The 2020 LEAP Leadership Awards Celebration!

Individual Award

Akira Hirose
Chef-Owner
Azay

Born and raised in Kyoto, Japan, Akira Hirose trained in the French countryside of Azay-le-Rideau and Paris, having worked at Maxim’s de Paris and the hotel Nikko under Joël Robuchon. After being recruited to work at the esteemed L’Orangerie in Los Angeles, he and his wife opened a French restaurant in Kyoto, Japan then Pasadena, California, which closed in March 2019 after celebrating 20 years as Maison Akira.

Azay is the homecoming of Chef Akira as he explores the intersection of history, cuisine, and community in Little Tokyo.

Community Award

Asian Arts Initiative
Philadelphia, PA

Asian Arts Initiative is a multi-disciplinary and community-based arts center in Philadelphia that engages and advances racial equity and understanding, activating artists, youth, and their communities through creative practice and dialogue grounded in the diverse Asian American experience.

The organization grew out of a program started at the Painted Bride Art Center in 1993 in response to concerns about racial tension between African American and Asian American communities. Today, Asian Arts Initiative provides a wide array of programming to serve artists, youth, and our broader community of Asian/Americans.

Through exhibitions, performances, and community projects, we provide an inclusive gathering place for conversation and exchange of ideas. Our community-based arts initiatives seek out and cultivate innovative models for artists to engage with local communities, with a particular emphasis on working in partnership with our immediate neighborhood. Our primary programs include:

1) Artist residencies, commissions, and presentation of performances and exhibitions for underrepresented artists to develop professionally and to create socially relevant artwork reflecting community experiences;

2) Year-round out-of-school-time programming for middle school youth, offering creative development and a safe place;

3) Participatory initiatives that integrate culture and community development in our immediate neighborhood of Chinatown North/Callowhill.

Community Award

Flashcuts
Los Angeles, CA

Flash Cuts was established in 2006 by Walt Louie, a long time commercial and trailer editor, who wanted to give individualized support and care to his clients. He designed and masterminded a creative space that would foster community for independent filmmakers in Los Angeles.

As a long time board member of the National Asian American Television Association, now CAAM (Center for Asian American Media) based in San Francisco and Visual Communications (VC) in Los Angeles, the vision for Flash Cuts was to support filmmakers with resources and physical space to gather and work.

Eurie Chung, Flash Cuts’s first employee, grew the company to take on documentary projects and now provides a range of services to filmmakers, from equipment and edit system rentals, production through post-production.

David R. Barclay
Alumni Award

Tami Bui
Associate Vice President, Government and Community Relations
California State University, Fullerton
LEAP Emerge Alumnus

Tami Bui is currently the Associate Vice President of Government and Community Relations for California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). In her role, she manages the University’s relationships with policymakers, nonprofit organizations, corporations, academics, and civic leaders to identify mutually beneficial partnerships encourage advocacy, investment and support of the University.

Tami has community and public affairs experience in local, state and corporate sectors. Prior to CSUF, she was the head of Corporate Philanthropy for Southern California Edison (SCE). In her ten years at Edison, she served in various capacities in Local Public Affairs and Corporate Communications.

Prior to Edison, Tami worked in Sacramento for several members of the California State Legislature including Senator Tom Torlakson, Senate Pro Tempore Don Perata and now Congress Members Judy Chu and Lou Correa. During her time in Sacramento, she served as President of the Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA), which focused on the development of staff in roles in public service.

In all her roles, she is a bridge-builder, pathfinder and dot connector who is willing to always ask what is possible – and stay flexible within ever-changing, nebulous and nuanced Environments.

Her favorite role of all is mom of two and wife to her husband, which is the ultimate dynamic and every-changing environment and keeps her on her toes.

Margaret Ashida
Leadership Award

Tracey Doi
Chief Financial Officers and Group Vice President
Toyota North America

Tracey Doi serves as Chief Financial Officer and Group Vice President for TOYOTA Motor North America responsible for accounting, finance, tax, corporate strategy and planning..

Tracey is a change agent skilled in major transformation, strategic planning, business analytics, enterprise systems, risk management and corporate governance. She has a passion for building highly engaged teams to successfully grow Toyota in this disruptive auto mobility environment.

Doi chairs the North American Management Committee, which sets strategy, mid to longterm business plans, and drives opportunities to increase competitiveness in manufacturing, sales, digital technology and supply chain. She serves on the Audit, Benefit, and Divisional Executive committees.

Tracey is an experienced independent board director, currently chairing the Audit Committee for City National Bank, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada with over $50 billion in assets. She is also a member of the Risk committee. Previously Tracey served two terms on the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Economic Advisory Council.

Tracey is an active board member of 2020 Women on Boards, the National Asian American Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce, and the Japanese American National Museum. She enjoys supporting the Toyota Business Partnering Groups with their many team member development and community initiatives, as well as the Orchid Giving Circle, affiliated with the Texas Women’s Foundation. Tracey has been recognized three consecutive times by Automotive News as one of the Top 100 Women in the automotive industry and by D CEO as one of the Top 500 most influential business leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth.