Join us at the

COALITION FOR ASIAN AMERICAN
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

CATALYST FOR
CHANGE AWARDS

Cocktail Reception • Dinner • Auction

DATE:

MONDAY
NOVEMBER 18, 2024
6PM

LOCATION:

Tribeca 360°
10 Desbrosses Street
New York NY, 10013

Join the movement for equity for Asian American and Pacific Islander children and families.

Honorees

  • Founder and Best-Selling Author, red helicopter, and CACF Board Member

    James Rhee is a high school teacher, Harvard Law graduate, and private equity investor who became the unexpected Chairman and CEO of Ashley Stewart, where his transformative partnership with a primarily Black female employee and customer base shocked the business community and inspired the world. The story, and the learnings from his experience, are chronicled in his national bestselling book red helicopter―a parable for our times: lead change with kindness (plus a little math), (HarperOne; April 9, 2024). His TED Talk and Dare to Lead interview with Brené Brown have captured the imagination of millions.  

    James’ leadership philosophy and operating system give people permission to be human. They bridge peoples, industries, and ideas, and they serve as the foundation of red helicopter, his media-education platform. In addition to his private sector investment activities, James invests time teaching at Howard University as the John H. Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship, MIT Sloan School of Management, and Duke Law School. He is a charter member of the Advisory Council of JP Morgan Chase’s Advancing Black Pathways and the Governing Committee of the CEO Action for Racial Equity, James’s civic contributions have been recognized by multiple communities and groups: he was a Frederick Douglass honoree of the New York Urban League, the recipient of both the Council of Korean Americans and Korean American Story Trailblazer Award, and an honoree of One To World’s Fulbright Award. The global pioneer in social entrepreneurship, Ashoka, elected him as a member of its inaugural  Entrepreneur-to-Entrepreneur Network. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of Coalition for Asian American Children and Families and is a former director of Harvard University’s American Repertory Theater. 

    After helping manage billions of dollars of private equity in Boston, James started a family-office investment platform, FirePine Group, which has stewarded the capital of some of the world’s most sophisticated investors and continues to provide capital to entrepreneurs creating true systemic value. He serves on the Board of Directors of Xponance, a more than $20-billion asset management and investment firm focused on emerging manager strategies. And he is a former honoree of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year program, as well as a former board member of the National Retail Federation, whose foundation honored him with its Power Player Award for those leaders most impacting the future of retail. 

    James lives outside Boston, Massachusetts with his family. He is a Harvard College graduate and a former editor of Harvard Law Review.

  • Civil Rights Activist, CEO at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

    Maya Wiley is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights coalition, and The Leadership Conference Education Fund. A nationally respected civil rights attorney, policy expert, academic and news commentator, Wiley was the first Black woman to serve as Counsel to a NYC Mayor. In 2021 Wiley ran a historic campaign for Mayor of the New York City. She is the author of the Memoir, “Remember You Are a Wiley.”

Farhad Asghar

Gala Chairs

  • Program Officer, Pathways to Postsecondary Success, Carnegie Corporation of NY

    Farhad Asghar is a program officer with the Corporation’s Education program, where he manages the Pathways to Postsecondary Success portfolio. Farhad oversees grantmaking that supports practices and policies aimed at creating flexible pathways for students throughout their K–16 education with the goal of college completion and preparing students for work and careers. 

     Farhad brings experience managing direct service programs, strategic partnerships, and fundraising initiatives in institutions of higher education, large nonprofits, and community-based organizations.  

    Farhad holds a BA in English literature and secondary education from City University of New York’s Brooklyn College and a Master of Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service. Farhad is a naturalized U.S. citizen who moved from Pakistan to Queens, New York, as a child with his family.

  • Former Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Rivers and Hills Hospitality Group; Former Partner at Bespoke Only

    Erika Chou combines her true love for food and the art of serving with her background in fine arts, interior design, and branding. She brings her many talents to bear as a restaurateur and designer, after first gaining experience in the fashion industry then quickly working her way up the ranks of Andre Balazs’ Standard Grill and Gotham City Hospitality.

    In 2012, she embarked on her own debuting with the award winning restaurant, Yunnan Kitchen, and founded Rivers and Hills Hospitality Group two years later. Erika has been recognized as a leading female entrepreneur in the food industry by The New York Times, James Beard Foundation, and Cherry Bombe with features in New York Magazine, Eater, Vogue, Infatuation, and The New Yorker. Her projects have received 4 Stars from New York Magazine, a glowing 1 Star from The New York Times, 2 stars from The New Yorker, consecutive years of the Michelin Bib Gourmand, and nominations by the James Beard Foundation.

    One of her greatest distinctions was being named a “vanguard of Chinese cuisine” in a front page feature by The New York Times. The group, which grew to 8 unique concepts in multiple states under Erika’s leadership, has truly been a pioneer in the changing landscape of Asian food in America and continues to create and evolve in their industry.

    Erika pivoted her role in 2020 to exclusively work on concepts and design as she made Partner in parallel at boutique interior design firm, Bespoke Only. Their work has been featured in Architectural Digest, ELLE Decor, Whitewall, Design Milk and more. They also starred in the show, Well Designed, on HBO and Magnolia Network.

    Erika holds a BS in both Fine Arts and Psychology from New York University. She enjoys grocery shopping, having leisurely breakfasts, brainstorming business ideas and traveling with her family.

  • Director, Workforce Transformation and Digital Innovation, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Port Authority of NY and NJ

    Growing up in Jersey City, PATH trains to WTC led to exploration of Chinatown, flights from EWR to Hong Kong meant summer vacation with her grandparents and traveling through the Holland Tunnel signified learning a new piece of music.  Annesa Lau grew up alongside Port Authority facilities.  As a first generation Asian American, a career journey in public service resonates deeply and in 2021, the Port Authority’s centennial year, Annesa became the Agency’s first Asian American senior executive.  Now in 2024, Annesa is extremely proud to join the CACF Board of Directors. 

    Annesa is the Director of Workforce Transformation and Digital Innovation in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer at the Port Authority of NY and NJ. Annesa’s portfolio focuses on enterprise initiatives and programs that enhance and empower workforce skills and talent pipeline, enable innovation and increase diversity representation and engagement. Creating a strategic connection between organizational and digital transformation, Annesa paves the pathway to the workforce and workplace of the future.  

    Prior to her current role, Annesa was the Director of Operations Services —a diverse department delivering mission-support services, modern equipment, and employee training for the Port Authority, including fleet maintenance and management, facility construction, cafeteria, communications and print services, office space and property management and the operations and maintenance training. Joining the Port Authority in 2007, Annesa spent her early career in progressively challenging roles in the finance organization. 

    Annesa holds a B.E. in Engineering Management, M.E. in Systems Engineering and an M.B.A in Technology Management — all from Stevens Institute of Technology.  She is the Senior Advisor of the Port Authority Asian American Association, Executive Sponsor of the Port Authority Network of Emerging Talent and representative of the Port Authority Workforce Equity Council.  Annesa is also a member of WTS - Women’s Transportation.  

    Annesa finds much joy in music, reading, crafting, volunteering… and the many ways to see life’s glimmers and sparks of joy! 

Co-hosts

  • TV Journalist and Educator

    Ernabel Demillo hosts and reports for CUNY-TV’s Emmy-award winning “Asian American Life,” a magazine show focusing on the fast growing and dynamic Asian American community. She recently won a 2nd Telly for Best Historical Story featuring one of the AAPI heroes during 9/11.  In 2021, after multiple Emmy nominations, she finally won an Emmy for her short documentary on a Philippine-based feeding program.

    Prior, she worked as a reporter and anchor on the Emmy-award winning FOX morning news show, “Good Day New York.”  Before coming to New York, she was a reporter for the Orange County Newschannel in California and the CBS-affiliate in Sacramento. 

    She is also a tenured Journalism professor at Saint Peter’s University and currently serves as faculty chair of the Department of Communication and Media Culture. She started the journalism program in 2008. She is the recipient of a 100K grant from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium in partnership with the media start up Slice of Culture to help fill the void of local news reporting in Hudson County New Jersey.

    Raised in San Francisco, Ernabel has lived all over the country, from Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York. She now lives on the Jersey Shore with her husband and daughter.

  • TV journalist, public speaker, moderator and director/producer

    Vivian Lee (she/her) is an Emmy-winning TV journalist, public speaker, moderator and director/producer in New York.

    She is currently a correspondent with Asian American Life, a production of CUNY-TV. Before that she was an anchor and reporter for NY1 for 12 years. Her work includes live, continuous coverage of the COVID pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests, and public reaction to breaking news of Joe Biden’s 2020 election.

    As an anchor and reporter, Vivian has covered numerous stories of national and international importance, including Donald Trump’s election campaign, Hurricane Sandy’s devastation of the city’s coastal communities, and Pope Francis’ election at the Vatican. Vivian was the first reporter from New York City to break news of the cardinals’ decision while reporting live in St. Peter’s Square.

    Vivian also hosted Spotlight New York, a weekly magazine show exploring the creative landscape of the five boroughs of NYC, its arts and cultural institutions, and up-and-coming performers as well as legacy artists. Her work was recognized in 2020 with an Emmy Award for her story on Manhattan’s famed Joe’s Pub.

    Vivian’s career in New York started at WNBC in 2002, where she was a general assignment reporter covering local politics, transit, healthcare and education issues. Prior to that she was CityTV Toronto's parliamentary correspondent and federal affairs reporter in Ottawa, Canada.

    Vivian began reporting while completing her journalism degree at Carleton University in Ottawa, with stints at CJOH-TV Ottawa, ATV-ASN News Halifax, and A Channel Calgary, where she co-anchored the award-winning weeknight evening news show “A Channel News@Night.”

    Vivian has received numerous awards recognizing her industry and community contributions, including the New York Women’s Foundation’s 2021 “Pillars of Courage” award, shared with four of her former NY1 colleagues. Vivian co-hosts a podcast with the same colleagues called The 5 Of Us. She also received KAFSC’s 2019 Lifetime Engagement Award. A featured speaker on numerous panels and workshops discussing ageism, gender discrimination and Asian American identity,

    Vivian currently serves as co-chair of KoreanAmericanStory.org and lives in New York with her husband and two daughters.

Auctioneer

  • HUNT Auctioneers

    Paul Florez-Taylor is head auctioneer at HUNT Philanthropy, a fundraising consultant, and a graduate of World Wide College of Auctioneering. His affable and extroverted personality creates an authentic and exciting atmosphere—which helps shatter fundraising goals at galas. Paul is a widely published author, and has held sales and editorial positions at Marvel, Alyson Books, Hachette and HarperCollins. Paul enjoys fencing.

ALLY SPONSORS

  • Mila Atmos

  • Art Chang & Allison Thrush

  • Jarrod Fong, Jessie Harlin and Jen Yuen

  • Maya Wiley

FRIEND SPONSORS

  • Annie E. Casey Foundation

  • Farhad Asghar & Ana Tiburcio

  • Arlene & Ricky Brownstein

  • Erika Chou & ST Luk

  • JPMorgan Chase

  • Annesa Lau & Terence Lee

  • Jessica S. Lee & Steven Jacoby

  • Vanessa Li & Matthew Chua

  • Kanika Priya Sethi

  • Tolosa-Ago Family

COMMUNITY PARTNER SPONSORS

  • Victoria Chu Pao & William Pao

  • Wayne Ho & Eda Chao

  • Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities (IHCD) Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

  • Marissa Martin & Oliver Chang

SUPPORTER SPONSORS

  • Preet Bharara

  • Stuart Boesky

  • John J. Chin, Ph.D

  • Lee Ping Kwan

  • Ghebre Selassie Mehreteab

  • Abja Midha

  • Judy Mogul & Danny Kramer

  • Sumie Okazaki & Allen Poteshman

HOST COMMITTEE

  • Preet Bharara

  • Arlene & Ricky Brownstein

  • Art Chang & Allison Thrush

  • John J. Chin, Ph.D

  • Jarrod Fong

  • Wayne Ho & Eda Chao

  • Donna Lee

  • Jessica S. Lee & Steven Jacoby

  • Vanessa Li & Matthew Chua

  • Marissa Martin & Oliver Chang

  • Kanika Priya Sethi

  • Dr. Norma Tan

  • Angela Tolosa

  • Vivian Young

  • Jennifer Yuen & Dr. Stanley Yang

The Catalyst for Change Awards honor leaders who are a force for positive change for the AAPI community.

Past honorees include leaders in media, education, business, philanthropy, arts and culture, and leadership development. The evening draws over 300 diverse and influential New Yorkers, many who are leaders, innovators and changemakers themselves, who are interested in investing in the AAPI community.

You may also donate by check!

Please make checks payable to “Coalition for Asian American Children and Families” and send to:

Coalition for Asian American
Children and Families
50 Broad Street, Suite 1002
New York, NY 10004

If you have any questions regarding our 2024 Catalyst for Change Awards Gala, please contact Alli Bennett at alli@wingo.nyc.