diễn viên và nhà sản xuất

From making her acting debut in a blockbuster Marvel feature film, to breaking the mold as the first Asian American leading lady in a YA romantic comedy, award winning actor and producer Lana Condor has quickly become one of the most in-demand talents in the entertainment industry today. 


In 2026 Condor is poised for a major year in film, led by her upcoming Amazon MGM Studios thriller
Pretty Lethal, debuting March 25 globally on Prime Video. The action-packed feature follows five ballerinas—barely on speaking terms—who are forced to weaponize years of brutal training when their bus breaks down and they seek shelter at a remote roadside inn run by a mysterious former ballet prodigy (Uma Thurman). As the situation turns deadly, rivalries become survival instinct, and grace and discipline become their greatest weapons. Condor stars alongside Thurman, Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, and Maddie Ziegler. 

Michael Chung

Global Co-Head of Equities at Millennium Management

Michael Chung is Global Co-Head of Equities and a member of the Senior Management team at Millennium. Prior to this role, Michael served as Millennium’s Deputy Global Head of Equities. He is responsible for the daily oversight and management of the firm’s equity portfolio managers and teams globally, including fundamental equity, volatility, convertible bond arbitrage and event driven strategies. For these strategies, Michael is responsible for portfolio manager selection, capital allocation, evaluation of transactions and risk exceptions, and management of the global firmwide equity aggregated risk. He has nearly 25 years of experience in trading and risk management.

 

Prior to joining Millennium in 2016, Michael led investment teams across various distressed, credit and event driven strategies at Arrowgrass Capital Partners, where he was a Founding Partner, and at Deutsche Bank’s proprietary trading unit, Omnis.  He started his career at Lehman Brothers as a research analyst for the firm’s Distressed Debt business.Michael received a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University, where he currently serves as a member of the Advisory Council for the McCormick School of Engineering.

FEATURED PRESENTERS

Eileen Gu

Olympic Freeski Gold Medalist

Eileen Gu made history at the 2022 Winter Olympics, securing two golds and a silver medal, becoming the youngest ever freeski gold medalist at age 18. She followed that up with another record breaking performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she took home one gold and two silver medals, becoming the most decorated Olympic Freeskier in history. She is the only action sports athlete to ever win three medals at one Olympics, a feat she has now accomplished twice. She is 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 also currently holds the win record for any freeski athlete, male or female, with 20 FIS World Cup victories.

Avantika

Nữ diễn viên

Avantika next stars opposite Uma Thurman in the Amazon feature film PRETTY LETHAL for producer David Leitch and director Vicky Jewson, which will premiere at SXSW March 2026. Her Hulu series NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK, from executive producer Mindy Kaling, will premiere later this spring. She is best known for starring as “Karen” in the Paramount feature MEAN GIRLS, produced by Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels, the #1 movie at the U.S. box office for three consecutive weeks on its January 2024 release. In 2021, she was named to Variety’s Young Hollywood “Up Next” list after starring as “Rhea Kumar” in the Disney Channel Original Movie SPIN, which was their first original to star an Indian American lead. Avantika was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to India as a child actor. She is now a proud New Yorker.

BD Wong

Diễn viên và Luật sư đoạt giải Tony

BD Wong played the son of the first Asian American family in television history (ALL-AMERICAN GIRL), and the father of the third Asian American family in television history (AWKWAFINA IS NORA FROM QUEENS). He has also been a series regular on OZ, LAW & ORDER: SVU, AWAKE, and MR. ROBOT (Emmy nomination), and his many films include BIRD BOX, FOCUS, THE SALTON SEA, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, four JURASSIC films, two FATHER OF THE BRIDE films, and his voice is the speaking voice of “Shang” in two animated Disney MULAN films. He has performed in four Broadway shows, including M. BUTTERFLY (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Clarence Derwent, Theatre World, and Tony Awards), as well as the Broadway revivals of YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN and PACIFIC OVERTURES. BD has been honored by APEX for Youth, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, GLAAD, PFLAG, Empire State Pride Agenda, Lamda Legal Defense, Marriage Equality New York, and many other organizations. He holds honorary degrees from San Francisco State University, the School of Visual Arts and American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) He serves on the boards of the Entertainment Community Fund, Rosie’s Theater Kids, and A.C.T. in San Francisco (his hometown).
co-Chairs
Aya Kanai
Melody Lee
Raymond Chan
HOST COMMITTEE
Aditi Shah
Adrianne Wright
Allison Chou
Allister Chan
BD Wong
Big Dragons Little Dragons Junior Host Committee
Chloe Flower
Christine Shin
Christine Su
Conray Tseng
Daniel Martin
David Henry Hwang
Gilbert Liu
Isiah Magsino
Jennifer Prosek
Jennifer Saesue
JiaJia Fei
Jihan Lee
Justin Eng
Katherine Yang
Laura Kim
Lauren Kim
Mark Xu
Michelle Lee
Robert Lee
Russ Chong
Simon Kim
Ti-Hua Chang
FEATURED SPONSORS
Become a Sponsor.
Be a Champion for Asian American Youth.
CHAMPION

KAREN AND ROBERT LEE

MICHAEL LI

Stephanie Ng and Richard Li

Thomas and Leanne Chin

LEADER

KATHY YANG AND RAY CHAN

KEVIN D. ENG & UN HAE SONG FOUNDATION

KEVIN D. ENG & UN HAE SONG

JOE AND LILY WONG

BENEFACTOR

Alex Chi and Margaret Jan

ANDREW AND LAUREN KIM

Angela and Allister Chan

Ann and Peter Chung

BD WONG

BEN XIAO AND TRACY KWAN

Diana Hung-Jar và David Jar

Elaine and Ed Cong

GIL AND LING LIU

Isiah Magsino and Douglas Wurth

Maxine and Mark Dalio

Peter và Shirley Ma

Russ Chong

So-Chung Shinn and Tony W. Lee

THE SRIRATANA FAMILY

SPONSOR
FRIEND

Michelle Kleger

LISA QI

Patrick Lo và Natasha Wattel

Thank you to our pro bono sponsors this year which include Gina ShinGSJJ, and Shane Liao from East Side Stories. We are deeply grateful for their partnership.

Gina Shin

VỀ BUỔI GALA

Through the years, Apex for Youth’s Inspiration Awards Gala has become the premier Asian American gala in the United States.

Last year, with 600 guests in attendance, we collectively raised over $3.1 million — a testament to the power of Apex’s mission. As we head into our 34th Annual Inspiration Awards Gala, Apex remains committed to ensuring our youth can access the resources, mentorship, and opportunities they need to help them break down the barriers they face.

NHỮNG DẤU DẤN CHÚNG TÔI TẠO RA

Did you know Asian American youth ..?

1 in 2

Asian American youth live in or near poverty in NYC.

Less than 6%

of the city’s funding goes to Asian American programs, creating significant challenges due to lack of resources, despite making up 18% of the city’s population.

1 in 4

Asian American youth in NYC live in homes where no one over 14 speaks English proficiently or at all.

Suicide

is the leading cause of death for Asian American young adults.

About Apex for Youth's Reach

Apex for Youth addresses the ongoing pervasive needs of low-income Asian American Youth in New York City and across the country.

2,700

thanh thiếu niên được phục vụ từ tất cả 5 quận và 11 tiểu bang trên khắp cả nước

40,000

giờ tham gia của thanh thiếu niên

1,000

tình nguyện viên hỗ trợ thanh thiếu niên

Apex for Youth offers paid summer internships for high school and college students, combining hands-on work experience with career exploration and professional mentorship through the JT Tai & Co. Foundation Summer Internship.

Join us in IGNITING

what's possible for our youth!

Every donation to Apex for Youth helps us light new pathways of possibility for low-income Asian American youth. Your support fuels programs that spark confidence, unlock opportunity, and create a sense of belonging.

2025 APEX FOR YOUTH GALA

Sống lại những khoảnh khắc ấn tượng của Lễ trao giải thưởng truyền cảm hứng thường niên lần thứ 33 của Apex

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PAST HONOREES
Gemma Chan | 2019
Actress, Producer, Activist
Jon M. Chu | 2021
Filmmaker
Eileen Gu | 2022
Olympian, Model
Suni Lee | 2025
Olympian
Phillip Lim | 2009
Creative Director, 3.1 Phillip Lim
Olivia Munn | 2019
Actress, Author
Daniel Dae Kim | 2021
Actor, Producer
Lisa Ling | 2021
Nhà báo, Tác giả
Ocean Vuong | 2023
Tác giả, Nhà thơ
Constance Wu | 2024
Actress, Author
viVietnamese

Lana Condor

From making her acting debut in a blockbuster Marvel feature film, to breaking the mold as the first Asian American leading lady in a YA romantic comedy, award winning actor and producer Lana Condor has quickly become one of the most in-demand talents in the entertainment industry today. 

In 2026 Condor is poised for a major year in film, led by her upcoming Amazon MGM Studios thriller Pretty Lethal, debuting March 25 globally on Prime Video. The action-packed feature follows five ballerinas—barely on speaking terms—who are forced to weaponize years of brutal training when their bus breaks down and they seek shelter at a remote roadside inn run by a mysterious former ballet prodigy (Uma Thurman). As the situation turns deadly, rivalries become survival instinct, and grace and discipline become their greatest weapons. Condor stars alongside Thurman, Iris Apatow, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, and Maddie Ziegler. 

Later this year, she showcases her comedic range in Coyote vs. Acme (August 28, Warner Bros and Ketchup Entertainment), opposite Will Forte and John Cena, in the live-action/animated courtroom comedy following Wile E. Coyote’s lawsuit against the Acme Corporation. She will also headline the survival thriller Devil’s Mouth (Amazon MGM Studios) alongside Kathryn Newton, which follows college friends trapped in an underwater cave system with a bull shark. 

Condor recently wrapped production on the romantic comedy Whodunnit, directed by Nora Kirkpatrick, where she stars as Tess Klein—a woman forced to rethink everything after a spectacularly derailed proposal and an unexpected rebound weekend—with Jack Whitehall, Robbie Amell, Lizze Broadway, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Randall Park. 

Condor became a household name in 2018 with the release of Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which quickly became a global sensation. Based on Jenny Han’s New York Times best-selling novel, the film cemented its place in pop culture and helped redefine on-screen representation—showing that Asian American teens could finally see themselves as complex, romantic leads worthy of the full love story. Critics and outlets praised Condor’s star-making turn as Lara Jean Covey, with Vanity Fair writing, “Get ready to be charmed by Lana Condor,” and Vulture declaring, “Condor is a ready-made star,” among many others. Condor reprised her role in the hit sequels To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020) and To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021). She earned a Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Drama Movie Actress in 2019 and received the HCA Award: Next Generation of Hollywood at the 2020 Hollywood Critics Association Awards. 

Additional credits for Condor include starring opposite Chase Stokes in Valiant One; the romantic comedy Worth the Wait for Tubi alongside Andrew Koji and Ross Butler; and a guest-starring arc on the critically acclaimed, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Peabody Award winning hit series Abbott Elementary opposite Quinta Brunson. Her film and television work also includes HBO Max’s sci-fi romantic comedy Moonshot opposite Cole Sprouse, James Cameron’s Alita: Battle Angel (Twentieth Century Fox), Netflix’s limited comedy series Boo, Bitch (which she also executive produced), the Russo brothers’ action series Deadly Class (SYFY), and her feature film debut as Jubilee in X-Men: Apocalypse opposite Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy. In animation, she starred as the title character in DreamWorks/Universal’s Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken opposite Jane Fonda, Toni Collette, and Colman Domingo. 

Originally from Can Tho, Vietnam, Condor was adopted by her parents at four months old (along with her brother, Arthur) and spent her early years in the Chicago area. As a child she lived in both Washington state and New York City, training in classical ballet in both locations. She took classes at multiple prestigious dance academies including The Joffrey School of Classical Ballet, The Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, and The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. As a high school freshman living in New York, Condor took her first acting class and was hooked. During her sophomore year, Condor and her family moved to Los Angeles where she danced alongside apprentices at The Los Angeles Ballet and continued to develop her passion for acting by joining the theater department at Notre Dame Academy and studying at the Yale Summer Conservatory for Actors. While going out on a handful of auditions her senior year, Condor booked “X-Men: Apocalypse.” She has been working ever since. 

On the digital front, Condor’s social media following skyrocketed in 2018 soaring to over 10 million dedicated fans internationally (and growing). She has used her newfound platform to generate awareness for causes near to her heart, including The Asia Foundation where she established a scholarship to send underprivileged girls and women to school in Vietnam.

 

Eileen Gu

Eileen Gu made history at the 2022 Winter Olympics, securing two golds and a silver medal, becoming the youngest ever freeski gold medalist at age 18. She followed that up with another record breaking performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she took home one gold and two silver medals, becoming the most decorated Olympic Freeskier in history. She is the only action sports athlete to ever win three medals at one Olympics, a feat she has now accomplished twice. She is 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 also currently holds the win record for any freeski athlete, male or female, with 20 FIS World Cup victories.

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 won two ESPYs: Best Breakthrough Athlete and Best Action Sports Athlete.

Eileen is not just a champion on the slopes but also a voice for young people, particularly girls. Her advocacy for female empowerment earned her the Vogue Aurora Award in 2019. Her role as a cultural conduit through sport was evident when she was named an ambassador for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics, 2024 Paris Olympics, and Salt Lake City 2030 Olympic Bid, as well as Laureus and Asia Society.

Eileen has made her mark on the fashion world since age 15, including walking the runway for Louis Vuitton, closing the Brunello Cucinelli 2025 show, and opening and closing the Bosideng 2024 show at Milan Fashion Week. She was one of the Founding Collective members of Victoria’s Secret, and has had brand ambassadorships with brands like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, IWC, and Porsche. She has been featured on covers of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, V Magazine, L’Officiel, Marie Claire and many more.

Eileen is an outstanding full-time student at Stanford University. Most recently, she was admitted to Stanford’s selective study abroad program at Oxford University, where she spent fall of 2024.

Eileen represents a unique intersection of sports, fashion, and education to empowered youth and families across the globe.

 

 

Refer Your Network to Volunteer

We’re looking for 272 more volunteers to serve 417 youth in Queens and Brooklyn.

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Priority Deadline: May 31st

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