Convention Speakers

Senior Advisor, Board Leadership Center, KPMG US

Susan M. Angele is a senior advisor at KPMG Board Leadership Center, and a frequent speaker and writer on board leadership topics including board engagement in strategy, oversight of risk, the corporation’s role in society and board composition and effectiveness. Before joining KPMG, Angele served as a lawyer and Fortune 500 executive, in roles including vice president, global deputy general counsel, and chief governance officer of The Hershey Company. She has served on the boards of numerous nonprofit organizations, and is a current board member of the Latino Corporate Directors Education Foundation and the Institute for Mindful Leadership.

National Campus Recruiting Manager, BDO

As the National Campus Recruiting Manager, Jenny is responsible for driving innovative and digitally enabled campus recruiting strategy for BDO’s specialty practices. She specializes in providing excellent candidate and client experiences, university relations, and campus recruiting project management. She also leads various national initiatives in collaboration with recruiters across the country.

With over 14 years of human resources experience, Jenny has dedicated her career to the recruitment and development of professional services professionals in the legal and public accounting industries.

Chief Technology Officer & Inventor for Music: Not Impossible, Not Impossible Labs

Vice President, Solution Engineering, Salesforce

Sandy Black has over 20 years of experience in the technology and enterprise software industry. She joined Salesforce over 11 years ago and currently leads the Solution Engineering organization focused on the Insurance, Wealth, and Asset Management verticals for North America. In her role, Sandy leads a team of engineers whose focus is to gain a deep understanding of clients' businesses and technology landscapes to construct compelling business and technology visions.

Prior to Salesforce, Sandy has held positions in software product marketing, technology consulting, and systems implementation. Sandy is one of the founding leaders of Salesforce's Women in Solution Engineering Employee Resource Group which now boasts a membership of over 600 members and is currently President of the FINSforce Employee Resource Group which focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion for the Financial Services Operating Unit. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Psychology from the University of Michigan and is the mother of two fantastic girls, two cats, two Toy Fox Terriers, a leopard gecko, and a tank of fish!

Director, Intellectual Property, IBM

As Director of Intellectual Property at IBM, Kristie Curameng Bradford is responsible for monetizing select technology investments, from strategy development to transaction execution. Focus areas include quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and monetization via Venture Capital and Private Equity channels. Deal structures include licensing, acquisitions, divestitures, minority equity investments, NewCos, and spinoffs.

Previously, Kristie served as Business Development Executive at IBM Watson Business Development and led mergers and acquisitions for Watson Health (2016-2019) Kristie brings +22 years of experience in strategy, M&A, corporate finance, sales, and marketing. She also has +16 years of direct M&A experience as a consultant to strategic and PE buyers and as an investor at several organizations including IBM, GE Capital, NBC Universal, and New Markets Venture Partners. Kristie has undergraduate degrees in Government & Politics and Japanese Language and MBA from the University of Maryland and studied abroad at Keio University in Tokyo.

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and Global Head of Talent, Citi

Erika is Citi’s Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and Global Head of Talent, responsible for developing global diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and driving Citi’s agenda on talent planning, succession planning and leadership development. Prior to joining Citi, Erika was Chief Diversity Officer at Goldman Sachs from 2018 to 2021 and Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Bloomberg from 2015 to 2018.

Erika is Vice Chair of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and serves on the Board of the Riverside Hawks. Erika earned a BS in Economics from the State University of New York at Albany and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Co-Founder, EarlySpark

After a successful career in tech, consulting and private equity, Ms. Burns transitioned from the corporate world into the education space and founded Galileo Preschool in the Silicon Valley. In 2019, Ms. Burns co-founded EarlySpark, a global non-profit focused on transforming primary education in India's poorest communities. She volunteers as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and works with foster youth in Santa Clara County. Ms. Burns holds BS and MS degrees from M.I.T. and an M.B.A. and Masters of Education from Stanford University.

Senior Human Resources Executive, General Electric

Karissa brings over 20 years of strategic and people focused Human Resources experience spanning across various industries including hospitality, mental healthcare and high-tech digital/industrial. Karissa started her GE career in 2007 at NBC Universal in New York City, and has since traversed to five different business units under the GE umbrella. Karissa holds BS in Communications from Eastern University and MS in Counseling Psychology from Long Island University. She resides with her husband and three children in Atlanta, GA.

Leading Digital CEO and Entrepreneur, theBoardlist

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy is a leading technology executive and entrepreneur, board member, and investor with twenty-five years of experience founding and helping to scale companies, including Google, Amazon, and Yodlee. Most recently, she served as president of StubHub and as a member of eBay’s executive leadership team. She is the founder and chairman of theBoardlist and has been profiled in Fortune, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and The New York Times, among others. She has been named one of Elle’s Power Women, one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, and one of the Top 100 People in the Valley by Business Insider among many other accolades. She is the author of CHOOSE POSSIBILITY: Take Risks and Thrive (Even When You Fail). She lives with her husband and three children in Silicon Valley.

CRO, Axonic Capital

Ms. Chang has over 18 years of experience in risk management and is currently the CRO of Axonic Capital LLC, a New York based investment advisor. Previously, she served as the CRO at Angel Oak Capital Advisors since 2014. Prior to joining the buy side, Ms. Chang served in various financial roles at Wells Fargo and Wachovia Securities for a decade. Ms. Chang holds a B.A. degree in Finance from Wuhan University and an M.B.A from the College of William and Mary, where she graduated with distinction, beta gamma sigma. She holds the CFA®, the FRM, and the CAIA designation.

SVP, Global Head of Risk and Compliance, Experian

Sam Chari is currently the Global Head of Risk and Compliance at Experian, based out of Southern California. Most recently prior to Experian, Sam was EVP, Global Head of Enterprise Risk at PIMCO asset management, and VP, Global Head of Operational Risk at Alliance Bernstein asset management. Sam has more than 25 years of experience in enterprise and operational risk management in various industries. Sam holds an MBA from NYU Stern and a MS in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University.

Co-lead, Asian Pacific American Council – Associate Resource Group, Mars Wrigley

Darius is the co-lead of the Asian Pacific American Council associate resource group at Mars Wrigley, which he helped to co-found in 2017. He is currently the Senior Sales Strategy and Capabilities Manager at Mars Wrigley US and has held several roles in Global Sourcing and Regional Buying Operations since he started his Mars journey in 2016. Prior to joining Mars, Darius was a Buyer for Health and Beauty Care and General Merchandise at C&S Wholesale Grocers.

Darius loves to travel and try new foods in his free time. He is also enjoying his status as favorite uncle/relative and is expected to bring candy to every family event. Originally from Singapore, Darius lives in East Amwell, NJ with his partner, Mark and cat MoMo.

Board Director

SVP of Technology and Engineering, Experian

Jimmy Cheung is the SVP of Technology and Engineering at Experian Consumer Services. In this role, he oversees the Engineering and Data Services teams responsible for the development of Experian direct to consumer products enabling individuals to manage their financial well-being and safeguard their personal identity. Jimmy is actively committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. He serves as the executive sponsor of the Experian Asian American Employee Resource Group (ERG) and a board member of the Ascend’s Orange County chapter.

President | Soundboard Governance LLC

Douglas K. Chia is President of Soundboard Governance LLC and Fellow at the Rutgers Center for Corporate Law and Governance. He was previously Executive Director of The Conference Board ESG Center, Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Johnson & Johnson, and Assistant General Counsel, Corporate of Tyco International. Mr. Chia practiced law at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Clifford Chance in New York and Hong Kong. He has held prominent leadership positions and received numerous awards and recognitions in the corporate governance field. Mr. Chia is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Georgetown University Law Center.

Producer, Giant Flashlight Media

Baldwin Chiu is the co-founder of Giant Flashlight Media and produced the award-winning PBS documentary, Far East Deep South, which chronicles his family’s history. Chiu is also a rapper known by his MC name, Only Won, and is a professionally licensed engineer who gained recognition for his viral videos, “Cantonese Boy,” and “I Wanna Be an Engineer.” He was previously a spokesperson for Intel’s “Stay With It” engineering campaign promoting careers in STEM. Baldwin currently hosts the “Love, Discovery and Dim Sum” podcast with his wife, Larissa Lam. Chiu has been featured on NBC News, NPR and other media outlets.

Founding Member & Chapter Lead, VIBE (Value, Inclusion, Belonging, and Equity) ERG, Workday

Based out of Boston, MA, Howard has worked in technology for almost 30 years and is a Principal Engagement Manager at Workday. In his current role, he leads the delivery of Workday’s ERP solutions that helps his clients modernize how they do business. Howard is also a founding member and serves as a chapter lead for Workday’s East Asians ERG that fosters value, inclusion, belonging, and equity (VIBE). Howard has a passion for building connections between Workmates and driving the East Asians ERG initiatives through educational programs, mentorship, and event engagements.

Head of ICG Talent & Diversity/Inclusion, Citi

SEVP, Chief Diversity Officer, U.S. Bank

Greg Cunningham is Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer for U.S. Bank. Greg is a member of the Managing Committee reporting to the CEO. His DEI expertise has been showcased in national and regional media outlets.

Greg is a member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and serves on the National Board of Directors for the United Negro College Fund.

Greg has a BA in marketing from UNCF member school Clark-Atlanta University and an MBA from Fordham University in New York City.

His personal brand tag line: “I Bring Life to Brands.”

Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Charles Schwab

Tony Cyriac joined Charles Schwab in June 2020 as Chief Data & Analytics Officer leading Data, Analytics & Insight (DAI), the strategic organization that leverages data, analytics and research to drive company growth and client loyalty across all business units at Schwab.

Prior to joining Schwab, Tony most recently served as the Enterprise Chief Data & Analytics Officer for BMO Financial Group where he led the Enterprise Data & Artificial Intelligence function that built and evolved BMO’s Enterprise Data, Analytics and AI capabilities.

Previously, Tony was the Managing Director for Enterprise Data & Analytics at G.E. Capital.

Partner, EY

AJ has more than 25 years of experience at EY, including experience in internal and external auditing. AJ has extensive experience providing services to businesses across a broad base of industries, helping companies assess, monitor and manage risk across the enterprise. AJ has held a number of leadership roles at the firm, including most recently as the Southeast Region Risk leader where she was responsible for a team of 400 risk professionals. AJ currently serves as the lead engagement partner for several multi-national organizations.

Senior Financial Analyst, Workday Inc.

Born and raised in the Philippines. Graduated from Jose Rizal University, Manila with a degree of Bachelor of Science major in Accounting. She was a Cum-Laude graduate despite being a full-time working student. Tess migrated in the USA in 1994 with big hopes and dreams. A Finance professional with over 30 years of experience from different industries (Software, Manufacturing, Consumer Products). She was a Finance Manager at PepsiCo prior to joining Workday in 2012. Tess is the Co-Founder and Global Liaison of KAMPI (Filipino/Pacific Islander Community in Workday). KAMPI was born out of love of the Filipino/Pacific Islander culture, food and its people. Tess is based in the Bay Area, a mother of 2 and a Dance Mom in the last 14 years.

District President, Robert Half

Richard Deosingh is the District President for Robert Half and the Executive Champion of Robert Half’s Asian Professionals for Excellence employee network group. He is also a senior mentor for Ascend.

He is responsible for overseeing operations for Robert Half’s Professional Business Service lines of business in the company’s Midtown, New York office. Richard is a 21-year veteran at Robert Half. He is also considered an expert on the local and national job market and has been featured in the New York Post, FOX 5, U.S. World & News and many others.

Owner and Chef, New Delhi Restaurant

CTO, Circle

Li Fan joins Circle, a FinTech company as CTO in April 2021. She was CTO and interim CPO for Lime, a micro mobility company before that. Previously, Li held the SVP of engineering position in Pinterest, and was a Senior Director of Engineering in Google Inc.

From 2012 to 2014, she was Vice President of Engineering in Baidu, China, leading core search products.

Li started her career as a software engineer in Cisco, Ingrian Networks, and Google. She holds a Master's Degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BS in Computer Science from Fudan University, Shanghai.

Strategy & Transformation Director, PwC

A first-generation immigrant of Filipino & Jamaican descent, Greta (Hardware) Ferrarella is an enterprise PMO Director based in LA and Director lead of PwC’s Southwest Pan Asian Community Inclusion Network. With 12+ years of experience in financial reporting, accounting, and project management, she works collaboratively with senior and executive leadership to provide flexible and scalable PM solutions for significant deals, complex financial transactions, and strategic corporate initiatives. Greta is a CPA in California, NY and NJ and is a certified PMP. She also enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and chasing around her soon to be one year old daughter.

Senior Manager Graduate Development Programs, HSBC Bank USA


I have spent over 25 years in financial services in front office and center office roles predominantly in Wealth and Personal Banking. These have included individual producing roles, team leader roles, and currently the Senior Program Manager role for our Wealth & Personal Banking Graduate and Internship Programs. I enjoy collaborating with my colleagues/business partners, leading teams to achieve common goals in serving and providing solutions for our customers, and driving career progression for my team members. I graduated from University of Maryland at College Park - BA History.

Sr. Manager, Business Operations – Webex by Cisco Systems, Cisco Connected Asian Affinity Network – Program Lead

Carlo Dela Fuente is an experienced business and channel operations leader with a track record of driving strategy, delivering business results and operational excellence.

Carlo is currently a Sr. Manager for WebEx by Cisco, the world’s leading and most secure collaboration platform that provides award winning cloud-based collaboration solutions that power today’s Hybrid Work environments.

Carlo is a founding member of Cisco’s Connected Asian Affinity Network (CAAN) dedicated to making Cisco a place where Asians are at their best for Cisco and the world. Carlo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a minor in Asian American Studies. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Carlo recently moved from San Jose, CA and now resides in Folsom, California with his wife and three young children

HR Business Partner, Robert Half

Based in San Ramon, Calif., Kats Furuyama is an HR Business Partner at Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm, which connects opportunities at great companies with highly skilled job seekers. Robert Half is also the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm. Kats joined the company in 2007 and has held various roles globally. He is passionate about representing the Pan-Asian community, serves as Co-President of Ascend’s NorCal Chapter, and is one of the founders of Asian Professionals for Excellence (APEX), an internal employee network group at Robert Half.

VP Business Advisor - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Liberty Mutual

Elvie Gee is the VP DEI Business Advisor at Liberty Mutual. She leads, drives and activates the DEI strategy within Liberty's Global Risk Solutions business. Elvie joined Liberty with over a decade of experience with global Fortune 100 companies in the US and Canada. She has developed global enterprise-wide strategies in diversity, equity and inclusion, talent management and change leadership.

Elvie is passionate about advocating for people with disabilities, being a caregiver of a child on the autism spectrum, which has led to the work she leads today. Elvie is based in Princeton, New Jersey.

SVP Consumer and Small Business Banking, Bank of America

Kajal Gupta is part of the Small Business Segmentation and Strategy Team within Consumer and Small Business. Kajal is responsible for leading key strategic projects designed to grow small businesses, including leading the women and minority platform work for small business recognizing and amplifying these critical segments. Priorto this role, Kajal led the Credit Card Portfolio Programs within the Small Business Product Team where she was responsible for the engagement and growth of all existing small business credit card customers throughout the lifecycle of the customer (driving activation, stimulation and fostering retention). Kajal has been with Bank of America for 11 years.

Manager, Strategy & Transactions Advisory,
Grant Thornton

Noah is a Manager at Grant Thornton in Denver, Colorado. He originally started in the Audit practice and stayed for two years while become a certified public accountant. Noah then moved to the Corporate Finance Group, where he earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He supports his Company’s local Pan-Asian resource group and is a board member of the newly formed Denver Chapter of Ascend.

Since the onset of the global pandemic, Noah has found a new passion in cooking. While he still has a lot to learn, he is now able to create some of his favorite Korean dishes.

Managing Director, AlixPartners

Andy is a seasoned management consultant. As a Managing Director of AlixPartners, he helps clients with revenue growth, cost efficiency, and M&A issues, developing and implementing solutions that drive measurable and accelerated results. He has extensive experience in leading large-scale value creation, transformation, M&A, and post-merger integration programs. He takes a highly-collaborative and culturally-attuned approach to drive changes that are impactful and sustainable.

His industry expertise spans across Technology, Media, and Telecom (TMT), Healthcare, and Financial Services. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from California Institute of Technology. He is bilingual in English and Chinese.

University Recruiting, Manager, Workday

Executive Vice President, Robert Half and Protiviti

Tim Hird is executive vice president of enterprise optimization for Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm, and Protiviti, a global consulting firm and Robert Half subsidiary. In his role, Hird enhances combined Robert Half-Protiviti solution offerings to help businesses create functions and processes, address performance issues, and drive improvement.

Tim most recently served as executive director of the management resources practice, beginning in 2012. He joined Robert Half in 2000 as an account executive for the management resources practice and helped launch the division’s London office.

Senior Director - Transaction Strategy and Execution, EY Parthenon

Nelson is a trusted consulting management advisor to several Fortune 500 companies in end-to-end supply chain, direct to consumer fulfillment, product development & sourcing, cost transformation, merchandising, ecommerce, and customer experience / growth strategy. He specializes in the Retail and Consumer Products industries.

SVP Chief Administrative Officer for the President & CEO, Franklin Templeton

Tiffany supports the activities and strategic priorities of the CEO. Prior to this, she held numerous roles during her 27 years tenure including CAO of Technology and Operations, SVP of Strategy and Planning for Franklin Templeton Services.

Tiffany is a founding member and co-executive sponsor of Franklin Templeton’s API BRG.

Tiffany is an active community leader in San Mateo and serves on the Board of LifeMoves, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless families.

Tiffany began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Francisco. She is a graduate of the Haas Business School at University of California Berkeley and a CPA.

Co-president, Ascend Connecticut & Westchester Chapter

Lead Software Engineer, Salesforce

Jimmy Hua is a Lead Software Engineer at Salesforce. He founded the Equality Group Asiapacforce (API ERGs) at Salesforce and is currently involved as a global advisor. In partnership with Salesforce's Office of Equality, Jimmy created and now leads a cohort of Salesforce volunteers in building a "Platform for Equality" to measure the efforts and impact the Equality Groups at Salesforce have at Salesforce and the larger community. Outside of Salesforce, he founded Asian Leaders Alliance and is on the Board of Directors of Southeast Asian Development Center.

Talent Acquisition Specialist, Linde Inc.

Lauren joined Linde in July 2018 and provides recruitment and hiring support for several groups at the LTC including Procurement, Engineering, Finance, and IT, as well as manages the hiring process for Linde’s Corporate Headquarters in Danbury, CT. She holds a degree in Psychology from Allegheny College and has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources. Prior to working at Linde, she was a Talent Acquisition Manager at New Era Cap, a Buffalo-based headwear manufacturer.

Audit Manager, BDO USA

Katy joined BDO as an audit associate in 2014 and is now an experienced audit manager. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she has significant experience serving public registrants and privately held companies, including audits of internal controls under Sarbanes-Oxley 404 regulations. Katy’s recent industry experience includes serving companies in the asset management and technology industries. Within the asset management industry, Katy specializes in audits of venture capital partnerships and cryptocurrency funds focused on companies in the pharmaceutical, life science, healthcare, and technology industries. Within the technology industry, Katy specializes in audits of semiconductor companies. Katy believes in and supports BDO’s Multicultural Alliance and Flex strategies by hosting many of the office events focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

IT Executive | IT Experiences, Toyota

Jennifer Jao is an IT Experiences Executive at Toyota Motor North America. She joined Toyota in 1993 in Production Control and progressed through positions of increasing responsibility in Direct Material Supply Chain, Indirect Material Management and New Plant Startups. She joined IT Experiences in 2011 and is responsible for providing world class onsite IT operations and IT solutions for 80+ R&D, Manufacturing, Vehicle Logistics, Regional Sales Office and Service Parts facilities throughout North America. Jennifer is currently leading the strategic digital transformation to accelerate Toyota mobility vision. Jennifer received a Bachelor’s of Statistics from Eastern Kentucky University.

Co-Founder and CEO, Mechanism Wellness

Principal, Crowe

Arjun Kalra is a principal in the Crowe consulting business unit and is the Technology, Media & Telecommunications consulting leader. Arjun has spent the last 15 years assisting clients in the technology, financial services, and financial technology industries with managing risk, instilling effective corporate governance, and complying with regulations and regulatory expectations. During his time at Crowe, Arjun spent four years as the D&I Advisor to Crowe's CEO and currently serves on the firmwide Inclusion Excellence Council. He has an MBA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley.

Founder & CEO, Global Diversity Marketing

Tariq Khan is a sought-after global speaker and recognized business leader. Before starting his own companies, Tariq has had a distinguished twenty-year corporate career and has held senior management roles for major global Fortune companies, including ING, Nationwide, and MetLife.

He serves on the board of directors for the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF); the Asian Pacific Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS); and Ascend. He is also a member of the board of trustees at Stratford University in Virginia. Tariq is also an adjunct professor of marketing and leadership at New York University.

Vice President, National Operations, Loblaw Companies Ltd.

Angie Kim leads operations for the National Wholesale division at the Loblaw Companies Ltd., Canada's food and pharmacy leader, with a network of over 2,000 stores employing close to 200,000 Canadians.

As a daughter of a diplomat, Angie has lived in multiple countries before immigrating to Canada in 2001. Her greatest passion is in driving culture and engagement through empowering people, and she currently sits on various committees for Diversity & Inclusion while actively mentoring the next-generation leaders. She is the recipient of the 2020 Star Women in Grocery and the 2020 Women of Inspiration award.

Partner, Gibson Dunn

Thomas J. Kim is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, where he is a member of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Practice Group. Mr. Kim focuses his practice on a broad range of SEC disclosure and regulatory matters, including capital raising and tender offer transactions and shareholder activist situations, as well as corporate governance, environmental social governance and compliance issues. He also advises clients on SEC enforcement investigations involving disclosure, registration and auditor independence issues.

Business Reporter, Axios

Hope is a business news journalist who has been covering the world’s biggest companies since 2014. She has sat down with many top leaders, including Jack Ma and Satya Nadella. Hope was most recently a news anchor at Cheddar and a reporter with CNN. Prior to her career in journalism, Hope was a VP at Merrill Lynch.

RSM Partner, AICPA LGBTQ+ Committee Member

Alfred is a member of the AICPA LGBTQ+ Committee. In this role, Alfred supports the committee’s responsibilities to understand barriers that impede the long-term success of LGBTQ+ members in the accounting profession; propose strategies that will alleviate the barriers to retention and advancement of LGBTQ+ members; report on data related to recruiting, retention and advancement; and champion the importance of diversity within the profession. Alfred is also a Consulting Partner with RSM specializing in the assessment of technology risks. He nationally leads RSM’s IT audit methodology, and supports the firm’s response to the PCAOB’s inspection of RSM’s quality control system.

Senior Vice President, Marketing, Synchrony

Angela Koch is Senior Vice President of Marketing at Synchrony, one of the nation’s premier consumer financial services companies. In her current role, she is the marketing leader for Sam’s Club credit card portfolio, where she leads the team through end-to-end marketing for the credit program.

Prior to Synchrony, Angela held a number of client marketing roles within General Electric, and also has had experience at KPMG and JP Morgan.

Angela earned her MBA degree from Emory's Goizueta Business School and BBA degree from University of Michigan. Angela is married with two children.

CEO, Kwik Learning

President, James Lam & Associates, Inc.

James Lam is the President of James Lam & Associates, a risk management consulting firm. James is a board director, serving as Chair of the Board of Recology and Chair of the Audit Committee of RiskLens. Previously, James served as Chair of the Risk Committee of E*TRADE, President of ERisk, Partner of Oliver Wyman, and Chief Risk Officer of Fidelity Investments. James has been recognized in the NACD Directorship 100, Directors & Boards “Directors to Watch,” Treasury & Risk “100 Most Influential People in Finance,” and GARP “Risk Manager of the Year.” He is an author of multiple ERM books.

Director/Producer, Far East Deep South

Larissa Lam is a former Chief Financial Officer turned filmmaker, music artist and TV/radio host from Diamond Bar, CA. She is the co-founder of Giant Flashlight Media, a multi-media company shining a light on important stories, and she directed the award-winning film, Far East Deep South. Lam has composed music for film and TV projects like The Oprah Winfrey Show and for nine years, she hosted a weekly talk show. Additionally, she has presented at TEDx, Leadercast and has been a contributing author to the Los Angeles Times and the Asian American anthology series, “A Melting Pot of Thoughts.”

Vice President, Robert Half

Ai Ling Lee has 11 years of recruiting experience within finance, accounting and Financial Services across various international cities including San Francisco, Boston, and Shanghai, China. In her current role as Vice President, Ai Ling supports Robert Half’s Finance & Accounting Permanent Placement practice group for North America, implementing operational best practices, coaching, development and technology adoption with the goal of increasing revenue and retaining talent. Prior to Robert Half, she worked for ANZ, an Australian multinational bank in credit risk analysis and relationship management for medium to large businesses.

Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Uber

Bo leads Uber’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts in the company, with our stakeholders, and in the communities where we operate. Bo partners with senior leadership including its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, to build a work culture where radically diverse and inclusive teams drive innovation, accelerate growth, and increase connection to customers and earners. This begins with building a work culture and systems where all employees have the opportunity to excel and grow to their highest potential.

Vice President, Corporate Development, Verizon Communications

Tom Lee serves as Vice President of Corporate Development for Verizon Communications and has 20+ years of experience evaluating and structuring mergers, acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and new business development. Prior to his current role, Tom led corporate development for Verizon Media (Yahoo) and began his career in investment banking working in the M&A groups at Citigroup and Bank of America. Over his career, Tom has executed 60+ transactions, ranging from ~$1 million acquihires to ~$50 billion cross-border leveraged buyouts (LBO). Tom holds a BSc with distinction and honors from Santa Clara University.

Senior Manager, People Advisory Services | EY

For more than 20 years, Monica Lin-Meyer has partnered with individuals, teams, and organizations to help them thrive. She specializes in executive coaching, leadership development, and diversity, equity and inclusion consulting. Monica partners with numerous non-profit organizations to advance social justice and elevate professional development for under-represented groups. She regularly facilitates workshops on anti-racism, bystander intervention and allyship. Monica holds a master’s degree in organizational development from Saybrook University and undergraduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a graduate of the Hudson Institute of Coaching certification program.

Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist, Linde

Priscilla is a Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist with Linde, a leading global industrial gases and engineering company with 2020 sales of $27 billion. She is a first generation American, with Cuban heritage.

Priscilla received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business in 2010 from New Jersey’s Stockton University. Prior to her graduation she began her career in recruiting and vendor management with UBS Financial Services in 2006. In her 15-year career she has found and hired thousands of qualified people for a multitude of small and large corporations in a variety of industries and has a great passion for developing people.

Chief Operating Officer, California Asian-Pacific Chamber of Commerce

Frank serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the California Asian-Pacific Chamber of Commerce. Frank led a successful 22-year career in leadership positions for Xerox Corporation and spent ten years in sales and business development leadership positions in the technology start-up space.

Frank advocates for the AAPI and minority small business community and serves on the Small Business Advisory Councils for the California Department of General Services, UC Office of the President, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and SacPAC. Frank also focuses on workforce development as a Board member with the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency.

Chief Operating Officer, Ascend Leadership

Larry is the Chief Operating Officer of Ascend and is responsible for the execution of Ascend's strategy. Prior to joining Ascend, Larry was the Chief Legal Officer of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, a global law firm, where he was responsible for risk management, governance, ligation and corporate matters. Before serving as the Chief Legal Officer, he was a corporate lawyer representing public and private companies, and investors in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings and other transactions.

News Anchor/Journalist, MSNBC/NBC News

Author Richard Lui is a veteran and award-winning journalist with more than 30 years in television, film, technology, and business. Currently at MSNBC and previously with CNN Worldwide, he is the first Asian American man to anchor a daily national cable news program, and a team Emmy and Peabody winner. He just completed an Oscars Qualifying documentary on student caregivers in military families that hit national broadcast and mainstream streaming in late spring 2021. In addition, Richard’s 15-year business career involves a fintech patent and launching six tech brands. Richard has lived, worked, and volunteered on every continent.

Market Executive, Global Commercial Banking

Associate R&D Director, Dow

Kalyani Martinelango is the Associate R&D Director in Core R&D Engineering & Process Sciences organization at Dow. She joined Dow in 2008 and over the past 13 years has held several technical and leadership roles of increasing responsibilities in R&D and Manufacturing functions. She is active in many professional organizations internal and external to Dow. Kalyani also serves as the Global Chair for Dow’s Asian Employee Resource Group (Asian Diversity Network), where she provides leadership and defines strategy for the network. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Texas Tech University.

Audit Partner, Asset Management | Grant Thornton

Senior Director, Global Campus Recruitment, PepsiCo

Michele Militante is the Senior Director of Global Campus Recruitment at PepsiCo. Michele joined PepsiCo a year ago where she’s been focused on building a best-in-class campus recruitment program focused on the future talent of PepsiCo. Prior to this, she spent over 20 years working at PwC Consulting and IBM building their IT and Consulting organizations. Outside of work, Michele enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys (5 and 7), who love vacationing, eating great food and being at the pool as much as possible.

SVP Consumer and Small Business Banking, Bank of America

Carol Lee Mitchell recently joined Bank of America and is the Head of Small Business Strategy. She is responsible for leading strategic efforts designed to grow the enterprise business at large and is responsible for: strategic planning, client experience, process design, analytics and technology. Bank of America is the #1 Small Business Lender in the country, #1 Digital Platform, #1 Practice Lender and Largest driver of the most recent PPP (Payment Protection Program) efforts. The Bank of America Small Business portfolio represents approximately 40% of women business owners and is committed to driving equitable access to Education, Research/Mentorship and access to Capital. Ms. Mitchell most recently led the Small Business social bond investment effort - a part of the banks $1.5B investment - to drive social justice to the Black African American community of doctors and dentist in our top low to moderate income markets.

President & Co-Founder, Ascend
Co-Founder, Ascend Pinnacle
Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP

Anna Mok is the President & Co-Founder of Ascend, North America’s membership network of Pan-Asian business professionals and the co-founder of Ascend Pinnacle, North America’s network of Pan-Asian corporate directors. She has demonstrated commitments to the development and advancement of emerging leaders, women and minorities into senior executive and corporate board director roles.

Her impact extends beyond the AAPI community with other boards she currently serves on including the boards and advisory boards of the Commonwealth Club of California, the United Way Bay Area and the Asian Pacific Fund. In addition, she is the Co-chair of the Women CEOs in America Initiative, a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum and a past board and executive committee member of the Committee of 100 and APIA Scholars.

An immensely curious and creative individual, Anna spends her spare time building public art, pursuing her love of cooking and entertaining, renovating her Victorian home and exploring nature with her family and friends.

CRO, Citi

Debbie Ng is the CRO for Citi’s U.S. Broker Dealer. She was previously Co-Head of Citi’s Convergence Risk group and a Senior Credit Officer in Structured Products Risk covering Securitizations and its derivative portfolio, Infrastructure Energy Finance and Asset Based Lending and prior to that, worked in the business covering Structured Finance including Global Securitized Products. She is a member of Citi’s Asian Affinity Network. Debbie was born in Hong Kong and raised in Queens, NY and is married with two children. In her spare time, she enjoys active outdoor vacations, pottery, spending time with her dog and playing tennis.

Chief Audit Executive | Electronic Arts (EA)

Sayuri has been EA’s Chief Audit Executive since 2012, prior to it, she held several positions within EA finance, including Head of Global EA Royalty Accounting, Director of Finance and Ops, FP&A, Management reporting, Close and Consolidation, and International Accounting. During her 27 years tenure at EA, she had the opportunity to work in different EA offices in Japan, Brazil, and the US. Prior to joining EA, Sayuri worked at KPMG in São Paulo and Tokyo offices. Sayuri is passionate about Inclusion and Diversity and participates on multiple ERGs at EA.

Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, MetLife

Dr. Cindy Pace is Vice President, Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at MetLife. In this role, Dr. Pace leads the global DEI strategy for an enterprise-wide employee base of ~47,000 in more than 40 countries. Aligned to the company’s business imperative, Dr. Pace drives and promotes DEI as critical success factors to fuel innovation, cross-cultural collaboration and business success.

Dr. Pace is also a leadership scholar practitioner who frequently provides thought leadership at global conferences and academic institutions where she presents on global diversity, inclusive leadership, purpose and women’s leadership.

Vice Chairman / US Clients, Industries & Insights Leader / Deloitte US

Seema Pajula is a vice chairman, US industries, and the US clients, industries and insights leader for Deloitte LLP. Seema has over 20 years of experience working with publicly and privately held clients in the retail, manufacturing, technology, and services industries, and has served several of Deloitte’s largest and most complex global clients. She is recognized as a subject matter specialist in a number of areas, including initial public offerings and has led teams in providing due diligence, tax, information technology, internal control, and other specialized services. She is also on the board of directors of National Association of Manufacturers.

Development Director, EA Sports

Brian (he/him) was born in Hong Kong, immigrated to Vancouver, B.C., Canada at the age of 16. Brian began working at EA in 2004, and currently serves as Product Development Director in EA SPORTS.

Over his EA career, Brian contributed to delivery of ~40 AAA titles, digital strategic initiatives, central technology, multi-franchise XD, and marketing ops. He also serves as the Global Board Chair for ASPIRE, EA's Asians & Pacific Islander ERG, and is dedicated to advocating for underrepresented talent, and advancing marginalized communities.

Brian also volunteers for non-profits: Canada SCORES, Asian Leaders Alliance, Stand with Asian Americans, and Ascend.

Senior Manager, Diversity and Inclusion, Toyota North America

Tatsumi Paredes is Senior Manager, Diversity and Inclusion at Toyota North America. She is responsible for providing executive level consultation to leaders, partnering with them to develop strategies to advance diversity and inclusion across the organization. She is also an expert in diversity and inclusion identifying and implementing best practices. Paredes has almost 25 years of automotive industry experience.

She currently serves as an Executive Advisor to Toyota Asian American Society in Alliance (TAASiA), Toyota’s Asian Pacific Islander employee resource group.

Paredes earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Communications from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Americas Innovation Officer, EY

Roger Park is EY’s Americas Innovation Leader. Roger leads the EY Americas Innovation practice, driving the development of new strategies, services and alternatives. He is focused on activating innovation, embracing digital and emerging technologies as well as industrializing new solutions and business models. Throughout his career, Roger has built several new service areas for EY, including strategic technology, strategy and growth, business process management, digital and emerging technologies and launched the EY wavespace™ Innovation Center in Union Square, New York City and the inaugural EY solution delivery center in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Bachelor of Science, Marketing and Information Systems

KPMG Tax Partner, Houston TX

Nita is a Partner in KPMG’s Houston office. Nita has over 20 years of experience providing personal tax services to high-net worth individual’s as well globally mobile employees of multi-national companies. She spent the first 5 years working with U.S. domestic high-net worth individuals and the last 15 years advising multi-national companies in the area of compliance from an employer and employee perspective. Serving as the engagement leader on several major clients in the Houston office, Nita has gained extensive experience in tax compliance, employer reporting and withholding issues as well as policy design and implementation.

Audit Office Managing Partner, DBO Detroit

Kevin has 13 years of public accounting experience serving publicly traded and privately held manufacturing, distribution and insurance clients. Kevin has worked extensively with both private equity owned and publicly traded automotive manufacturers and automotive suppliers including from both an acquisition and divestiture perspective.

Specifically, Kevin worked on a $1 billion publicly traded school bus manufacturer headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia and a $1 billion private equity owned global automotive supplier headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Kevin has taken an active role in helping clients to prepare for and implement streamlined approaches to implementing the new GAAP revenue recognition guidance.

Former CFO US, Teladoc Health

Stephanie Peng has over 25 years of experience as a finance executive, leading large and complex IPO and M&A transactions in technology and healthcare. Most recently, Stephanie served as CFO US at Teladoc/Livongo Health. Her leadership was integral in the execution of Livongo's IPO in 2019, and its $18.5B merger with Teladoc in 2020 - the highest valuation of any healthcare technology company. Prior to Teladoc/Livongo, she served as CFO at Vida Health, CAO/Treasurer at Upwork, and Managing Director at KPMG. Stephanie is on the advisory board at Umoja Biopharma, Yewno, MedTruly. She holds a BA degree from UCLA.

Tax Partner, Crowe

Damaris Perez is a Tax Partner within Crowe LLP’s Global Private Client Services group, which serves high net worth families, including trust, gift, and estate planning, and their closely held businesses. She has over 20 years of experience in public accounting and on the personal front is a mother of three young boys, including an eleven-year-old and a set of eight-year-old identical twins.

Tax Partner, BDO

Meredith Pilaro has over 20 years of experience providing tax planning, consulting, and compliance services for corporations and partnerships. As part of BDO’s Center for Excellence in Government Contracting, she leads the Greater Washington D.C. office’s Government Contracting tax team, focusing on technical developments and communications on industry-specific issues. She is a National Co-Chair of Flexibility and a regular contributor to the Greater Washington Office’s Let’s Talk Tax Series and Government Contracting newsletter.

Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer | Deloitte

Kavitha is a principal and serves as the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer for Deloitte US. She also co-leads the Black Action Council for Deloitte, focused on architecting Deloitte’s long-term strategy to advance our Black colleagues and communities by developing a culture of anti-racism for our people, firm, and our communities. She was a member of the Deloitte’s Nominating Committee, Board Council and leads the Executive Women in technology initiative for Deloitte’s CIO Program. Kavitha has also led various Women’s Initiative (WIN) programs for financial services including 100 Wise Women and Women on Wall Street.

Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, NBCUniversal

Craig Robinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, NBCUniversal. Since 2011, Craig has worked to build an NBCUniversal culture that embraces and values diversity in its workforce, content and perspectives. Alongside Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, he is leading Comcast’s $100 million commitment to fight injustice and inequality, and accelerate the company’s efforts in all areas of diversity, equity and inclusion. Craig also oversees NBCUniversal’s ten Employee Resource Groups with over 100 global chapters, co-chairs the industry-leading Comcast NBCUniversal Joint Diversity Advisory Council and serves as the main liaison between NBCUniversal and key local and national advocacy organizations.

Board Member, Dolby Laboratories/ Xometry Inc.

Emily recently retired as a Deloitte audit and assurance partner. Having helped guide hundreds of clients through complex and challenging corporate governance, audit, and reporting processes, she serves as Audit Committee Chairman of Xometry, Inc. (NASDAQ: XMTR), Audit Committee member of Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) and two other private companies. Emily is passionate about giving back to the community and volunteers as Treasurer for the Austin Healthcare Council and the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce as well as co-founder of Ascend's Austin and Seattle chapters.

CEO & Founder, ICAway

Kwan is an experienced human-capital consultant and a career coach for International Students. Originally from Thailand, Kwan moved to the U.S. and joined one of the world's top consulting firms in Chicago. With 15+ years of experience, she helped Fortune 500 companies develop Talent Strategies that impacted employees from 16,000 to 200,000 worldwide.

As the Founder of ICAway, her mission is to empower International Students for employability & serve International Educators as a trusted advisor. Kwan holds an Executive MBA through a Sasin/Kellogg School of Management Global Partnership and certification of Senior Professional in HR by HRCI.

PwC Principal

Gurpreet has 25+ years of consulting experience working with the largest pharmaceutical, health insurance and health system clients. As a Consulting Solutions principal, he's responsible for delivering strategies that enhance growth, improve financial performance and leverage emerging technologies to gain competitive advantage. He frequently speaks on healthcare economic trends, digital health and partnerships topics. Prior to PwC, Gurpreet was the Managing Partner for the Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences practice for Diamond Management and Technology Consultants. He serves on the board of trustees for the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum of Chicago, the Latin School of Chicago and Aspire of Illinois.

Chief Audit Director, Wells Fargo

Reema Singh is a Chief Audit Director in Wells Fargo Audit and is responsible for Audit governance, reporting and quality assurance.

Reema brings more than 20 years of experience in the areas of internal audit, risk management, and compliance, with a focus on financial services organizations. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, she served as the Chief Audit Executive at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati.

Reema holds a Master’s in Business Administration. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and serves on the Audit Committee for a Cincinnati based Not for Profit focused on real estate.

Senior Vice President, Research & Development, Bristol Myers Squibb

Anne-Marie Sotire is the Senior Vice President for Research & Development (R&D) at Bristol Myers Squibb whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.

Anne-Marie is responsible for driving growth and innovation through people strategy solutions for 7000 global colleagues. She is accountable for talent management, diversity and inclusion efforts, culture transformation and organizational effectiveness to drive even greater business results within R&D and across the enterprise. Anne-Marie is recognized for her ability to proactively anticipate and solve business problems and performance challenges with agility and a collaborative spirit.

Senior Manager, National Diversity Relations, MGM Resorts International

Autumn Spicer serves as the Senior Manager of National Diversity Relations in the department of Social Impact and Sustainability for MGM Resorts International, one of the world's leading global hospitality Companies. She is responsible for enhancing the Company relationships with strategic Diversity and Inclusion partners at the local, state, and national levels; collaborating with other company departments to facilitate external organization resources to fulfill Corporate Diversity goals; and leveraging national relationships to support Company business development.

Head of HR Communications, Wells Fargo

Cynthia Sugiyama is SVP, head of HR communications at Wells Fargo. She leads a team responsible for the development and delivery of HR communications to the company's more than 260,000 employees globally. Cynthia has worked in public relations, issues management, community relations, executive communications, and employee communications. She has held senior communications roles at some of the world’s most respected and recognizable companies - from global Fortune 500 retailers, such as Walmart and Gap, to industry-leading health care systems, like Kaiser Permanente. A San Francisco Bay Area resident, Cynthia serves on the Advisory Council of the Asian Pacific Fund.

Senior Manager, Leadership Development, PwC Canada

Karen Ta is the Senior Manager of Leadership Development at PwC Canada and the founder and co-chair of the Association of East and South East Asians (AESEA, pronounced "Asia"), an employee resource group at PwC Canada. She is also a member of Ascend's Toronto Chapter. Before Karen's career into the leadership development space, Karen obtained a Chartered Professional Accountant certification and had a former life as a tax accountant in Canada and Australia. After pivoting many different careers, Karen found her passion in learning and development - specifically, developing future leaders in Canada and globally.

Financial Advisor, Edward Jones

David Tam, AAMS, is an Edward Jones financial advisor in San Diego. Originally from San Francisco, he helped his parents run their gift shop in Chinatown, building his financial foundation at the cash register. David started his career in banking and joined Edward Jones in 2003 as a financial advisor helping clients make sound financial decisions.

David serves as commissioner for the San Diego Funds Commission. He is a past vice president for the Mira Mesa Town Council and board member of the Asian Business Association. David earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego.

Chief Creative Officer, Digitas

Michelle serves as the Chief Marketing Officer at Digitas overseeing New Business, Prospecting, Marketing and Communications. Since joining Digitas in January 2020 as EVP, Head of New Business and Marketing, Michelle has revamped the agency’s approach to business development, building a culture of growth across the agency. Prior to Digitas, she’s held growth roles at FCB, Omnicom, and Wunderman. Michelle holds an MBA and a B.S. from New York University’s Stern School of Business and resides in NYC with her husband and three young children.

Global Head of Social Marketing, Facebook

I’m a marketing executive, angel investor, and active advocate for the Asian American community.

Currently at Facebook, and I’ve held previous brand and digital marketing leadership roles at Stitch Fix, Gap Inc, Airbnb, Snapchat, and Nike and my work has been awarded by Cannes Lions, Webbys, Clios, amongst others for combining purpose, creativity, and business results.

As an Investor at Hyphen Capital and an independent advisor I have been very grateful to help build disruptive brands like Yumi, Wardrobe, Upaway, Fyllo, amongst many others.

Managing Director, Protiviti

Steve has over 20 years of extensive internal audit experience working in the manufacturing, hospitality & gaming, telecommunications, retail, and banking industries. Prior to joining Protiviti, Steve has worked with two public accounting firms: Deloitte & Touche and Arthur Andersen. Steve obtained his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois and had also worked three years in the retail industry.

KPMG Tax Partner, San Francisco

Vivian Wang is a Tax Partner in KPMG’s Business Tax Services practice based in San Francisco. As a member of KPMG’s Asset Management tax practice, she has 19+ years of experience serving KPMG’s public and private clients with their tax compliance, tax planning, and structuring needs.

Vivian has been responsible for a broad range of U.S.-based and foreign-owned clients doing business as single entities or in joint ventures and has experience with a wide range of complex tax matters. Vivian specializes in pass-through taxation and has extensive experience with the formation, operation and liquidation of these companies.

Co-Founder, Ten Thousand Coffees

Dave Wilkin is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and globally recognized thought leader on how technology is changing the future of work. Dave is a guest columnist on careers for the Globe and Mail and has been covered in FastCo, Forbes, American Banker and is an award-winning public speaker. Dave co-founded TenThousandCoffees.com (10kCoffees) - the world's leading informal development platform, innovating all learning outside of the classroom including mentoring, networking and more. Their technology is relied upon by RBC, J&J, McKesson, Nike, IBM, AIG as well as social impact networks like Ascend, ALPFA, Out Leadership and over 100 colleges and universities to help youth and underrepresented communities prepare for the future of work. He is a University of Waterloo Faculty of Science Young Alumni of the Year, Top 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur, and active advisory member to many entrepreneurships and LGBT+ organizations.

Independent Board Director and Audit Committee Chairman, Lucid Group Inc. and Enviva Partners

Janet S. Wong, CPA, is an independent Board Director and Audit Committee Chairman of Lucid Group, Inc., an electric vehicle manufacturer and energy storage company (Nasdaq: LCID) and Enviva Partners, a global energy company (NYSE: EVA). She is also an independent Board Director of Lumentum (Nasdaq: LITE), a leading technology company and Allegiance Bancshares (Nasdaq: ABTX). She is a partner (retired) with KPMG.

She volunteers as an Executive Advisor to Ascend and served as the leader of Ascend Pinnacle, the largest network of experienced and aspiring corporate board directors.

Her recognitions include Directors and Boards magazine “Directors to Watch”, theBoardlist’s inaugural list of 25 Amazing Women of Color for Your Board, Louisiana Tech College of Business Alumni of the Year, and Houston Business Journal Women Who Mean Business.

Vice President of Finance, BTM Global Consulting, LLC

Judy is an experienced finance executive with over 20 years management responsibilities in accounting and finance field. She is currently the Vice President of Finance for BTM Global Consulting and is responsible for overseeing all financial operations, along with supporting its growth initiatives. Judy is a board member and the chair of DEI committee for Financial Executives International (FEI) Twin Cities. She also volunteers as an audit committee member for Girl Scouts River Valley. Judy is an active CPA in the state of Minnesota, and she earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Boston City Councilor, City of Boston

Michelle has served as a Boston City Councilor At-Large for the last eight years and was the first Asian American woman to be elected to the Council. She has built coalitions to deliver change, from a Paid Parental Leave ordinance lauded by President Obama, to guaranteeing access to services for all Bostonians in their own language, to spearheading the single biggest step to ramp up renewable energy in the City of Boston’s history. Michelle's career as a community advocate is fueled by her experience as a mom, a daughter of immigrants, and a caregiver.

VP of Global Consumer Brand and Product Marketing, Facebook App, Facebook

Samantha is responsible for leading the Facebook App consumer marketing team. She is focused on brand building, product marketing across the consumer lifecycle.

Prior to Facebook, Samantha worked at Visa and American Express across various marketing leadership roles. She is the winner of advertising awards from Clio Sports, Shortys and a Canne Bronze Lion.

She has a BA in Economics/Asian Studies from Tufts University, a MIA from Columbia University in International Affairs/Finance and a Degree from the California Culinary Academy.

Samantha brings 20 years of experience across consumer brand and product marketing in tech, financial services, and consumer goods.

Chief of Staff, Strategic Insurance Businesses, New York Life

Jacqueline Wulwick is the Chief of Staff for the Head of New York Life’s Strategic Insurance Businesses. She is currently a member of the Integration Management Office and helping to lead the Group Benefit Solutions integration effort. Prior to joining New York Life in 2019, Jacqueline was part of the M&A and Financial Services Advisory practices at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She also has held global marketing and brand development roles at Coty Inc. and the Estée Lauder Companies. Jacqueline has an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina and a BA from the University of Michigan.

Global Lead, Pan Asian Network People and Business Resource Group, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)

Managing Director, Citi Private Bank

Denise Yi is a Managing Director and Global Private Banker at Citi Private Bank. She leverages Citi’s global presence and platform to focus on providing strategic advice and tailored solutions to ultra-high net worth families, family offices, foundations and endowments on how to preserve, grow and transition their wealth. Denise and her team are committed to building client relationships through thoughtful planning and execution.

Life Transformation & Mental Fitness Coach,
Amy Yip Coaching

Amy's a Life Transformation and Mental Fitness coach who works with AAPI women to let go of the ‘shoulds’, the guilt, and the external pressures so they can be the author of their own life story (because if you don’t tell your story, someone else will). She has 16+ years of building, leading, and coaching global teams in organizations like Google, Clorox, and Booz Allen. Amy’s an ICF Professional Certified Coach, Certified Hudson Institute Coach, and a pioneer Mental Fitness Coach. She holds an MBA from Anderson UCLA, and a BS in Computer Science and BA in Communications from UMD.

Supervisor, Recruitment, Development, & Retention, Mercedes-Benz USA

David is a Supervisor at Mercedes-Benz USA, responsible for helping Mercedes-Benz dealers across the US overcome technical workforce shortages. He is a Industrial/Organizational Psychology practitioner and leader with 10 years of experience across operations management, HR technology, and talent management.

In addition to his full-time role at Mercedes-Benz USA, David serves as a board member for the Atlanta-based Automotive Training Center, volunteers to help those previously incarcerated become entrepreneurs, and manages his own start up called UNITYio - which offers talent management consulting services to community-oriented non-profits, government entities, and law enforcement agencies.

Writer

Soon Yu is an international speaker, award winning author on innovation and design and Forbes contributor who has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine and New York Times.

His book, Iconic Advantage®, challenges businesses, from Fortune 500 to venture-backed startups, to refocus their innovation priorities on building greater iconicity, and offers deeper insights on establishing timeless distinction and relevance.

Founder, Fancypants Popcorn | YINZ Coffee

Creative Producer UI/UX | Product Management | Marketing Strategy, American Express

Jennifer Zhang is a Creative Producer at American Express, working on UI/UX, Product Management, and Marketing Strategy. Prior to American Express she worked in Marketing and Communications for New York University, House of Flores, and Ascend Leadership. She also worked in the TV/media industry, for companies like Spike and MTV. She is based in New York City and holds a MS in Digital Marketing from NYU as well as a Bachelor's from Trinity College-Hartford.