People & Chapters

National Chair, AAAFund
Public Sector, Verizon

Albert is a senior strategist and federal client partner at Verizon. He is a respected leader in the Asian American business and political community and champion of small businesses. Albert was previously appointed by President Obama as the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency, National Deputy Director.

Administrative Director, AAAFund
Manager of Government Affairs and Public Policy, S&P Global

Linda is a Manager of Government Affairs and Public Policy at S&P Global and has served in Government Affairs roles at Expedia Group and the Global Business Alliance. She has previously worked as a Programs Associate at OCA - Asian Pacific Associates in Houston and as a Consultant at Kroll in New York City.

Communications Director, AAAFund
Public Affairs Specialist, Forbes Tate Partners

Eliza is a core member of Forbes Tate Partners’ public affairs team. A full-service government and public affairs advocacy firm, she is responsible for designing and executing strategic communications campaigns for clients across health care, agriculture, and tech industries seeking to navigate the intersection of the public and private sectors.

Co-Founder and Partner of NVG LLC

Irene is a co-founder and partner at NVG where she has been recognized as a Top Lobbyist by the National Institute of Lobbying and Ethics. She has decades of experience working in and with the highest levels of government and served as Special Assistant to the President in the Clinton Administration.

Director Federal Relations, VMware

Jay is the Director of Federal Government Relations for VMware where he leads commercial advocacy efforts around 5G and cybersecurity. He previously worked for Congresswoman Robin L. Kelly and co-founded the Congressional Tech Staff Association to help educate Congressional staff on technology-related policy issues.

Co-founder and Treasurer, Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia (DAAV)

Rose Chu is the President of the AAAF Virginia Chapter. She is the treasurer of the Virginia 8th District Democratic Committee and treasurer and co-founder of the Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia (DAAV), the official APIA caucus of the Democratic Party of Virginia. Rose is a health policy analyst, member of the Fairfax County Health Care Advisory Board and a volunteer AARP tax-aide.

Partner, Lefthook

Raghu is a partner at Left Hook, where he uses over twenty years of campaign experience to lead the firm's Washington, DC office. He is the first Asian American to be named Political Director of a national party committee and has managed one of the largest independent expenditure programs in Democratic politics.

Managing Partner, Business, Energy & Election Law, PC

Gautam is the Managing Partner at Business, Energy, and Election Law where he specializes on corporate, securities, regulatory/public entity, election, and voting rights law. He formerly worked as an enforcement attorney for the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Deputy Director of the Political Reform Program at the New America Foundation.

Founder, Canochon Consulting

Caroline is the founder and president of the Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation. She brings years of experience in organizing, campaign and political communications, and policy.

Manager, Federal Affairs, Verizon

Anna is a Manager of Federal Affairs at Verizon, where she builds relationships among House and Senate Democrats. She previously worked on Capitol Hill and as consultant on political action committee fundraising, strategy, and development.

Founding Board Member, TARGET Ohio

Lisa is a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and assistant professor at University of Cincinnati Department of Pediatrics. She is the co-founder and co-chair of the AAAFund-Tri State Chapter and of TARGET Ohio, a nonprofit aiming to civically engage Ohio Asian American voters.

CEO, Knowledge Advantage, Inc.

Bel is the founder, president and CEO of Knowledge Advantage, working on information technology products and services. She has thirty years in public service, notably at the Department of Defense, and is a well-respected Democratic activist who has long served as the Chair of the Chair of the Democratic National Committee AAPI Caucus and organized Asian Americans across the country. Bel serves on several corporate, nonprofit, and appointed boards.

Democratic organizer & campaign manager

Irene is a longtime Democratic organizer and campaign manager with a passion for engaging voters in the Midwest and in rural America. She also served as a political appointee at both the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development at the US Department of Agriculture and on Capitol Hill.

Associate, Lotus Engineering & Sustainability

Ally is a strategist and community engagement lead at Lotus Engineering and Sustainability, a boutique sustainability consulting firm. Her experiences in campaign organizing and communications now serve her well in advocating for climate action.

President, Global Summit of Women

Irene is the president of the Global Summit of Women, an annual international gathering of women leaders from around the world, and chair of the Corporate Women Directors International. A longtime leader in promoting women's rights and leadership, she has served with the National Women's Political Caucus and National Commission on Working Women as well as sitting on many boards of directors and advisory boards of nonprofits across the world.

Founding Board Member, TARGET Ohio

Mala is a longtime activist and community organizer who focuses on supporting the Asian American community and raising awareness of domestic violence, mental health, elder care, immigration, and other issues. She co-founded and co-chairs AAAFund's Tri-State Chapter and TARGET Ohio, a civic organization that engages Asian American voters in Ohio.

President, 8821 Strategies

Carrie is the CEO of 8821 Strategies, bringing deep experience as a strategist and senior advisor to campaigns, civic engagement, and stakeholder management for top names in Democratic politics, organized labor, AAPI community organizations, and national advocacy and issue campaigns. She previously served as Director of External Affairs in the US Department of Health and Human Services, Senior Director of the National Education Association, and Deputy Political Director at Service Employees International Union.

CEO, Intuitive X

Jeff is the CEO and founder of IntuitiveX, a life science consultancy and incubator and investor in health tech companies. He is a board-certified, award-winning spine surgeon.

Partner, Law Offices of Shah & Kishore

Devang is a leading expert in immigration law and the Managing Partner of Shah and Kishore, a business immigration law firm. He serves as the Treasurer of the Maryland Democratic Party among many other positions in the Party, focusing on engaging Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Co-Founder and CEO of Titanium Toaster Corporation

Bill is a results-oriented technology entrepreneur, corporate leader, and philanthropist with a 20-year focus on cybersecurity, gaming, and technology entrepreneurship. In 2018, he founded Ohana Northwest, a family office that invests in U.S.-based technology start ups with 12 investments to date. He started the Shihara Family Foundation the same year, a nonprofit focused on workforce development for Americans facing opportunity inequality through grant-making. Bill is currently the Co-Founder and CEO of Titanium Toaster Corporation.

Federal Affairs, Comcast

Ms. Shim is VP of Federal Government Affairs at Comcast NBC Universal. She most recently served as Special Assistant to the President for economic agency personnel in the White House Presidential Personnel Office and is a former chief of staff for Congresswoman Judy Chu.

Fun and Retired

Now retired, Willard is a former General Counsel and Deputy Director of the Federal Trade Commission and longtime partner at Morgan, Lewis, and Bockius.

Chair & Founding Member, the National Association of Chinese Americans in Atlanta

Lani is a Chair and founding member of the National Assocation of Chinese Americans in Atlanta, with over forty years of serving Georgia's Asian American and Pacific Islander community. She has served on the boards of dozens of organizations and is an active leader in community service and leadership.

Owner/Founder, AAAFund & President & Chair, Riverdale International

Yeni is the Co-Founder of AAAFund and president and chair of the Board of Directors of Riverdale International. She has served several political appointments and runs Yeni's Dim Sum Plus and Golden Palace.

Founder, Realm

Julian is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Serial Box, Co-Founder and President of Realm, and editor-in-chief of the Sunday Morning Transport Substack. He serves as the Board Chair of the Museum of Food and Drink and on the Mayor's Advisory Committee for the Judiciary, and previously served as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice's Office of Legal Policy.

Public Affairs Manager, Alaska Airlines

Jacob is a communications and electoral politics professional with a track record of success in high-profile political campaigns. With nearly a decade of public service experience, Jacob spent nearly a decade in the Hawaiʻi State Senate, notably as the Director of Communications. In that pivotal role, he was the chamber’s chief spokesperson, leading communication strategies, managing media relations, and conveying legislative matters to the public. He currently serves as the Public Affairs Manager for Alaska Airlines. In this role, he engages with key government entities and represents the airline across key West Coast cities.