The Asian American Foundation launches $1.5 million Board Accelerator to elevate exceptional executive leaders for service in corporate boardrooms. Jun 18, 2026, 19:07 ET $1 million cornerstone investment from the Walter and Shirley Wang Foundation kickstarts national effort to develop a new generation of AAPI corporate directors. NEW YORK, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) today announced the launch of the TAAF Board Accelerator (TBA), a $1.5 million initiative that helps companies access exceptional executive talent for corporate board service. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are shaping the economy and the defining issues of our time. Yet despite making up 13% of U.S. professionals and an even higher share of the workforce in key sectors like technology, healthcare, finance, and engineering, the leadership potential of AAPIs has been persistently and historically overlooked. Nowhere is the resulting gap between workforce and leadership participation more evident than in boardrooms, where AAPIs held just 5.4% of Fortune 500 board seats in 2022, less than their 7% share of the U.S. population. The TAAF Board Accelerator will address this disconnect by expanding visibility of board-ready AAPI executives, strengthening governance preparedness, and building trusted bridges between candidates, search firms, and corporate decision-makers. As part of the $1 million multi-year grant from the Walter and Shirley Wang Foundation, TAAF will launch the "Walter and Shirley Wang Foundation Roundtable Series" to identify, prepare, and connect board-qualified Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders with board opportunities. TAAF will match the commitment with an additional investment of $500,000. In addition, TAAF will work with the executive data firm and TBA founding partner Equilar, leveraging its database to expand the pipeline of experienced executives ready to contribute at the highest levels of corporate governance. "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are a vital and growing part of our nation's workforce, yet too many companies are not tapping into an extraordinary pool of leadership talent," said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. "Thanks to the generous support of the Walter and Shirley Wang Foundation and TAAF's partners, we're making it simple for search firms and corporations to connect with aspiring executives, challenging inaccurate perceptions around the leadership potential of AAPIs, and strengthening America's economy all at the same time." "Great boards that draw from the full breadth of America's talent can build strong infrastructure, drive innovation, and transform organizations for the better," said Walter and Shirley Wang. "We're excited to partner with The Asian American Foundation to develop executives ready to take up the mantle for service. It's time that we amplify, invest in, and support a new generation of leaders." "Today's companies need leaders with global perspectives, operational depth, and experience navigating complexity," said David Chun, Co-founder of the TAAF Board Accelerator. "The AAPI executive community includes thousands of leaders with exactly that profile, and the TAAF Board Accelerator will bring structure and visibility to a talent pool that has been overlooked for far too long." The TAAF Board Accelerator will be supported by leading corporate and governance partners, and Scott Texeira, a retired Egon Zehnder partner, will join as an advisor. The TAAF Board Accelerator is part of TAAF's broader strategy to identify and prepare AAPI executives for leadership in their own companies and on boards. In addition to the accelerator, TAAF, in partnership with Russell Reynolds Associates, hosts an annual Asian Corporate Directors Conference, convening leaders committed to increasing access to corporate boards and creating a network of support. About The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) TAAF serves the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community by promoting safety, fostering belonging, and advancing prosperity. Launched in 2021 in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and to address the long-standing underinvestment in AAPI communities, we invest in initiatives to combat anti-Asian hate, integrate AAPI studies into school curricula, elevate authentic AAPI storytelling, and expand resources and representation for our communities. Through our high-impact initiatives, events, and investments in national and local nonprofits, we're creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for millions of AAPIs in the United States. For additional information about TAAF, please visit www.taaf.org or follow @TAAForg on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, or Facebook. SOURCE The Asian American Foundation

AAPI trailblazers honored at TAAF's Heritage Month Awards Dinner. Lakshmi Hutchinson June 5, 2026 On May 14 and 15, TAAF brought the AAPI community together for its annual Heritage Month Summit at the Javits Center in New York City. This year's theme, "Together We Are the Asian+American Dream," centered stories of how the AAPI community has helped shape this nation, and explored how to continue moving forward together for the next 250 years. The programming included two days of thought-provoking panels and energizing discussions featuring AAPI changemakers in tech, entertainment, the military and more. One of the highlights of Summit is always the TAAF Awards Dinner, where individuals who have broken barriers, and whose Asian+American dreams have inspired the community, are honored. The first TAAF award of the evening was presented to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, for his leadership in transforming entertainment, tech, and media. As he shared in his acceptance speech, technology is a means for outsiders to become creators. "I saw early on that connecting technology and media could democratize storytelling and empower creators who have historically been left out of the conversation." Next, Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Co-Founder, CEO of Ohai.ai and Founder of Care.com - and TAAF Board Member Emeritus - received an award for her incredible entrepreneurship and leadership. The third award of the evening was presented to NBA champion Jeremy Lin, who in addition to breaking barriers on the court has also lifted up the community through the Jeremy Lin Foundation. "Doors don't close forever. Sometimes they just need the right people to kick them open." - Ke Huy Quan The final award of the night went to Academy Award Winning Actor & Author Ke Huy Quan, whose artistic excellence and embodiment of the Asian+American dream serves as an inspiration to so many. And to remind The Asian American Foundation of the importance of forging a path for others to follow, he remarked, "Doors don't close forever. Sometimes they just need the right people to kick them open." Previous recipients of TAAF Awards include: 2023: Dr. Harpreet Singh & the co-founders of the Sikh Coalition Congresswoman Grace Meng Bain & Company CEO Manny Maceda Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Tina Leung, Phillip Lim, and Ezra William of the House of Slay Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh 2024: Congressman Andy Kim Chairman of Netflix Film and Founder & Board Chair of Rideback RISE Dan Lin Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Rajiv Shah Angela Chao Legacy Award honoree and CEO of 3.1 Phillip Lim Wen Zhou Oscar-nominated actor Steven Yeun 2025: Actress, advocate, director, producer, and artist Lucy Liu Owner and Chairman of the Sacramento Kings, Vivek Ranadivé Academy Award nominated actress and producer Stephanie Hsu

The Social Justice Fund's new partnership shines in Brooklyn. In its latest move, the Tsais Social Justice Fund is setting up a fund to help Brooklyn entrepreneurs. Mar 24, 2026, 1:20 PM PDT Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment The Social Justice Fund (SJF) continues to provide Brooklyn with a helping hand. Add NetsDaily on Google. Add NetsDaily as a preferred source to see more of our reporting on Google. On March 9, the Social Justice Fund announced that in conjunction with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and the Renaissance Economic Development Corporation, they have created the new Elevating Business Loan Program. The program is designed to provide small businesses in New York City with affordable loans, free financial counseling, and multilingual training services. The SJF and TAAF were both big parts of the Tsais' public commitment, the former an outgrowth of the team's $50 million commitment to Brooklyn following demonstrations against George Floyd's murder in 2020; the latter an organization Joe helped found the next year to protect Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders' "fundamental right to belong and prosper, free from cycles of discrimination and violence." Renaissance is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming low-to-moderate income communities and under-resourced entrepreneurs, also founded by Asian-American leaders. The program is not limited to Asian-Americans. It has been challenging for small businesses in New York City. The New York Times reported that 8,400 businesses closed their doors in the second quarter of 2025. With costs rising everywhere we look, it's a lot harder to maintain a business, let alone thrive as an owner. With so many barriers and challenges facing businesses, they have a lot working against them. For minority business owners, those barriers become amplified. "When we talk to [Asian-American and Pacific Islander] small businesses, and oftentimes, access to capital is still the biggest constraint," TAAF CEO Norman Chen told Documented. "Especially for small business owners whose first language isn't English and who may not be familiar with the lending process or able to access services in their native languages to get access to capital." To increase access to capital, the new Loan Program will offer loans of up to $100,000 to aid small businesses in managing cash flow, purchasing equipment, improving storefronts, and plenty more. The Program is available to qualified small businesses across New York City and assistance can be accessed in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Korean. Renaissance has been helping New Yorkers since 1997 and has helped thousands of people along the way. This connection with the SJF aids in their mission and will help new entrepreneurs reach new horizons. One of their success stories is Pho Table, a chain of Vietnamese kitchens across Brooklyn. "I think they've been really helpful, to be honest," Matthew Vuong, owner of Pho Table, told NetsDaily. "But it really depends on how much you use their resources that they have available. Some people, they'll go in and they'll ask for help to apply for maybe one or two loans, grants, permits, or whatever the case may be. But they have a lot more programs that you can dive into. It just kind of depends on your level of involvement you want to be in." Pho Table has found a lot of success since opening in 2024 and has plans to open new locations in downtown Brooklyn and Long Island City in the near future. Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment Partnership has been a consistent theme of the Social Justice Fund's work. Over their five plus years, they have worked with various organizations to address a multitude of causes across New York. It's a big part of their mission and something they will look to build on as they move in to the future. "The mission continues in terms of connecting with trusted partners in the community that have the relationship with the different communities," Gregg Bishop, Executive Director of the Social Justice Fund, told NetsDaily. "And every partnership that we build, we want to make sure that these organizations are not only connected to different communities across Brooklyn, but we also want to make sure they're trusted. And not only trusted, but they deliver a service that is in line with the sort of excellence that Clara [Wu Tsai] would expect. So Renaissance is that partner... Small businesses are the backbone of the city. It's the grocery stores, the nail salon, the hair salon, and of course the restaurants that make our city so enjoyable and livable, and it's our small business owners that are the backbone of that. And so we continue to look at ways we can invest to help our small business community. So this is just one of many more initiatives that are coming." As the SJF moves into the next part of their work, partnerships like the one with Renaissance and the TAAF could provide New York City with another much-needed boost. Being able to pour into community goes a long way. With the state of the world being what it is, you need to work with those around you to find and maintain success. As the SJF embarks on a new adventure, the spirit of teamwork and community will go a long way in helping make a better, more accessible New York for all. Active articles. Ranked by most activity in the last 24 hours.