About Us

TAAF is dedicated to building a safer, more inclusive future for AAPIs everywhere.

Founded in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and violence, TAAF is reversing the longstanding under-investment in our community and addressing the root causes of hate and discrimination.
Our Mission

To serve the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in their pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander, and violence.

Our Vision

An America where opportunities to participate in all aspects of society are equally accessible, and individuals and communities are not rendered invisible, nor singled out for false stereotypes, discrimination, or hate on the basis of race.

Our Values
Impact
We work strategically to achieve meaningful impact with the communities we serve.
Growth
We embrace a culture of learning and feedback that acknowledges mistakes and leverages them for positive change.
Integrity
We hold ourselves to our commitments, recognizing that true impact takes time.
Inclusivity
We collaborate with our community partners and across racial groups to ensure that diverse perspectives inform our work.
Gratitude
We recognize that we stand on the shoulders of our predecessors to lead with humility.
Our Founding Story

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have called the United States of America home for over two centuries. The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) is stepping up to protect our fundamental right to belong and prosper, free from cycles of discrimination and violence.

From the first recorded settlement of Filipinos in 1763 escaping imprisonment aboard Spanish Galleons in New Orleans, and throughout each succeeding wave of immigration from Asia and the Pacific since then, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have fought and endured in our struggle to be valued by American society.

Despite our AAPI communities' remarkable success and vital contributions across social, economic, and political realms, progress towards greater national acceptance and belonging continues to be threatened by unchecked cycles of xenophobia and race-based violence.

The time for change is now. The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) believes that a better America is not only possible but necessary.

Even as the fastest growing ethnic group in the country, AAPI communities are severely underfunded. We are consistently denied opportunities for professional advancement. Our most vulnerable are overlooked and violently assaulted daily.

We want to close the vast AAPI economic and influence gap. Our board has made the largest philanthropic commitment in history focused specifically on AAPI communities—and this is just the beginning.

We serve the 23 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who strive to build on the promise of America and create a future that we—and the next generation—deserve. Every single one of us is part of the American story—and The Asian American Foundation is here to stand up for us all.

“Have come, Am here.”
Jose Garcia Villa — Celebrated Pilipinx immigrant and poet.
We were founded to solve for systemic issues facing our communities.
3.5x
Population Growth
Asian Americans have the fastest growth rate of any major racial or ethnic group, 3.5x faster than the overall U.S. population. The U.S. Asian American population grew from nearly 12 million to over 20 million from 2000 to 2012, a 72% increase. AAPIs are the 3rd largest demographic in America.

Source: Pew Research
8.7x
Income Gap
Among all ethnic and racial groups in the U.S., Asians have the biggest income gap between the top 10% and the bottom 10%. AAPIs near the top of the income ladder had 8.7 times as much income as AAPIs near the bottom.

Source: Pew Research
1 in 4
Experience Hate Incidents
Despite having been in the U.S. for over 250 years, 1 in 4 Asian Americans have experienced a hate incident and 64% have been asked, "Where are you really from?"

Source: Axios
0.2%
Underfunded
Of all groups of color, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities receive less than 0.2% of foundation giving and less than 1% of corporate philanthropy.

Source: AAPIP
Board Members
Joseph Bae
Joseph Bae
Co-Chief Executive Officer, KKR
Board Co-Chair, The Asian American Foundation

Joseph Y. Bae is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts (KKR), a global investment firm with over $500 billion in assets under management.

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Peng Zhao
Peng Zhao
CEO, Citadel Securities
Board Co-Chair, The Asian American Foundation

Peng Zhao is Chief Executive Officer of Citadel Securities, a global financial services firm with offices across the United States, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

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Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine
Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine
President, Sunshine Care Foundation for Neurological Care and Research

Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine is President of the Sunshine Care Foundation for Neurological Care and Research, an international non-profit organization dedicated to finding innovative ways of delivering free clinical and neurological care to indigent patients in rural areas of Asia.

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Norman Chen
Norman Chen
Chief Executive Officer, The Asian American Foundation

Norman Chen is the Chief Executive Officer of TAAF. Norman brings a thirty-year career in entrepreneurship, healthcare, community leadership, and philanthropy spanning the United States and Asia. Norman is passionate about building organizations in both the nonprofit and private sectors that positively impact society.

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Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle
Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle
Practicing Physician and Co-Founder of Iora Health

Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle is a practicing physician focused on improving the quality of healthcare delivered to patients. He was the co-founder and CEO of Iora Health, an early innovator in Primary Care redesign that was acquired by One Medical in 2021.

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Li Lu
Li Lu
Founder & Chairman, Himalaya Capital

Li Lu is the founder and Chairman of Himalaya Capital, a multi-billion-dollar investment firm that primarily focuses on long-term investment opportunities in Asia and the U.S.

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Sheila Lirio Marcelo
Sheila Lirio Marcelo
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Ohai.ai

Sheila Lirio Marcelo is a Filipina American Founder, and former Chairwoman and CEO of Care.com. Marcelo founded her company in 2006, and under her leadership, Care.com became the world's largest marketplace for providing care.

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Shamina Singh
Shamina Singh
Founder & President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, & Executive Vice President, Sustainability at Mastercard

Shamina Singh is the founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the executive vice president of Sustainability at Mastercard, where she is charged with activating philanthropic dollars to advance inclusive growth and financial inclusion around the world. She has held senior positions in the White House and the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Joe Tsai
Joe Tsai
Governor, Brooklyn Nets & New York Liberty
Co-Founder & Chairman, Alibaba Group

Joe Tsai is Governor of the NBA Brooklyn Nets and WNBA New York Liberty. He co-founded Alibaba Group, a global Internet technology company headquartered in China, in 1999, and serves as the company’s chairman.

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Jerry Yang
Jerry Yang
Founder, AME Cloud Ventures
Co-Founder, Yahoo!

Jerry Yang co-founded Yahoo! in 1995 with fellow Stanford graduate student David Filo and served on its board and as a member of its executive team until 2012, including as CEO from 2007 to 2009.

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Advisory Council
Angela Chao
Angela Chao
In Memoriam
Co-Chair; Chair and CEO, Foremost Group
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Lisa Ling
Lisa Ling
Co-Chair; Executive Producer and Host, CNN’s This is Life with Lisa Ling
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X. Rick Niu
X. Rick Niu
Co-Chair; Founder & CEO, Nexus Worldwide LLC
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Farah Pandith
Farah Pandith
Co-Chair; Former Special Representative to Muslim Communities, U.S. State Department
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Mariko Silver
Mariko Silver
Co-Chair; President & CEO, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
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Eric Toda
Eric Toda
Co-Chair; Director of Business Social Marketing at Meta, Executive Director of Meta Prosper
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Cathy Cha
Cathy Cha
President & CEO of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
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Wah Chen
Wah Chen
Founding Partner, InSite Development & Roundhouse Affordable
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Ming Chen
Ming Chen
EF Education First, Chief Culture Officer
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Don Chen
Don Chen
President, Surdna Foundation
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Lanhee Chen
Lanhee Chen
Director of Domestic Policy Studies In the Public Policy Program and Hoover Institution Fellow, Stanford University
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Andrea Cherng
Andrea Cherng
Chief Brand Officer, Panda Express
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Lisa Hasegawa
Lisa Hasegawa
Regional Vice President, NeighborWorks America
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Kenneth Hersh
Kenneth Hersh
President and CEO, The George W. Bush Presidential Center
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Gina Ortiz Jones
Gina Ortiz Jones
27th Under Secretary of the Air Force
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Moushumi Khan
Moushumi Khan
Attorney
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Jim Yong Kim
Jim Yong Kim
Former President, The World Bank Group
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Ed King
Ed King
Managing Director, Investment Banking, BTIG
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Erika Lee
Erika Lee
Regents Professor of History and Asian American Studies, University of Minnesota
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Jeremy Lin
Jeremy Lin
Professional Basketball Player
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Melvin Mar
Melvin Mar
Television and Film Producer
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Mee Moua
Mee Moua
Racial Healing and Racial Equity Consultant; Former State Senator, Minnesota
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Konrad Ng
Konrad Ng
Arts, Culture and Philanthropy Strategist
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Amanda Nguyen
Amanda Nguyen
CEO and Founder, Rise
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Indra Nooyi
Indra Nooyi
Former Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo
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Michael Park
Michael Park
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
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Naheed Qureshi
Naheed Qureshi
Head of Policy Partnerships, Instacart
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Joshua Cooper Ramo
Joshua Cooper Ramo
Chairman and CEO, Sornay
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Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
66th U.S. Secretary of State; Tad and Dianne Taube Director, Hoover Institution
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Richard Ting
Richard Ting
Managing VP, Design, Capital One
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David Ting
David Ting
Founder and CEO, Globalluxe Ltd
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Robert Underwood
Robert Underwood
Former Guam Delegate to U.S. House of Representatives; President Emeritus, University of Guam
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Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria
CNN Host
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Our Team
Prisca Bae
Prisca Bae
Chief Partnerships Officer
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Georgette Bhathena
Georgette Bhathena
Chief Programs Officer, TAAF
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Leigh Cafferty
Leigh Cafferty
Events Director
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Sruthi Chandrasekaran
Sruthi Chandrasekaran
Director of Data and Research
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Norman Chen
Norman Chen
Chief Executive Officer, The Asian American Foundation
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Erin Chen
Erin Chen
Social Media Strategist
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Sonia Chou
Sonia Chou
Deputy Director of Partnerships
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Nick Chow
Nick Chow
People, Talent and Culture Associate
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Stella Cunanan
Stella Cunanan
Executive Assistant
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Polly Fong
Polly Fong
Creative Manager
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Baonam Giang
Baonam Giang
Regional Anti-Hate Manager, South
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Christine Ho
Christine Ho
Senior Development Operations Associate
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Lakshmi Hutchinson
Lakshmi Hutchinson
Content Writer
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Samuel Hyun
Samuel Hyun
Director of Government Relations
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Matt Kamibayashi
Matt Kamibayashi
Senior Research Associate
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Andy Kang
Andy Kang
Director of Anti-Hate
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Rebecca Kaplan
Rebecca Kaplan
Director of Corporate Engagement
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Isabel Kim
Isabel Kim
Chief Financial Officer
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Derrick Leon
Derrick Leon
Regional Anti-Hate Manager, East
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Beverly Liang
Beverly Liang
Project Manager
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Julia Lo
Julia Lo
Grants and Programs Manager
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Sally Mo
Sally Mo
Operations Manager
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Joy Moh
Joy Moh
Head of Communications and Marketing
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Masum Momaya
Masum Momaya
Director of Narrative Change
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Noho Monarch
Noho Monarch
Graphic Designer
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Claire Kai-Li Mondry
Claire Kai-Li Mondry
Development Associate
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Eugena Oh
Eugena Oh
Regional Director - New York
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Terry K Park
Terry K Park
Education Program Officer
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Rohit Paul
Rohit Paul
Chief People and Culture Officer
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Lena Pham
Lena Pham
Database and Research Specialist
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Nicole Santos
Nicole Santos
Senior Communications Associate
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Nikki Singh
Nikki Singh
Deputy Director - New York
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Jenny Srey
Jenny Srey
Regional Anti-Hate Manager, Midwest
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Jon Stone
Jon Stone
Director of Communications
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Fatima Wahidi
Fatima Wahidi
Anti-Hate Program Associate
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Min Wong
Min Wong
Anti-Hate Analyst
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April Yee
April Yee
Director of Education
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Ruby Yip
Ruby Yip
Partnerships Manager
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2023 Annual Impact Report
Building greater safety, belonging, and prosperity for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2023

We are committed to providing clear information on grantmaking efforts and programmatic initiatives. Our annual impact reports outline TAAF’s work, alongside our incredible partners, in our four core pillars of anti-hate, education, narrative change, and resources + representation. Annual reports from 2023 are available via the link below.

Download 2023 Annual Impact Report