Announcing the 2021-2022 LEAP Impact: An American Express Leadership Academy Cohort!
LEAPImpact: An American Express Leadership Academy is a three-part, six-month leadership development program curated for nonprofit Asian and Pacific Islander mid to senior level staff to grow as authentic leaders and increase non-profit staff retention. The program provides 20 participants each year with an opportunity to receive 3 leadership development trainings and 8 one-on-one executive coaching sessions, fully-funded flights and lodging in NYC for an in-person session, and the opportunity to join LEAP’s alumni network of 125,000+ professionals.
We had an overwhelmingly large amount of applicants this year. It was a hard decision making process, but we could not be more impressed with these 20 amazing change makers.
LEAPImpact: An American Express Leadership Academy
Class of 2021-2022:
Beverly Quintana, Director of Strategy and Impact, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Emilie Dang, Director of Community Impact and Programs, Innovative Housing Opportunities, Inc.
Emily Chi, Director of Telecom, Tech, and Media, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC
Jennifer Marshall, Senior Advisor, Heyrick Research
Jocelyn Yow, Legislative Advocacy Director of IGNITE National, Mayor of the City of Eastvale
John X. Nguyen, Communications Manager, Community Action Partnership of Orange County
Joshua Lau, Chief Operating Officer, Youth Mentoring Connection
Joy Moh, Head of Communications, Team Rubicon
Kristine Alarcon, Associate Manager, Communications and Engagement, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Lailanie Gadia, Manager, Asian American Documentary Network
Lara Fu, Director of Development and Communications, DC Prep
Mandy Diec, Director of California, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Mariam Cash, Leadership Coach, Teach for America
Maryam Zahid, Manager, Communications and Operations, Teach for America Twin Cities
Princess Mae Visconde, Community Engagement Manager, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Raymond Partolan, National Field Director, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
Rosey Ok, Program Director, The Alliance of RI Southeast Asians for Education (ARISE)
Sarah Guertin, Director of Development, AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement)
Syeda Bano, Community Organizer, Asian American Advocacy Fund
Young Noh Jung, Senior Policy Advisor, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
Beverly Quintana
Beverly Quintana is the Director of Strategy and Impact at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations. She brings over 10 years of experience in development and strategic communications. An experienced storyteller and coalition builder, Beverly is passionate about uplifting stories of individuals who are often unheard and is committed to bringing resources to communities that have historically and unjustly been overlooked. Beverly received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. In her spare time, she enjoys catching up on reading and getting outdoors.
Emilie Dang
Emilie Dang serves as the Director of Community Impact and Programs at Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO). She oversees programs and services, community engagement, and fund development. Her team works in partnership with the real estate development team to ensure that IHO’s commitment to high-quality extends to serving our residents and stakeholders. Emilie has over a decade of experience working in the nonprofit and public health fields including managing health and wellness initiatives, youth development programs, fund development, and public policy efforts. With extensive experience leading programs, forging partnerships, and conducting research to improve lives, Emilie brings an innovative and holistic approach to affordable housing, economic mobilization, and community development. Emilie is a graduate of University of California San Diego. She currently serves on the Lanterman Housing Alliance’s Board and is a member of the Fieldstone Leadership Network in Orange County and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Emily Chi
Emily Chi is the Director of Telecommunications, Technology, and Media at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC, where she is responsible for developing and providing public policy research, strategies, analysis, and education on telecommunications, technology, and media diversity. Prior to joining Advancing Justice- AAJC, Emily worked as a researcher on various projects at the Harvard Kennedy School, including Product & Society at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and the Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
Emily started her career as a paralegal at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Antitrust Division. She went on to work with various Bay Area tech companies to build ethical and consumer privacy-centered products. She has also worked with local government agencies in Toulouse, France and Boston, MA to conduct user research and launch accessible and safe online tools for the community.
Emily received her B.A. in Legal Studies and Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley. She received her MPP at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she served as Co-Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus and contributed to the Asian American Policy Review. Her studies and research in graduate school centered around the social impact of developing technologies, especially in the context of racial equity and workers’ rights.
Jocelyn Yow
Jocelyn Yow is dedicated to a career in public service. She currently serves as the mayor for the city of Eastvale, in addition to her role as the legislative advocacy director at IGNITE National. Yow also served as a district representative and an immigration specialist for California State Senate and the United States House of Representatives, respectively, where she worked tirelessly to help seniors, families, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and children to access valuable government services as they navigated through various government agencies. Yow obtained her Master’s degree from Harvard Extension; her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley; and her Associate’s degree from Norco College.
John X. Nguyen
My career path began at Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC) in 2015 as a Communications Specialist. Since then, I transitioned to Communications Coordinator in 2017 and was recently promoted to Communications Manager in October of 2021. In my role, I oversee our External Communications, like our Social Media, Website, and Brand, and support CAP OC as a whole in Graphic and Marketing efforts. I graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 2014, where I majored in Communication Studies and minored in Event Planning Management and spent much of my time with my co-ed community service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. I currently live in Orange, CA with my husband, Alex, and dogs, Maya and Korra. When I am not playing Final Fantasy XIV or Overwatch, I am likely at the gym working out, learning KPOP choreography, or doing aerial acrobatics.
Joshua Lau
Joshua Lau is a social entrepreneur, executive leader, and investor committed to creating a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive world. By day, he is the Chief Operating Officer at Youth Mentoring Connection - a nonprofit transforming the lives of at-risk youth by caring for their wounds and shining a light on their gifts through mentorship. By night, he is a residential real estate investor in the City of Angels. Sparked by a friend's tragic passing in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, Joshua recently returned from an 18-month sabbatical backpacking the globe. He is heavily involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, where he is a mentor and older brother to 19-year-old Joey. Another passion of his is Acumen – a venture capital fund that invests in entrepreneurs who have the capability to bring sustainable solutions to big problems of poverty. Joshua is married to creative artist and powerhouse Cynthia Banh, Founder of Beauty by Bon Bon.
Joy Moh
Joy Moh is the Head of Communications at Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization. Moh currently oversees the public perceptions of the organization including corporate and consumer public relations and social media as well as all internal communications. Moh has secured press coverage in leading broadcast and print outlets including The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Good Morning America, the Today Show and CBS This Morning to name a few.
Prior to moving into the “for-impact” space, Joy enjoyed a career in entertainment publicity, leading studio PR campaigns across Sony Pictures’ largest film franchises Jumanji, Angry Birds, and Spiderman as well as digital, film, and television properties on the agency side. Moh was named a “40 under 40” by Media Play News and led Team Rubicon to be named as The Drum’s Social Impact “2020 Team of the Year.”
In her free time, Moh consults for respected AAPI activists and influencers on partnerships and communication strategies. She holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BA in Political Science and Mass Communications from UC Berkeley. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.
Lailanie Gadia
Based in Los Angeles, CA, Lailanie Gadia is a Filipina-American from Guam. She is Manager of the Asian American Documentary Network, where she helped produce A-Doc’s Storytelling Initiative - 2020’s #AsianAmCovidStories and 2021’s #AsianAmResilience. She assists with fiscal sponsorships at Visual Communications, home to the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival, where she has also managed talent coordination, social media, sponsorships, and marketing for the festival over the years. She is an associate producer on a documentary feature and has produced several short narrative films, including Dive Bar, which is airing onboard Alaska Airlines flights. She is concurrently an independent financial professional who values financial wellbeing. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a B.A. in Economics with minors in Business and Asian Studies. She enjoys food adventures and loves conversations over coffee.
You can find Lailanie on Instagram at @itslailanie or meetlailanie.me.
Lara Fu
Lara Fu serves as the Director of Development & Communications at DC Prep. She was previously DC Prep’s Associate Director of Special Projects. Prior to joining DC Prep, Lara managed NYU’s Public Health Ambassadors program, worked in programs and communication at Friends of the National Arboretum, and supported special projects and initiatives in the Dean’s Office at NYU Stern School of Business. Lara began her career at the Legal Services Corporation, the nation’s largest public funder of civil legal aid, where she staffed the Disaster Task Force and managed the Rural Summer Legal Corps. She earned a master of public administration from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service and a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland. Lara serves as the Chair of the Alumni Board for the University of Maryland’s Gemstone Program, a four-year interdisciplinary research program in the Honors College.
Mandy Diec
Mandy Diec is the Director of California at the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC). She leads and oversees SEARAC’s policy advocacy and programs at the state level, which focus on amplifying the voices of the largest Southeast Asian American (SEAA) population in the US, building engagement and capacity of stakeholders, and producing key legislation to promote social justice and equity among SEAA communities. Mandy has a decade of experience working with refugee, immigrant, and underserved communities, including developing health and education programs in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa, and advocating for equitable health care policies in California. Mandy was raised in Los Angeles, California, after resettling in the US with her family as refugees from Vietnam.
Mariam Cash
Mariam lives in Logan Square with her adventurous year old daughter, Inaya. She values building connections and geeks out over being outdoors, technology, physical and mental health, community involvement, and music She also recently transitioned into her role as the Director of Data and Learning at Teach for America where she will work to advance the data infrastructure and teamwide learning capabilities to support her team in making equity and data driven decisions
Maryam Zahid (she/her)
Pronounced: Marr-yum
Hi! I lead TFA Twin Cities’ regional external communications, including branding, social media, alum and donor emails and story-telling projects. I am also responsible for creating and tracking systems that support smooth office and external event operations. I was born and raised in Islamabad Pakistan and moved to the US to study Political Theory and Strategic Communications. I am deeply passionate about mentoring, teaching and building a student-centric culture in the education spaces I collaborate in. In my free time I enjoy hiking, comedy, spicy food, dog-sitting, painting and watching competitive cooking shows.
Princess Mae Visconde
Princess Mae Visconde is the Community Engagement Manager at Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF). Born and raised in Ewa Beach, Hawaiʻi, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Saint Mary’s College as well as her Master of Public Health degree specializing in Health Policy and Management and Certificate in Public Administration, Nonprofit Management from the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) at Mānoa. Princess Mae has extensive experience working for nonprofit and government organizations including the Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network (HCAN) as a Public Health Research Fellow, the Lili’uokalani Trust (LT) as a Community Change Initiatives intern, and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) as a disease investigator. Most recently, she was a project coordinator for the DOH-UH Contact Tracing Training Program and a Public Health Advisor contracted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Princess Mae hopes to continue her public health career serving and amplifying the voices of AA NH/PI communities, communities that raised and uplifted her growing up.
Raymond Partolan (he/him/his)
Raymond Partolan is the National Field Director at APIA Vote. For almost a decade, he has been an advocate for immigrant and refugee communities. Prior to coming to APIA Vote, he spent several years as the Program Associate at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta. There, his team led the charge to register over 11,000 new voters, directly engage with thousands of historically underrepresented Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and defeat anti-immigrant legislation at the Georgia State Capitol. Raymond is a coalition-builder and played a key role in the establishment of the Georgia Immigrant Alliance for Civic Empowerment. He has engaged with the media on hundreds of occasions to bring the challenges faced by communities of color into the public eye. Raymond was named one of the 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia in 2018 and 2019. An avid musician, he won three Grammy Awards in 2019 for his work on the highly-acclaimed jazz album, American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom. Raymond graduated summa cum laude from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. He is trilingual in English, Spanish, and Tagalog.
Rosey Ok
Rosey Ok is a daughter of Southeast Asian refugees who was born and raised in South Providence, RI where she developed her passion to uplift and empower youth for educational and career success. Her personal experiences overcoming adversities throughout her childhood into adulthood helped who she is and becoming. Rosey is a firm believer in healing communities by bringing forth a sustainable and productive impact using holistic approaches by recognizing the power of self-love to spread love, in which the work begins with and within yourself.
Sarah Guertin
From setting the strategic vision for AACI’s messaging and communications efforts, to overseeing grants and cultivating new relationships with individual and corporate partners, Sarah’s role is to advance AACI’s mission through fundraising and marketing. Prior to joining AACI in 2015, Sarah was part of a consulting firm where she maintained a diverse portfolio of nonprofit clients which encompassed community-based health, education, youth, veteran, advocacy, and human service organizations. She received her bachelors degree in Public Health from the University of California, Irvine.
Syeda Bano
Syeda Bano (she/they) was born in Pakistan and has lived in Georgia since she was three, spending much of her childhood at her mosque and with her family. As a ShiaMuslim she finds her roots of resillience and organizing in her religious practices, inspired by the perseverance of Fatima bint Muhammad and Zainab bint Ali. Syeda studied Politics and Sociology in 2020 at Oglethorpe University. Syeda's lived experiences fuel her commitment to fighting for justice, equity, and liberation.
Young Noh Jung
Young is the Senior Policy Advisor at the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) where he primarily supports the advancement of the coalition’s housing and economic justice, civil rights, and education policy priorities. Currently, he drives NCAPA’s federal language access strategy for AA and NHPI communities, and coordinates the Asian American Disinformation Table under the Disinfo Defense League (DDL), which is being established to combat racialized disinformation against Asian American communities. Young is a first-generation Korean American immigrant from Los Angeles, CA. He is a proud community college transfer student from Santa Monica College, and a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science and Asian Studies double major. He is passionate about creating equitable cities, reorienting our understanding of human history, and chasing after new coffee flavors.
