May 5 – 6, 2023 • New York, NY

2023 TAAF Heritage Month Summit

The 2023 TAAF Heritage Month Summit will mark the two year anniversary of TAAF and celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. This annual purpose-driven convening will bring together 500+ TAAF partners and AAPI leaders from across industries to cultivate community, build relationships, and inspire action.
Friday
May 5
Saturday
May 6
2023
9:00 am
12:00 am
2023 TAAF Heritage Month Summit
Our summit’s theme, “Together We Build,” focused on the rich and diverse tapestry of our shared history and future, alongside inspiring and creative trailblazers, leaders, and icons.
Venue Details
Event Details

Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with TAAF

The 2023 TAAF Summit marked the two year anniversary of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and a celebration of AAPI Heritage Month. This annual purpose-driven convening will bring together 1000+ TAAF partners and AAPI leaders from across industries to cultivate community, build relationships, and inspire action.

TAAF’s 2023 Summit and Celebration advanced our mission — and much more:

  • As part of our new portfolio strategy, TAAF committed $65 million in direct funding over five years to bring transformational impact to the lives of AAPIs and our communities. We are grateful to our inaugural grantee partners for the incredible work they do.  
  • We announced a $35 million partnership with the Robin Hood Foundation, Surdna Foundation, New York Women’s Foundation, Bank of America, and the NYC Mayor’s Office to support the safety and wellbeing of AAPI New Yorkers over the next five years.
  • We honored our first Heritage Heroes with a heartfelt performance by Broadway Legend Lea Salonga. Congratulations to our inaugural class of TAAF Heritage Heroes: Dr. Harpreet Singh & the Co-Founders of the Sikh Coalition; Congresswoman Grace Meng; Bain & Company’s Manny Maceda; Prabal Gurung, Tina Leung, Phillip Lim, and Ezra William of the House of Slay; and the iconic Michelle Yeoh.
  • Congratulations to the All-Star players of our first AAPI Charity Basketball Game at the Brooklyn Nets HSS Training Center. Thanks to TAAF Board Member Joe Tsai, Clara Wu Tsai, and our partners at BSE Global, Fanatics, the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets, and APEX for Youth for creating a fun and memorable night for our TAAF friends and families.
  • Throughout our Summit, we were nourished by NYC’s top AAPI chefs  — thank you to Chef Helen Nguyen and Chef Winston Chiu and the extraordinary coalition you assembled: 8282, Bangkok Supper Club, Bonbite Catering, Bonnie’s, Christine Lau HG, Ekiben, Essex Pearl, Golden Diner, Ho Foods NYC, Kimbap Lab, Klimone, Lady Wong, Lysée, Milk & Cream, Nami Nori, Potluck Club, Saigon Social, SONA, Stick with Me Sweets.
  • We were honored to be joined by NYC-based AAPI small businesses who inspired us with their mission-driven products in our curated marketplace: Pearl River Mart, Yu & Me Books, Covry, DAWANG, EMME, Istani, Nguyen Coffee Supply, Plant Corner, Sacha Raps, Sanzo, Sublima Jewelry, WE ARE CHIMMI.
  • Thank you to our Summit sponsors and partners for their generosity and support: Bain & Company, Bank of America, Capital One, Citadel Securities, Disney, General Atlantic Foundation, Genesis House, Goldman Sachs, Instacart, JCPenney, Morgan Stanley, Nike, Panda Express, P&G, Salesforce, United Airlines, UBS, Zoom.

Schedule

Friday, May 5, 2023, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Registration & Breakfast

9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Welcome

  • Li Lu, Founder & Chairman, Himalaya Capital, & Board Chair, The Asian American Foundation
  • Norman Chen, CEO, The Asian American Foundation

Panel 1: Building Coalitions to Fight Hate

  • Elaine Quijano, News Anchor, CBS (moderator)
  • Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO & National Director, ADL
  • Anisha Singh, Executive Director, Sikh Coalition
  • Amol N. Sinha, Executive Director, ACLU-NJ
  • J. Phillip Thompson, Former Deputy Mayor of New York & Associate Professor of Political Science & Urban Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Panel 2: The Leaders Behind the AAPI Studies Movement

  • Erika Lee, Regents Professor of History & Asian American Studies, University of Minnesota, & Past President of the Organization of American Historians (moderator)
  • Pawan Dhingra, President, Association for Asian American Studies, & Associate Provost & Associate Dean of the Faculty, Amherst College
  • Kate Lee, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Make Us Visible
  • Grace Pai, Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago

Panel 3: Storytelling, Belonging, and the AAPI Experience

  • Jose Antonio Vargas, Founder, Define American (moderator)
  • Freddy Bharucha, Sr. Vice President, Personal Care, P&G
  • Tracey Bing, Head of Content, Rideback Rise
  • Michelle Sugihara, Executive Director, CAPE
  • Donald Young, Director of Programs, CAAM

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Networking Lunch

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Panel 4: From Government to Corporations: The Urgent Need for AAPI Leadership

  • Richard Lui, Anchor & Journalist, MSNBC / NBC News (moderator)
  • Ruchi Bhowmik, Vice President of Public Policy, Netflix
  • Chris Lu, United Nations Ambassador, Former Obama Administration
  • Shamina Singh, Founder & President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, & Executive Vice President, Sustainability at Mastercard
  • Eric Toda, Global Head of Social Marketing & Executive GM of Meta Prosper, Meta
  • Andrew Yang, Community Leader

Trailblazing the Way: The (Super) Hero’s Journey

  • Juju Chang, Co-Anchor, ABC Nightline
  • Simu Liu, Actor, Author, & Producer/Director

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Networking Reception

10:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Summit After Party

Saturday, May 6, 2023, 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Pillar Roundtables

*Open to all Summit attendees*

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Networking Brunch presented by Panda Express

*Open to all Summit attendees*

12:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Panel 1: 2023 STAATUS Index

  • Paul Watanabe, Professor of Political Science & Director of the Institute for Asian American Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston (moderator)
  • Russell Jeung, Professor of Asian American Studies, San Francisco State University, & Co-Founder, Stop AAPI Hate
  • Jennifer Lee, Julian Clarence Levi Professor of Social Sciences, Columbia University
  • Taeku Lee, Bae Family Professor of Government, Harvard University
  • Mike Hoa Nguyen, Assistant Professor of Education, New York University
  • Karen Umemoto, Helen & Morgan Chu Chair & Director, UCLA Asian American Studies Center

Panel 2: Together We Build: Community

  • Georgette Bhathena, Chief Programs Officer, The Asian American Foundation (moderator)
  • Don Chen, President, Surdna Foundation
  • Norman Chen, CEO, The Asian American Foundation
  • Maria Choi, Founder & CEO, Raise for Good
  • Kevin D. Kim, Commissioner, NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
  • Carol Lee Mitchell, Head of Strategy for Small Business, Specialty and Consumer Vehicle Lending, Bank of America

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Panel 3: Identity Representation, and Community: A Dialogue For Change presented by 3.1 Phillip Lim

  • Sophia Li, Journalist, Film Director & Climate Advocate (moderator)
  • Mina Fedor, Founder + Executive Director, AAPI Youth Rising
  • Chloe Flower, Pianist, Producer, & Composer
  • Peter Ash Lee, Photographer & Director
  • Phillip Lim, Fashion Designer & Founder, 3.1 Phillip Lim
  • Michelle Wie West, Former LGPA Pro
  • Michelle Yeoh, Academy Award-Winning Actress

Closing Remarks

  • Norman Chen, CEO, The Asian American Foundation

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Networking Reception

Culinary Program

Food and beverage at the Summit will be prepared by an all-star team of AAPI chefs and owners from 8282, Bangkok Supper Club, Bonbite Catering, Bonnie’s, Christine Lau HG, Ekiben, Essex Pearl, Golden Diner, Ho Foods NYC, Kimbap Lab, Klimone, Lady Wong, Lysée, Milk & Cream, Nami Nori, Potluck Club, Saigon Social, SONA, and Stick with Me Sweets.

Speakers
Freddy Bharucha
Sr. Vice President, Personal Care
Ruchi Bhowmik
Vice President of Public Policy, Netflix
Tracey Bing
Head of Content, Rideback Rise
Juju Chang
Co-Anchor, ABC Nightline
Don Chen
President, Surdna Foundation
Norman Chen
Chief Executive Officer, The Asian American Foundation
Maria Choi
Founder & CEO, Raise for Good
Pawan Dhingra
President, Association for Asian American Studies & Associate Provost & Associate Dean of the Faculty, Amherst College
Mina Fedor
Founder + Executive Director, AAPI Youth Rising
Chloe Flower
Pianist, Producer, & Composer
Jonathan Greenblatt
CEO & National Director, Anti-Defamation League
Russell Jeung
Professor of Asian American Studies, San Francisco State University, & Co-Founder, Stop AAPI Hate
Kevin D. Kim
Commissioner, NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
Peter Ash Lee
Photographer & Director
Erika Lee
Regents Professor of History and Asian American Studies, University of Minnesota
Jennifer Lee
Julian Clarence Levi Professor of Social Sciences, Columbia University
Kate Lee
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Make Us Visible
Taeku Lee
Bae Family Professor of Government, Harvard University
Carol Lee Mitchell
Head of Strategy for Small Business, Specialty and Consumer Vehicle Lending, Bank of America
Sophia Li
Journalist, Film Director & Climate Advocate
Phillip Lim
Fashion Designer & Founder, 3.1 Phillip Lim
Simu Liu
Actor, Author, & Producer/Director
Chris Lu
United Nations Ambassador, Former Obama Administration
Li Lu
Founder & Chairman, Himalaya Capital & Board Chair, The Asian American Foundation
Richard Lui
Anchor & Journalist, MSNBC / NBC News
Congresswoman Grace Meng
U.S. House of Representatives
Mike Hoa Nguyen
Assistant Professor of Education, New York University
Grace Pai
Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago
Elaine Quijano
News Anchor, CBS
Anisha Singh
Executive Director, Sikh Coalition
Shamina Singh
Founder & President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, & Executive Vice President, Sustainability at Mastercard
Amol N. Sinha
Executive Director, ACLU-NJ
Michelle Sugihara
Executive Director, CAPE
J. Phillip Thompson
Former Deputy Mayor of New York & Associate Professor of Political Science & Urban Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Eric Toda
Global Head of Social Marketing & Executive GM of Meta Prosper, Meta
Karen Umemoto
Helen & Morgan Chu Chair & Director, UCLA Asian American Studies Center
Jose Antonio Vargas
Founder, Define American
Paul Watanabe
Professor of Political Science & Director of the Institute for Asian American Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston
Michelle Wie West
Former LGPA Pro
Andrew Yang
Community Leader
Michelle Yeoh
Academy Award-Winning Actress
Donald Young
Director of Programs, CAAM
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AAPI Marketplace

Presented in partnership with Pearl River Mart and Yu & Me Books, the AAPI Heritage Month Marketplace spotlights the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of our AAPI small business community in NYC. The marketplace will feature an AAPI library, games, refreshments, and special products and wares from beloved and emerging AAPI-owned brands and businesses for attendees to browse and purchase.

AAPI Marketplace Hours:

May 5 9 AM - 4 PM
May 6 9 AM - 6 PM

Featured vendors include: Covry, DAWANG, EMME, Istani, Nguyen Coffee Supply, Pearl River Mart, Plant Corner, Sacha Raps, Sanzo, Sublima Jewelry, WE ARE CHIMMI, and Yu & Me Books.

Notes

Wifi Network

Name: TAAF Partner
Password: TAAF_2023

Attire

Summit: Business Casual
Afterparty: Cocktail or Heritage Month Festive

Questions

events@taaf.org

Media & PR

press@taaf.org

Sponsorships

partnerships@taaf.org

2023 Heritage Month Summit
Event Sponsors
Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America
Capital One
Capital One
Capital One
Citadel Securities
Citadel Securities
Citadel Securities
General Atlantic Foundation
General Atlantic Foundation
General Atlantic Foundation
Genesis House
Genesis House
Genesis House
Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
Instacart
Instacart
Instacart
JC Penney
JC Penney
JC Penney
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Panda Express
Panda Express
Panda Express
Salesforce
Salesforce
Salesforce
Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks
United Airlines
United Airlines
United Airlines