Board of Directors

  • Art Chang

    BOARD CHAIR

    Innovation Leader,
    Former Candidate for Mayor of New York City

  • Farhad Asghar

    BOARD VICE-CHAIR

    Chief Growth Officer,
    Bottom Line

  • Abja Midha

    BOARD SECRETARY

    Executive Director, Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS)

  • Edward Pauly

    BOARD TREASURER

    Director of Research and Evaluation, The Wallace Foundation (retired)

  • Arlene Brownstein

    Head of Alternative Investment Product Support, Citi

  • Erika Chou

    Founding Member & Creative Director at Rivers and Hills Hospitality Group and Former Partner at Bespoke Only

  • Margaret Chu

    Chief Financial Officer, Infillion

  • Annesa H. Lau

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

  • Donna Lee

    Professor of Law, City University of New York School of Law

  • Jessica Lee

    Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships and Philanthropic Advancement, New York Women’s Foundation

  • Larry Lee

    BOARD CHAIR EMERITUS

    Executive Director, Womankind (retired)

  • Vanessa Li, Ph.D.

    Founder and Director Of Clinical Services, The Pond

  • James Rhee

    Founder, the red helicopter

  • Kelsey Louie

    Chief Executive Officer, The Door and Broome Street Academy Charter High School

  • Kanika Priya Sethi, M.S.Ed

    Social Worker, Association to Benefit Children and Resilient Mind Psychotherapy

  • Cynthia Solis Yi

    Former Chief Revenue Officer at La Cocina; Former Board Trustee Las Lomitas Elementary School District

  • Angela Tolosa

    Senior Advisor,
    NYC Administration for Children's Services

  • Vivian Young

Staff

Anita Gundanna, PhD

Co-Executive Director
agundanna@cacf.org

Anita Gundanna (she/her) joined CACF as Co-Executive Director in April 2017. She has worked throughout her career to prevent and address violence against women and children, and to promote healthy families, primarily in minority and immigrant communities of New York City. Prior to her return to the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), Anita worked as a consultant with a number of small and growing community-based non-profit organizations mostly serving Asian American and immigrant communities.

  • Anita Gundanna (she/her) joined CACF as Co-Executive Director in April 2017. She has worked throughout her career to prevent and address violence against women and children, and to promote healthy families, primarily in minority and immigrant communities of New York City. Prior to her return to the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), Anita worked as a consultant with a number of small and growing community-based non-profit organizations mostly serving Asian American and immigrant communities.

    Anita holds a PhD from Columbia University School of Social Work.  She conducts research on organizations, social movements, and coalition-building.  She teaches program evaluation and advocacy to students in the master’s degree program in the schools of social work and public affairs.  She also gives seminars on program design, program evaluation, and theories of change for member organizations of CACF and FPWA in New York City.

    From 2007-2010, Anita was Deputy Director at the Fund for Social Change (FSC) where she created and coordinated a number of donor-community collaborations and strategic alliances to affect positive change in New York City’s child welfare system. She was also Program Officer for the Child Welfare Fund and managed the foundation’s portfolio of grantees.

    From 2004-2007, Anita served as Director of Client Services at Womankind (formerly the New York Asian Women’s Center), where she managed the agency’s residential and community-based services assisting women and child victims of domestic violence. While there she developed Project Free, a program serving victims of human trafficking.

    Anita also worked at CACF from 2001 – 2004 in child welfare policy advocacy for New York City’s Asian American and immigrant communities. Anita holds a BS in Psychology and an Elementary School Teaching Certification from Duke University, and an MS and PhD in Social Work from Columbia University. She lives with her family in South Orange, NJ.

Vanessa Leung

Co-Executive Director
vleung@cacf.org

Vanessa Leung (she/her) joined CACF as Co-Executive Director in April 2017. She has served the education community through her career, advocating on behalf of Asian Pacific American students and English Language Learners in New York City public schools. She was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to the Panel for Educational Policy and served as Chair of the PEP for 8 years from January 2014 to December 2021. She currently also sits on the Advisory Panel for the Brooke Astor Fund for New York City Education.

  • Vanessa Leung (she/her) joined CACF as Co-Executive Director in April 2017. She has served the education community through her career, advocating on behalf of Asian Pacific American students and English Language Learners in New York City public schools. She was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to the Panel for Educational Policy and served as Chair of the PEP for 8 years from January 2014 to December 2021. She currently also sits on the Advisory Panel for the Brooke Astor Fund for New York City Education.

    Prior to returning to CACF, for three years she was the Director of Member Initiatives at FPWA (formerly, the Federation for Protestant Welfare Agencies), where she was responsible for membership recruitment and engaging 200 community based and faith based member organizations, and worked with a team to provide professional development, grants, and other resources to support and strengthen nonprofits throughout the City.

    While Deputy Director for CACF, she was responsible for the development of a pan-Asian children’s advocacy agenda to improve policies, funding, and services for the Asian Pacific American community. As Education Policy and Program Coordinator of CACF, she authored Hidden in Plain View, a report detailing Asian and Pacific American students’ needs, and worked alongside other advocates on the creation of Chancellor’s Regulation A-663, mandating comprehensive interpretation and translation services, as well as the Dignity in All Schools Act which reduces bias-based harassment in schools.

    Vanessa spearheaded a high school youth leadership project, the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) that trains a diverse group of high school students to advocate for the needs of Asian Pacific American students. In 2007, she was named a member of the City Council’s Middle School Task Force.

    She holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University and a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College. She also completed the Middle Management Program of the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management at the Graduate School of Business of Columbia University, the CORO New York Immigrant Civic Leadership Program,  the CRE Leadership Caucus, and the 2017 American Express Leadership Academy 2.0 at the Aspen Institute. Vanessa currently lives with her husband and three sons on Staten Island.

Miral Abbas

Health Partnerships Coordinator
mabbas@cacf.org

Miral Abbas (she/her) is the Health Partnerships Coordinator at CACF. She is responsible for executing CACF’s health programming and research efforts around building a language-accessible and culturally responsive healthcare system. Through this role, Miral coordinates amongst CACF’s diverse members across the city to strengthen partnerships and provide opportunities for information exchange, peer support, and capacity building.

Miral received her Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. While at Columbia, Miral immersed herself in community-based programming and research, including serving as a Research Scholar at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Miral received her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.

Miral was raised in San Francisco, California, and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Francis Asprec

Grants Coordinator
fasprec@cacf.org

Francis Asprec (he/him) is currently CACF’s Grants Coordinator and first joined CACF as the Grants and Membership Coordinator in March 2022. He is primarily responsible for coordinating CACF’s grant making and subcontracting programs. When he first started at CACF, he was responsible for both coordinating and sustaining CACF's grant making and subcontracting programs along with supporting, stewarding and cultivating CACF membership. Francis is excited about working with CACF’s various stakeholders where he can galvanize and cultivate them further into becoming long-term engaged allies, strategic collaborators and consultants. He is also ecstatic about working with CACF’s staff where he can continue being mentored, coached and inspired on how to be a more effective advocate and ally for the AAPI youth and families in New York and beyond.

  • Francis Asprec (he/him) joined CACF as the Grants and Membership Coordinator in March 2022. He is primarily responsible for coordinating CACF’s grant making and subcontracting programs as well as supporting, stewarding and cultivating CACF membership. Francis is excited about working with CACF’s various stakeholders where he can galvanize and cultivate them further into becoming long-term engaged allies, strategic collaborators and consultants. He is also ecstatic about working with CACF staff where he can continue being mentored, coached and inspired on how to be a more effective advocate and ally for the AAPI youth and families in New York and beyond.

    Prior to CACF, Francis has 10+ years of professional experience working within education, public sector and nonprofits. His professional journey started as a spoken English language instructor to both undergrad and grad students in Chengdu, China from 2010-2012.

    From 2013-2014, Francis served as an NYC Civic Corps/AmeriCorps member. Through this opportunity, he worked with NYC Parks as a Volunteer Coordinator. He was responsible for bolstering and expanding Shape Up NYC’s presence in both Queens and Lower Manhattan while also educating people about the importance of active living and community building. It was at NYC Parks where Francis gained strong professional interest within community outreach and engagement, volunteer management and strategic partnerships.

    From 2014 onwards, Francis worked for a variety of respectable nonprofits in NYC whose issues ranged from health advocacy to homelessness prevention. He honed his competencies further within fundraising, grant writing, grant application management, donor software database management, volunteer management and event planning. Francis also served as an independent consultant to youth-based advocacy organizations in both NJ and NY where he focused on case management, program evaluation, and coaching and mentoring. With each valuable stepping stone, Francis remains committed to working within Advocacy, Philanthropy and Social Justice.

    In his spare time, Francis loves giving back to his communities within NJ and NYC. He enjoys volunteering at his favorite organization in the Lower East Side, mentoring high school youth, coaching little league baseball and lectoring at his local Catholic parish. Francis and his wife currently reside in New Jersey.

Nikita Boyce

Budget Policy Coordinator
nboyce@cacf.org

Nikita Boyce (she/they) is the Budget Equity Coordinator at CACF. She is responsible for the 18% and Growing Campaign and co-leads the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition. Their work focuses on advocating for government institutions to increasingly invest and equitably fund community based organizations and city initiatives that directly impact the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Diaspora in New York City and New York State.

Prior to joining CACF, Nikita worked in social services, direct services, and community building through various local and national nonprofits.

Nikita received a Bachelor of Arts in Critical Theory and Social Justice with a concentration in Critical Race Theory from Occidental College.

  • Nikita Boyce (she/they) is the Budget Equity Coordinator at CACF. She is responsible for the 18% and Growing Campaign and co-leads the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition. Their work focuses on advocating for government institutions to increasingly invest and equitably fund community based organizations and city initiatives that directly impact the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Diaspora in New York City and New York State.

    Prior to joining CACF, Nikita worked in social services, direct services, and community building through various local and national nonprofits. Their framework for being is predicated on the experience of joy with the goal of decolonization and liberation. They believe in the power of community and ancestral gratitude. Nikita has served as a member of the Steering Committee for JAHAJEE: Indo-Caribbeans for Social Justice since 2021.

    Nikita received a Bachelor of Arts in Critical Theory and Social Justice with a concentration in Critical Race Theory from Occidental College. When not working at CACF, they enjoy cooking, watching films and video essays, grounding in nature, and hanging out with friends and family. Nikita was born in Georgetown, Guyana and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. 

Jeemin Cha

Data Policy Coordinator
jcha@cacf.org

Jeemin Cha (he/him) is the Data Policy Coordinator at CACF. As Data Policy Coordinator, he leads the Invisible No More Campaign for Data Equity (INM) and represents AAPI New Yorkers in data collected by city and state agencies. From his role, he works to rectify the systemic erasure of AAPI New Yorkers in data collected by city and state agencies and ensure that AAPIs and our needs are accurately and properly included in disaggregated data. 

Before arriving at CACF, he worked as an organizer and policy analyst at various immigration nonprofits in NYC, Washington D.C., and Chicago focused on advocacy for increased visibility of AAPI undocumented immigrants and fought for the passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress. 

Jeemin graduated from Baruch College - CUNY with a major in Public Affairs. He also completed his PPIA Fellowship at Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.Jeemin was raised in Hong Kong and currently lives in Queens.

Sherry Chen

Health Policy Coordinator
schen@cacf.org

Sherry Chen (she/her) joined CACF as the Health Policy Coordinator in January 2025, co-leading health policy and legislative agenda around key areas such as language accessibility and health equity. As a child of immigrant parents and a native New Yorker, she is driven by a strong desire to support marginalized AAPI communities across New York through her advocacy work, particularly around addressing health care and health access disparities.

Sherry holds a Bachelor's in Economics and a Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in health policy and management from New York University. Her graduate research focused on analyzing the impact of policies addressing gaps in access to high-quality care, especially when it comes to chronic diseases and other stressors disproportionately affecting marginalized populations. 

  • Sherry Chen (she/her) joined CACF as its Health Policy Coordinator in January 2025, co-leading health policy and legislative agenda around key areas such as language accessibility and health equity. Sherry collaborates closely with policymakers, community leaders, advocacy organizations, and CACF’s partners to improve healthcare policies, funding, and services for AAPI, immigrant communities, including limited English proficient communities, and other communities of color. As a child of immigrant parents and a native New Yorker, she is driven by a strong desire to support marginalized AAPI communities across New York through her advocacy work, particularly around addressing health care and health access disparities.


    Prior to joining CACF, Sherry has worked in development and partnership management for several healthcare nonprofits focusing on funding medical research. Outside of her professional role, she currently organizes community engagement efforts for Welcome to Chinatown, collaborating with local Manhattan Chinatown organizations, leaders, and residents to build a strong community-based advocacy network.

    Sherry holds a Bachelor's in Economics and a Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in health policy and management from New York University. Her graduate research focused on analyzing the impact of policies addressing gaps in access to high-quality care, especially when it comes to chronic diseases and other stressors disproportionately affecting marginalized populations. 

Juan Chen

Contracts and Invoicing Coordinator
jchen@cacf.org

Juan Chen (he/him) joined the CACF team in October 2023 as Contracts and Invoicing Coordinator. In his role, Juan collaborates closely with the CACF staff to execute and implement various City and State government funded programs. His primary focus is on ensuring seamless operations, maintaining compliance, and facilitating the smooth submission of invoices/vouchers to meet contract requirements. He is particularly eager to collaborate with City and/or State government agencies, CACF member agencies, and partners, community leaders, and elected or appointed officials to make the contracting and invoicing processes as smooth as possible.

Before joining CACF, Juan worked in the healthcare industry, where he gained valuable experience in accounting and finance. 

Juan holds both B.B.A in Finance and Economics from Baruch College and an M.S in Business Economics with a focus on Global Business and Finance from Brooklyn College.

Adelynne Ribao Dadivas

Grants and Contracts Associate
adadivas@cacf.org

Adelynne Ribao Dadivas (she/her) joined CACF as a Grants and Contracts Associate in January 2025. She has a history of grassroots organizing and working in the nonprofit sector in areas such as environmental justice, tenant organizing, and student advocacy at CUNY campuses. She gained experience in procurement during her time at a Brooklyn-based community development and anti-violence nonprofit. She is excited to bring her experience in procurement and administrative support to CACF.

She was born and raised in southern California and currently lives in Queens, New York. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. 

Lloyd Feng

Senior Data Policy Coordinator
lfeng@cacf.org

Lloyd Feng (he/him) joined CACF in August 2021. In his current role as Senior Data Policy Coordinator, Lloyd co-leads the Invisible No More Campaign (INM), focusing on effective policy implementation and oversight of ethnicity-based data disaggregation at NYC, NYS, and federal agencies so that AA and NHPI communities and all communities can be fully represented in government demographic data collection. He is interested in ensuring that government data collection can capture the disparities and diversities within and between our communities as well as uplift shared needs across communities. He is a graduate of Princeton University with a Bachelor's degree in Art & Archaeology and a Certificate in East Asian Studies.

  • Lloyd Feng (he/him) joined CACF in August 2021. In his current role as Data Policy Coordinator, Lloyd co-leads the Invisible No More Campaign (INM), focusing on effective policy implementation and oversight of ethnicity-based data disaggregation at NYC, NYS, and federal agencies so that AA and NHPI communities and all communities can be fully represented in government demographic data collection. He is interested in ensuring that government data collection can capture the disparities and diversities within and between our communities as well as uplift shared needs across communities.

    At the same time, Lloyd’s advocacy also encompasses important questions over the responsible use of disaggregated ethnicity data in ways that serve our communities’ needs, privacy protections, and the opportunity that data disaggregation offers to foster and repair trust between our communities and our government. Lloyd also represents CACF as an active member of the APA VOICE Redistricting Task Force, advocating for fair and effective representation for Asian communities, and fighting for a just and faithful interpretation of race/ethnicity data on our communities.

    Prior to CACF, Lloyd served as a Program Associate at the Committee of 100. Lloyd is a native New Yorker, born and raised in Washington Heights and Upper Manhattan who now calls Williamsburg, Brooklyn home. He serves as a Community Board Member of Brooklyn Community Board 1. He is a graduate of Princeton University with a Bachelor's degree in Art & Archaeology and a Certificate in East Asian Studies.

Lakshmi Gandhi

Senior Communications Coordinator
lgandhi@cacf.org

Lakshmi Gandhi (she/her) is CACF’s Senior Communications Coordinator. As the leader of CACF’s growing communications team, she manages the organization’s social media and media relations strategy. Lakshmi first joined CACF as the Communications and Outreach Coordinator in December 2021. She is continually inspired by working with CACF's members, partners, and staff to educate the public about CACF's work on behalf of New York City's AAPI families.

Prior to joining CACF, she was a reporter and editor covering literature, identity. and pop culture for outlets that included NBC Asian America, HISTORY, Prism, and Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the Craig Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York.

Mira Gupta

Program Coordinator
mhgupta@cacf.org

Mira Gupta (they/she) joined CACF as a Program Coordinator in November 2024. They are part of the Leadership Development team, which oversees the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) as well as the Social Justice Leadership Institute (SJLI). They are responsible for coordinating CACF’s Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Communities youth fellowship program.

Prior to CACF, Mira graduated with a B.A. in Global Health in 2024 from UC San Diego. There, Mira worked as a Community Assistant in Educational Programming for the Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American (APIMEDA) Programs and Services Office, where they helped coordinate and
facilitate professional development and social justice education workshops, empowered student leaders, clubs and folks within the APIMEDA community through cultural and social events.

  • Mira Gupta (they/she) joined CACF as a Program Coordinator in November 2024. They are part of the Leadership Development team, which oversees the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) as well as the Social Justice Leadership Institute (SJLI). They are responsible for coordinating CACF’s Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Communities youth fellowship program.

    Prior to CACF, Mira graduated with a B.A. in Global Health in 2024 from UC San Diego. There, Mira worked as a Community Assistant in Educational Programming for the Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American (APIMEDA) Programs and Services Office, where they helped coordinate and
    facilitate professional development and social justice education workshops, empowered student leaders, clubs and folks within the APIMEDA community through cultural and social events. Mira also worked for The Zone, a student
    health and well-being lounge supporting programming to address the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, as well as the Cross-Cultural Center as a Joy de la
    Cruz Art and Activism Intern and Social Justice Educator bridging together art, health, healing, and social justice in their work.

    Mira has always been passionate about health, the arts, community organizing and collective liberation. They are especially excited to work with youth and
    families to promote more healing-centered and pan-Asian and AAPI focused and driven programs that align with CACF’s mission.

Sarah Ha

Senior Director of Strategy
sha@cacf.org

Sarah Ha (she/they) is the Senior Director of Strategy at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), where she spearheads the organization’s comprehensive strategy to drive impactful change for marginalized Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across New York. She oversees policy advocacy, membership and coalition-building, and leadership development programs, ensuring they align with CACF’s mission to enhance the health, well-being, and safety of AAPI children and families.

With over 20 years of experience driving strategic transformations in the racial and social justice, nonprofit, education, and social impact sectors, Sarah specializes in strategic partnerships, cross-racial coalition building, organizational strategy, leadership development, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) capacity building. She holds a Master of Education in Student Affairs, Higher Education & Organizational Change from UCLA and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Faith, Peace & Justice from Boston College.

  • Sarah Ha (she/they) is the Senior Director of Strategy at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), where she spearheads the organization’s comprehensive strategy to drive impactful change for marginalized Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across New York. She oversees policy advocacy, membership and coalition-building, and leadership development programs, ensuring they align with CACF’s mission to enhance the health, well-being, and safety of AAPI children and families.

    With over 20 years of experience driving strategic transformations in the racial and social justice, nonprofit, education, and social impact sectors, Sarah specializes in strategic partnerships, cross-racial coalition building, organizational strategy, leadership development, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) capacity building. A Professional Diversity Coach and trained Intergroup Dialogue Facilitator, she leverages her narrative as the daughter of working-class immigrants, caregiver, and satellite child to her professional practice, fostering environments of growth, healing, and transformation.

    Before joining CACF, Sarah founded Jayu Consulting, LLC, a strategy coaching and consulting firm dedicated to empowering social impact leaders and organizations to deepen their connections and amplify their transformative impact. As Vice President of National Community Alliances at Teach For America (TFA), she led external engagement strategies with national civil rights and building intersectional partnerships across BIPOC, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities. Her leadership at TFA included founding the AAPI Community Alliances, which mobilized and developed AAPI leaders to drive systemic change in education, earning her national recognition, including the 2018 Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) Community Award and acknowledgment by the California delegation.

    Sarah’s career also includes leading programs for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program and APIA Scholars, where she supported over 16,000 scholarship recipients and contributed to national research on educational equity for underserved AAPI communities. Her strategic expertise and dedication to community engagement and DEIB initiatives have consistently empowered communities to achieve transformative change.

    She holds a Master of Education in Student Affairs, Higher Education & Organizational Change from UCLA and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Faith, Peace & Justice from Boston College. She has completed certifications and fellowships with the Coach Diversity Institute, Pahara Institute, Aspen Institute, LEAP’s Emerging Leaders Program, Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) National Leadership Academy, and TFA’s New Executive Director Fellowship.

    Living on the unceded land of the Lenapehoking (Queens, NY), Sarah is committed to creating equitable opportunities for historically underserved communities, grounding in her core value of collective liberation. She serves on the Advisory Council for Act To Change and volunteers with community organizations dedicated to promoting equity, belonging, and justice.

Ambrosia Kaui

Director of Grants and Contracts
akaui@cacf.org

Ambrosia Kaui (she/they) is currently CACF’s Director of Grants and Contracts and joined CACF as the Director of Contracts in August 2022. She is responsible for overseeing CACF's contracting work, which includes developing streamlined systems, monitoring and maintaining compliance, providing technical assistance (both internally and for external partners), and increasing effectiveness and efficiency across all contracting processes. Prior to CACF, Ambrosia Kaui worked as the Assistant Director for Operations & Evaluation at Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) where she was responsible for agency-wide operations and systems development, including contracting process management, coordination between fiscal and other departments, and developing systems for new programs and initiatives.

  • Ambrosia Kaui (she/they) joined CACF as the Director of Contracts in August 2022. She is responsible for overseeing CACF's contracting work, which includes developing streamlined systems, monitoring and maintaining compliance, providing technical assistance (both internally and for external partners), and increasing effectiveness and efficiency across all contracting processes.

    Prior to CACF Ambrosia Kaui worked as the Assistant Director for Operations & Evaluation at Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) where she was responsible for agency-wide operations and systems development, including contracting process management, coordination between fiscal and other departments, and developing systems for new programs and initiatives. Prior to NMIC, she held roles in the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Trinity Wall Street, and Iris House: A Center for Women, and served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia.

    Born on the island of Kaua’i and raised in the town of Anahola, Hawai’i, Ambrosia is part Filipina (Ilocano/Visayan) and Kanaka ‘Oiwi (Native Hawaiian). She is a first-generation college graduate and holds a Master of Public Administration from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Science from Boston University’s College of Communication.

Phoebe Kim

Program Associate
pkim@cacf.org

Phoebe Kim (she/her) joined as the Community Engagement Assistant for its Asian American Student Advocacy Project (or ASAP) in September 2023 and now works as a Program Associate, supporting youth-oriented projects such as the Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Communities Youth Fellowship and the ASAP Community Network. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 with a bachelors in Sociology and Gender Studies. Prior to CACF, she held leadership roles in a variety of organizations like the University of Michigan's CommonGround in the Program of Intergroup Relations, The Michigan Daily, and WDET Radio.

Kit Lau

Senior Contracts Coordinator
klau@cacf.org

Kit Lau (she/her) is currently CACF’s Senior Contracts Coordinator and joined CACF as Contracts Coordinator in December 2022. She supports subcontracting activities, maintains compliance across all contracts and provides assistance to grantees. She is excited to be a part of the CACF team and support CACF’s member agencies and partners.

As a child of immigrant parents and a native from Lower East Side of Manhattan, she believes strongly in helping to support marginalized communities. Her experience includes working at University Settlement’s Families Thriving Program as a Program Assistant to connect underserved children and parents with mental health services. Kit also has volunteered with Chinese Progressive Association teaching ESL and citizenship classes to immigrant adults.

Kit received her MA in Elementary Education from Queens College New York with teaching experience in NYC public schools.

Simon Lau

Contracts Coordinator
slau@cacf.org

Simon Lau (he/him) joined CACF in October 2023 as a Contracts Coordinator. In this role, he supports subcontracting activities and helps maintain compliance and efficiency in collaboration with grantees.

Simon graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a B.A. in Psychology. Prior to CACF, he has worked in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors. A native New Yorker, Simon is excited to be a part of the CACF team and support their work in advocating for resources to local underserved communities and contributing to a more equitable and compassionate society. 

Ada Lin, LMSW

Senior Program Coordinator
alin2@cacf.org

Ada Lin, LMSW (she/her) is CACF’s Senior Program Coordinator, having first joined CACF as the Program Coordinator in January 2022. She coordinates ASAP's programming, curriculum, and training while supporting ASAP Youth Leaders in their personal growth and identity development. Ada also coordinates projects within CACF’s Social Justice Leadership Institute such as the Workshop Series for Asian American Parents.

  • Ada Lin, LMSW (she/her) is CACF’s Senior Program Coordinator, having first joined CACF as the Program Coordinator in January 2022. She coordinates ASAP's programming, curriculum, and training while supporting ASAP Youth Leaders in their personal growth and identity development. Ada also coordinates projects within CACF’s Social Justice Leadership Institute such as the Workshop Series for Asian American Parents.

    Prior to CACF, Ada worked as a counselor advocate at one of the school-based programs at the Chinese-American Planning Council. She facilitated weekly social-emotional learning workshops and provided monthly counseling for high school students. Most of her students were either Asian immigrants or children of immigrant parents. Ada also worked with students’ families to increase parent engagement. While working as a counselor advocate, Ada also volunteered her time to focus on policy advocacy at the Chinese-American Planning Council, working on social media campaigns, and meeting with elected officials to discuss the needs of her students. During her time in graduate school, Ada also interned at P.S1, an elementary school in the Lower East Side as a school social work intern, and at City Council member Carlina Rivera’s office as a policy and communication intern. As a social work student, Ada focused her coursework on social work policy advocacy.

    Ada received a B.A. in psychology from CUNY Brooklyn College in 2018 and a Master of Social Work from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service in 2022.

Felicia Singh

Director of Policy and Government Relations
fsingh@cacf.org

Felicia Singh (she/her) joined CACF as the Director of Policy and Government Relations in January 2023. Prior to CACF, Felicia served as the Advocacy and Campaigns Manager for Jahajee Sisters, a grassroots organization focused on gender justice. Felicia represented Jahajee Sisters in the Fund Excluded Works coalition where she collaborates with organizations across NY State to ensure our more essential workers are provided financial security. She is also a trainer for New American Leaders, an organization that supports 1st and 2nd generation Americans running for office. Felicia ran in one of the only Republican districts in the county of Queens, NY and was the Democratic Nominee for New York City Council in District 32, making her the first Indo-Caribbean and Punjabi person to win a Democratic Primary in NYC. 

  • Felicia Singh (she/her) joined CACF as the Director of Policy & Government Affairs in January 2023. Prior to CACF, Felicia served as the Advocacy and Campaigns Manager for Jahajee Sisters, a grassroots organization focused on gender justice. Felicia represented Jahajee Sisters in the Fund Excluded Works coalition where she collaborates with organizations across NY State to ensure our more essential workers are provided financial security. She is also a trainer for New American Leaders, an organization that supports 1st and 2nd generation Americans running for office. Felicia ran in one of the only Republican districts in the county of Queens, NY and was the Democratic Nominee for New York City Council in District 32, making her the first Indo-Caribbean and Punjabi person to win a Democratic Primary in NYC.

    Felicia graduated from Adelphi University with a B.A. in English Literature and M.A. in Adolescent Education for grades 7-12, along with a certification in Special Education. She taught English Literature 7-10th grade for 10 years at various middle and high schools in NY and also Diversity, Equity and Inclusion professional development for educators and administration. Felicia also served the United States in China with the Peace Corps, where she taught English at Neijiang Normal University in Sichuan from 2013-2015.

    Felicia was raised in Queens, NYC and comes from an interfaith and intercultural home. She identifies as both Guyanese and Punjabi.

Camilla Song

Contracts and Invoicing Coordinator
csong@cacf.org

Camilla Song (she/her) currently serves as the Contracts & Invoicing Coordinator at CACF. She joined CACF in December 2022 as a Grants & Contracts Associate. In her role, Camilla collaborates closely with the CACF staff to execute and implement a variety of City and State funded programs. Specifically, she supports CACF’s capacity to administer state funding by ensuring efficient operations, maintaining compliance, and facilitating the timely submission of invoices and vouchers to meet contract requirements. She is particularly excited when she is able to collaborate with CACF member agencies and partners to make the contracting and invoicing processes as smooth as possible.

She was raised in China and immigrated to the United States in December 2017. She earned an associate degree in Business Administration from LaGuardia Community College and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Finance at Baruch College.

Kristen Sze-Tu

Senior Program Coordinator
kszetu@cacf.org

Kristen Sze-Tu is currently CACF’s Senior Program Coordinator for the Social Justice Leadership Institute (SJLI), having first joined the organization as Program Coordinator in November 2021. She is excited to work with partner organizations to support the development of a healing-centered workshop series for pan-Asian youth, along with anti-racist and racial literacy programming for parents and caregivers. Kristen believes in healing rooted in community-grounded relationships and care. She has previously led storytimes and school programs as a museum educator, designed and taught an arts-and-narrative-based afterschool program, and worked in retail as a bookseller.

Kristen received her BA in English Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis.  

Kulsoom Tapal

Education Policy Coordinator
ktapal@cacf.org

Kulsoom Tapal (she/her) joined CACF as the Education Policy Coordinator in October 2022 after first joining CACF as an Education Policy Fellow in September 2021. Her work is focused on leading the Education Equity Agenda by identifying and pursuing key legislative, budget, and programmatic goals to advance the inclusion of AANHPI voices in education spaces while strengthening intersectional solidarity. She also co-leads the REACH Coalition, a growing intersectional and intergenerational state-wide coalition advocating for the AANHPI history to be integrated into New York State public school curriculum. Kulsoom regularly convenes with key stakeholders including community members, students, educators, parents, partner organizations, government agencies, elected officials, and allies to move this work forward.

  • Kulsoom Tapal (she/her) joined CACF as the Education Policy Coordinator in October 2022 after being an Education Policy Fellow since September 2021. Her work is focused on building out the AAPI curriculum campaign by identifying and pursuing key legislative, budget, and programmatic goals to advance the inclusion of AAPI voices in the classroom and strengthen intersectional solidarity. This campaign is advocating for the integration of AAPI curricular resources in existing core curriculum while centering a Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CRSE) framework. Kulsoom is looking forward to working with key stakeholders including community members, students, educators, parents, partner organizations, government agencies, elected officials, and allies to move this work forward.

    Kulsoom is a community organizer, creative thinker, and a child of immigrants. Aside from her role at CACF, she is one of the founding leaders and organizers with the New York Muslim Organizing Collective which is working to empower Muslims to mobilize and fight for social justice. Prior to her current role at CACF, Kulsoom has worked in various advocacy, policy, and non-profit spaces. Most recently, Kulsoom was the Associate Director of Growth at Orr Group. She has also had roles at various intuitions including Poligon, a Congressional Advocacy Organization, Congresswoman Jayapal’s Office, the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, and the Community Justice and Mediation Center. She is an alum of Indiana University, where she studied Informatics and Public Policy.

Sufan Wan

ASAP Administrative Assistant
swan@cacf.org

Sufan Wan (she/her) joined CACF as an ASAP Administrative Assistant in September 2023. She is responsible for assisting ASAP campaign developments and managing administrative duties about Youth Leaders and ASAP alumni engagement. Her previous experiences as a Youth Leader and Program Intern at the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) allowed her to be an informed and empowered change-maker, particularly in education and youth language access.

Looking forward, Sufan is excited to sharpen her understanding of the outreach of social justice work and incorporate youth power in uplifting CACF values in the policymaking process.

Sufan is currently majoring in biology on the Pre-Dental track at SUNY Stony Brook University.

Andrea Wu

Director of Operations
awu@cacf.org

Andrea Wu (she/her) first joined CACF in 2003. As the Director of Operations, Andrea oversees internal functioning of the organization and works on strengthening administrative and operational efficiency. She works closely with the Co-Executive Directors in leading fundraising efforts and in developing relations with key stakeholders.

  • Andrea Wu (she/her) first joined CACF in 2003. As the Director of Operations, Andrea oversees internal functioning of the organization and works on strengthening administrative and operational efficiency. She works closely with the Co-Executive Directors in leading fundraising efforts and in developing relations with key stakeholders.

    Andrea returned to CACF in 2010 to oversee Membership and Capacity Building. From that role, she continues to engage CACF’s 50+ member organizations by keeping them informed about key policy and advocacy campaigns, increasing their visibility through information and resource sharing, and promoting collaborative opportunities.

    From 2003 to 2006, Andrea was the Outreach and Education Coordinator for CACF, responsible for managing community partnerships and supporting our youth leadership program, and supporting Project CORE (Children Overcoming through Resources and Education), a post-9/11 training and community education program.

    Prior to CACF, Andrea was the information and membership coordinator for the Asian American Arts Alliance, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to supporting the work of pan-ethnic, multidisciplinary Asian American artists and arts organizations. Andrea received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Oberlin College, and a Masters in Education from Hunter College, specializing in Early Education and Special Education. She completed the Community Resource Exchange Leadership Caucus in 2020. She was raised in Chinatown and currently lives in Brooklyn.

Fiona Zhao

Grants Coordinator
fzhao@cacf.org

Fiona Zhao (she/her) is the Grants Coordinator at CACF. As Grants Coordinator, she oversees government funding programming supporting AAPI-led and serving community-based organizations to facilitate thoughtful program implementation, capacity building, and the provision of culturally competent, language accessible services to the community. Prior to her current position, she was CACF’s State Budget Policy Coordinator for a year. Before arriving at CACF, she worked at University Settlement, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and MinKwon Center for Community Action primarily focused on advocacy for increased voting rights access and civic engagement for Asian Americans in New York City. She received a Bachelor's Degree of Arts in Philosophy from Emory University.

CACF Interns

Reona Alam

Public Service Intern

Reona Alam (she/her) is an intern with CACF’s new Public Service Internship program. She is currently working in Councilmember Shekar Krishnan’s office. Her previous experience as a Youth Leader at the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) has taught her how to identify issues in her community and analyze their root causes. 

She is looking forward to honing her leadership and professional skills as well as better understanding the ways she can give back to her community. She is also passionate about exploring her AAPI identity as well as educating others about the AAPI community. Reona is currently majoring in political science on the Pre-Law track at CUNY Hunter College.

Nicole Chen

AYCAN Intern

Nicole Chen (she/her) joined CACF as an AYCAN Intern in January 2025. She is currently a junior at New York University, majoring in Applied Psychology. She has research experience from her work as a Research Assistant at Tongji University, where she contributed to studies on mental health policies. Nicole is also passionate about DEI and women's rights advocacy, having gained survey analysis and presentation experience through her internships in DEI and Human Resources.

Originally from Shanghai, China, she now lives in Manhattan, New York, and hopes to apply her research and advocacy skills to support CACF’s mission.

Dawei Hao

AYCAN Intern

Dawei Hao (he/him) joined CACF in September 2024 as an intern with the AAPI Youth Community Action Network (AYCAN). He is involved in co-planning and designing workshops aimed at equipping AAPI youth to become lifelong learners and change makers. He is passionate about youth leadership development, advocacy and works closely with the AYCAN team to elevate AAPI's voice and address community needs.

Dawei is currently an MSW student at Columbia School of Social Work at Columbia University.

Tina He

Communications Intern

Tina (Zi Ting) He (she/her) began interning with CACF's Communications team in January 2025. This semester, she will be working on social media content creation and analytics as well as and media outreach. As an Asian American student, she was drawn to CACF because she wanted to work on issues important to the community. She is passionate about advocacy and engaging with the community to better understand the disparities between people from different backgrounds.

Tina is currently a junior at NYU Steinhardt Applied Psychology major with a Chinese language minor studying at and is on track for her 5-year BS/MA program in which she’ll earn a Master's in Mental Health Counseling.

Harry Song

Program Intern

Harry Song (he/him) is an MSW student at Columbia University specializing in Policy Practice. As a Policy & Advocacy Intern at CACF, he supports the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP), engaging youth leaders in policy advocacy, educational equity, and community organizing. He facilitates discussions on AAPI identity, researches policies affecting AAPI students and families, and collaborates on campaign strategies to advance systemic change.

Harry is passionate about racial justice, immigrant rights, and youth empowerment. He holds a BS in Development Studies from Lund University, Sweden and has studied economics and climate policy at École Polytechnique, France. Fluent in Mandarin, English, and French, he is committed to leveraging policy research and advocacy to create equitable opportunities for marginalized communities.

Minesh Sumair

AYCAN Intern

Minesh Sumair (he/him) is currently one of CACF’s AYCAN Interns. As an intern, he is responsible for co-planning and designing the workshop content of the AAPI Youth Community Action Network (AYCAN), as well as supporting Program Coordinators in logistical, program planning, and community outreach duties. With his former experience as a Youth Leader in the Asian American Student Advocacy Project’s (ASAP) community engagement team, he has a passion for education in the advocacy space, leading him to his role as an intern. He is excited to interact with this year’s cohort of participants, and to hear their diverse perspectives on what being AAPI means, and their place in society.

Minesh is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science and Business Administration at Northeastern University.

Julie Wu

AYCAN Intern

Julie Wu (she/her) is an intern at CACF’s AAPI Youth Community Action Network (AYCAN) As part of AYCAN, she is responsible for co-planning and designing workshop content to facilitate monthly workshops to support AAPI youth in learning how to become lifelong learners and changemakers. Julie was previously an ASAP Youth Leader, an experience she credits with sharpening her leadership and facilitation skills. As part of ASAP, Julie regularly testified before New York City Council and routinely had conversations with elected officials about the issues that mattered to AAPI high schoolers the most. She is also an alum of NYCLU’s Teen Activist Project (TAP), where she led rallies and led lobby visits.

She is currently a first-year student at Stony Brook University.

ASAP Campaign Coaches

Jason Le

ASAP Mental Health Campaign Coach

Jason Le (he/him) is currently a  Ph.D student in the Sociology of Education program at NYU. He received a Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education at NYU Steinhardt and an M.A. in Sociology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Jason served as a Social Studies Teacher within the NYC Public school system and has taught in the Bronx and Queens. His work revolves around using social justice based learning and Critical theory within the classroom to have students create meaning to their communities and worlds around them. Jason is excited to apply his knowledge and theory into practice in supporting the mission of CACF to ensure the socioemotional well being of Asian American youth.

Jay Syz

ASAP Anti-Bullying and Harassment Campaign Coach

Jay Syz (he/him) joined CACF as a Campaign Coach in January 2023. He supports ASAP’s anti-bullying and harassment campaign work. Jay believes in mentorship through empathy and leadership by example.

Outside of CACF, Jay is an accomplished technology industry professional. He began his career as an engineer at Google, before transitioning to data science at a startup. Jay received a B.B.A. with a dual major in Computer Science from Emory University in 2019.

Sam Wu

ASAP Language Access Campaign Coach

Sam Wu (she/her) is the Language Access campaign coach. She has experience as a software engineer, community organizer, and policy analyst. She supports her campaign team as they strategize and execute actions to build awareness of the challenges and needs of English Language Learners across New York City.