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2026 STEERING COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP

  • Hing (he/him) enters his second year as SF Chapter President and sixth overall with Project by Project. Previously, Hing worked his way through Team and Leadership, learning all the ins and outs of the chapter logistics and leading membership experiences. Outside of PbP, Hing has work in student affairs higher education for 13 years, where his passion is supporting students to have a complete collegiate experience through identity and leadership development and intentional experiential learning experiences. As a Khmer transracial-transnational adoptee (TRA), Hing also spends time in the adoptee community advocating and amplifying adoptee narratives, particularly to ensure Asian adoptee voices are included in the Asian American conversation. In his free time, Hing enjoys global travel, freelance photography, spending time with his 19-year-old dach"son" named Buster, and is an aviation enthusiast. Fun Fact: Hing recently got married to his best friend, Jazmin, in their home-town away from home, in Guadalajara, Mexico! 

  • Mark is back for his “senior year” (4th year!) with PbP as the Chief of Staff and as the returning T&L Director, and he couldn’t be more grateful to help foster a sense of belonging and build community with each and every member of the San Francisco chapter. He grew up in Honolulu, Hawai’i, and has lived in the Bay Area for the past 14 years, spending his time with AAPI nonprofits such as KSW (Kearny Street Workshop), the OACC (Oakland Asian Culture Center), GAPA (GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance), and of course, PbP.

    Catch him outside of PbP at a concert (last year, he went once a week!), walking around SF with his headphones in, or cooking / playing board games / watching anime with his friends.

  • Andrew returns to Project by Project this year as the Marketing Director, bringing his expertise to support and elevate the AAPI community. He is a proud Bay Area native with a professional background in Digital Marketing. In his free time, you can find him capturing moments with his camera, diving into arts & crafts, and hitting up the bowling lanes for some friendly competition.

  • Wendy Vang-Roberts is a first-generation Hmong American from Minnesota with over a decade of experience in nonprofit capacity-building roles. She currently works in political fundraising. Wendy serves on the boards of the Center for Excellence in Nonprofits and Antiracism Community of Transformation, and previously chaired the working board of Asian American Organizing Project. She holds a B.S. in Business Management and a Master of Public and Nonprofit Administration from Metropolitan State University. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, eating street food and spending time with her spunky senior dog.

  • Jeremy joined PbP in 2025, fueled by a passion to make a positive impact in the AAPI community alongside ambitious, dedicated, and driven individuals. Born and raised in San Jose, Jeremy is a proud alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University. By day, he applies his skills as a software engineer, and by night, you can find him exploring the city, dinking on the pickleball court, and spending time with family and friends.

  • Originally from Hong Kong, Joelle brings a global perspective, bold ideas, and a deep appreciation for culture-driven storytelling . She’s excited to expand her involvement within Project by Project by serving as this year's Fundraising Director. Outside of PbP she loves trying new restaurants around San Francisco and creating content for her social media channels. 

  • Kolena is excited to be back for her second year with PbP! Hailing from Seattle, she moved to the Bay in 2020 to pursue her Master of Public Health and fell in love with California. She is passionate about improving the health outcomes of immigrant, at-risk, and underserved communities. 

    Outside of work, Kolena loves traveling, yoga, and going outside to hike, backpack, and explore the vibrant neighborhoods of the Bay!

  • As a second-generation Teochew Chinese American, Keanu joined Project by Project in 2023 with a passion for uplifting the AAPI community and building connections with others dedicated to social impact. He recently moved to San Francisco from Los Angeles where he now serves as the Finance Director, managing budgeting strategies and ensuring the chapter’s long-term financial stability.

    Keanu works with the Treasury team at Uber and earned his bachelor's degree in Business Finance from Cal Poly Pomona. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and exploring diverse cultures and cuisines around the world.

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

EVENTS TEAM

The Events team oversees the planning and execution of all public events held by the San Francisco chapter throughout the year. The team ensures the chapter’s adherence to national goals and themes for events.

  • Angelina Grate is a recent graduate of San José State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Business. She currently serves as the Program Specialist for the Community Action Center at SJSU, where she plans university-wide events that engage students, faculty, and the San José community around civic engagement, advocacy, and social justice. Angelina brings extensive experience working with nonprofits, volunteering, and student-led organizations. Most recently, she served as the 2024–2025 President of Her Campus SJSU, a women’s empowerment student organization. Through her work, she combines event planning and project management skills with an optimistic and innovative leadership style to drive meaningful community impact.

  • Meet Cindy! A recent transplant to the Bay Area by way of Calgary and Toronto, Cindy spends her days as a Transportation Engineer. She has a long history of volunteering and is excited to join her love for community building with Project by Project. Outside of the office, you’ll find her skiing and hiking, playing volleyball, or yapping and knitting at a cafe.

  • Elisa joined PbP in 2026 with a goal of dedicating more of her time to making a positive impact in the AAPI community and connecting with like-minded individuals to grow alongside. Professionally, she works as a data scientist in the AI infrastructure space, and outside of work, she is an amateur pottist and a runner (when the weather is nice and she has the energy).

  • Kara is a Bay Area native and San Francisco–based public health professional focused on advancing equitable access to care through community partnerships and collaborative initiatives. In her work at UCSF, she supports programs that improve cancer prevention and care across diverse communities.

    Kara brings a background in hospitality and event operations to Project by Project, where she enjoys creating meaningful community experiences and building connections. She is passionate about supporting the AAPI community and continuing to grow as a collaborative leader in the nonprofit space.

  • Henry is a first-year volunteer with PbP, joining the San Francisco team after two years in New York and his time at Carnegie Mellon. Having always found a reliable support system within the Asian community, he is eager to give back and focus on AAPI empowerment. In his free time, Henry likes to run, read, and watch his favorite sports teams lose every year.

  • Madisen (she/they) was born and raised in San Francisco. Excited to join PbP in cultivating the celebration of AAPI community alongside other driven and passionate individuals. Madisen continues to be a student pursuing psychology and cognitive science, but spends more time on their interests of mahjong and junk journaling.

  • Shojeh is a San Francisco native excited to be returning to where he grew up and first honed his leadership skills. Joining PbP for the first time in 2026, he looks forward to exploring new opportunities in raising up Asian-American causes and organizations for the betterment of all in our local community. His day job involves supporting the needs of over 300 of our homeless neighbors at St. Vincent de Paul of San Francisco's Multi-Service Center South. Outside of work, he enjoys seeking out hole in the wall restaurants and learning to do partner social dance. 

  • Marisa is a neuroscientist driven by the goal of bringing new therapies to patients. She loves trying new food spots, catching live shows, and building community with friends around the city. Marisa is excited to join Project by Project to support AAPI-led organizations and help create connection through innovative philanthropy.

  • Avery is excited to begin his first year with Project by Project, driven by a desire to contribute to and grow within the AAPI community. Originally from Georgia, he graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology and now works as a robotics engineer at a startup, building real-world systems for warehouse automation. Outside of work, he enjoys staying active with pickleball, trying new restaurants, and traveling to new places. He values connecting with thoughtful, driven people and is looking forward to building meaningful relationships through PbP.

  • Ashton is an SF Bay Area transplant from Southern California with a natural inquisitiveness that fuels his passions of advocating for a more equitable community and drives his desire to develop deeper understandings of the world.

    As an alumnus of Cal Poly Pomona, Ashton brings leadership experiences from past AAPI Student Affairs and Residence Life roles, as well as from his current role in Cisco's Employee Resource Organization, Filipino Professionals Network (FPN). During his day as a Technical Product Manager, he is an advocate, educator, and mediator who strives to deliver value for all. 

    After working hours, he identifies as an amateur food connoisseur, travel enthusiast, and part-time couch potato who enjoys meeting new people and learning about various cultures.

  • Meagan is a Southern California native excited to join Project by Project for her first year and begin making an impact and building community! Meagan is a thoughtful and analytical leader, passionate about uplifting the AAPI community and learning from diverse perspectives.  Professionally, Meagan works as a Civil Engineer, focusing on the design of transit and multimodal infrastructure. When she finds free time, Meagan enjoys trying new activities, playing video and board games, journaling, racking up steps through city exploring, taste testing new cafes, and playing volleyball! 

  • Hi, my name is Harrison. I’m originally from Hawaii and recently relocated to San Francisco for a new role with KPMG. Outside of work, I enjoy running, watching basketball games, biking, and reading. I look forward to connecting and getting to know everyone.

  • Hailing from SoCal, Alex joins PbP for his first year on the Food & Beverage team! Alex graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a degree in Business and Computer Science. Data Analyst by day, but foodie by night, you’ll likely catch Alex venturing into unknown territories of the city to find local gems.

FUNDRAISING TEAM

The Fundraising team is responsible for all revenue generating initiatives via local outreach to corporations, individuals, and public entities. Fundraising maintains records and databases of all contacts, relationship logs, and inputs the data into the national database.

  • This is Walter's second year with PbP and he is excited to stay involve with an organization that is focused on supporting the community. Walter strives to make a positive impact in everything does. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and has experience in consulting and tech. Outside of work he enjoys playing tennis, photography, and trying out new restaurants. 

  • Jared is a UC Berkeley graduate with a degree in Computer Science and Founder of Athenic AI, where he learned to fundraise effectively firsthand. This is Jared's first year as part of PbP, and he's excited to offer his learnings to contribute to and support the community. In his spare time, you can catch Jared practicing his golf swing at the local driving range or losing balls on the course.

  • Jason is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He has been actively engaged with AAPI organizations since his college years and continued that involvement after relocating to San Francisco. Jason is committed to advancing and supporting the communities he serves in the city he now calls home.

    Professionally, Jason works as an iOS Engineer at PayPal, where he contributes to building scalable and user-centered technology solutions. Outside of his professional and community commitments, he pursues competitive bodybuilding, enjoys video games, and attends live music events.

  • Anthony joined PbP with the goal to be more involved in the SF API community. His work experience has allowed him to grow skills such as finance, product management, and rolling Chipotle burritos. Outside of his day-job, he has a affinity for hyper focusing on a new hobby every few months.

  • Dee Pha is passionate about community organizing and building stronger AAPI communities. She has over a decade of experience in nonprofit fundraising. You’ll most likely find her running, hiking or practicing her landscape photography. If you can’t find her, she’s probably bed rotting away, binging a random kdrama or anime. 

  • Born and raised in the SF Bay Area, Kathleen (Kat) is inspired by the diverse culture that surrounds her. After working at J-Sei, a local Japanese-American non-profit, for nearly 7 years in its nutrition program and leading its growth nearly fivefold during the pandemic, Kathleen is ready to embark a new profession in fund development and philanthropy. She is excited to work alongside new peers towards positive social impact. Currently, Kathleen is the creator, host and producer of the podcast, "Hibiku Kotoba" where she interviews AANHPI leaders, creatives and innovators.

    In her spare time, Kathleen loves to root for her favorite football (soccer) clubs, watch a variety of sports, attempt to bake simple recipes, and take long walks with her Shiba Inu, Otoko.

MARKETING TEAM

The Marketing team develops marketing strategies for the local team on all initiatives, including publicity campaigns and promotional strategies, and is responsible for producing all marketing collateral, info packets, flyers, invitations, correspondence, email, newsletters, and graphics.

  • Benjamin is excited to be joining Project by Project's Steering Committee. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he knows how unique the Bay Area is and looks forward to utilizing the region's resources to achieve PbP's mission of developing leaders that engage in social issues that impact the local AAPI community.

    For work, Benjamin provides support for Android developers looking to build their businesses on Google Play. During his free time, Benjamin likes to eat good food with friends, watch sports and TV, and play the New York Times and LinkedIn games.

  • Nico was born and raised in the Bay Area, went to college at CSU Sacramento & has lived in Japan for 2 years. With a background in business management and digital marketing, Nico aims to help out PbP this year and the AAPI communities of the Bay Area. Nico loves to workout, drive cars, and eat In & Out (who doesn't?!).

  • I previously served on the Outreach team and am excited to return as a Social Media Strategist. I come from a healthcare background with experience in the ED, clinics, hospital, and surgical settings, and I’m currently applying to graduate programs.

    PbP has been an amazing space for building community, friendships, and networking. I’m very extroverted, people-driven, and love connecting with others, often known as the social one (and unofficial historian) of PbP. Outside of PbP, I enjoy rock climbing, visual arts, concerts, food and matcha runs and I’m always down to try new things!

  • A Bay Area native, Angie currently works as a designer in the tech industry. In her first year with PbP, she is dedicated to amplifying AAPI voices and supporting the community. In her free time, she enjoys running, playing with her cat, and scouting out new matcha spots.

  • Sherry is currently studying at San Jose State University as a Business Marketing major. She is a Vietnamese American; born and raised in San Francisco. As her first year being in PbP, she is excited to improve and learn more marketing skills as a Content Strategist, while being able to make an impact in the AAPI community through giving back and bringing greater visibility. Some fun facts about her are that she's into singing, dancing, walking to explore around, a TikTok fanatic and is a huge foodie. 

  • Karthik is obsessed (in the best way) with San Francisco — especially the countless ways Asian American communities have helped shape the Bay Area into what it is today. He’s always looking for stories that spotlight culture, ambition, and the people building quietly powerful things.

    When he’s not nerding out about startups, you can probably find him dancing bachata, calculating EV at a poker table, chasing powder on the slopes, or deep-diving into Bay Area real estate trends.

    He joined PbP in 2026 and is pumped to bring that same curiosity, energy, and SF-superfan spirit to the Content Strategy team.

  • Elaine is a filmmaker, video editor, and youth mentor passionate about storytelling, mentorship, and creating content that drives meaningful impact. She has experience across film production and nonprofit media, working at the intersection of creativity, leadership, and education. As a Video Production Manager, Video Editor, and 1st Assistant Director, she has led fast-paced productions, built strategic workflows, and developed effective systems for video production teams. Her goal is to continue amplifying diverse voices through her passion for the art of storytelling. In addition to larger productions, she partners with individual clients as a videographer and photographer, collaborating to tell powerful stories that create positive change.

  • Alyssa is excited to join PbP for her first year! Born and raised in the Bay Area, she received her BFA from the University of Michigan and has worked at an independent animation studio and at the Center for Asian American Media. In her free time she enjoys tap dancing, watching movies/shows, and finding cat memes.

  • A Houston native, Leslie is a self-taught artist and photographer. In her free time, she enjoys playing various sports, exploring city events, and trying new hobbies. She is excited to meet new people and learn new things. Outside of volunteering organizations, she is also part of creative orgs. 

  • Erin is an Interaction Designer at Google and a New York native from a small apple-picking town. This is her first year joining the team, and she’s excited to be volunteering at PbP. In her free time, she enjoys running and getting creative with nail art.

  • Vanessa is originally from New York, where she spent her first year in PbP as the website manager. She’s excited to join the SF chapter for 2026 to continue contributing as a volunteer and growing alongside the wonderful PbP community. Professionally, Vanessa is a software engineer in the financial industry and graduated with a degree in computer science from New York University. Outside of work, you can find her knitting, playing guitar, eating, and shopping around the city.

OUTREACH TEAM

The Outreach team is the main liaison between PbP and other community-based organizations on the local level. Outreach oversees and manages local campaigns and relationships with beneficiary partners (both current and past) and ensures adherence to PbP’s policies regarding the partner.

  • Born in Guam and raised in LA, Joren moved up to the Bay Area (South San Francisco) in 2022 and is currently a Data Scientist at Visa. Joren initially joined Project by Project SF to volunteer with like-minded individuals, after handling his own volunteer events with various clubs back in undergrad at University of California, San Diego, and to also learn more about prevalent societal issues affecting the Asian American community in the Bay Area. In his spare time, Joren loves to travel, cook, hike, take dance classes (K-pop and hip hop), play video and board games, play piano (whenever there is access to a keyboard), and try new restaurants and bars.

  • Vy is passionate about building spaces that celebrate Vietnamese culture and bring the community together in San Francisco. By day, she works in project management in building infrastructure, and beyond that, she’s driven by a love for community, hosting and uplifting local creatives. In her free time, you can find her planning events, hosting dinner parties, trying new restaurants, golfing, or sleeping. 

  • Racquel Ramayla is a graduate of the University of San Francisco where she studied Sociology. Currently, she works as an administrative assistant at Pacific Women’s OB/GYN with a wonderful team of hardworking women. Outside of PbP, she enjoys going to cafes, watching horror movies and going to cafes. 

  • Alex has lived all over California as a SoCal native, graduating of UC San Diego, and now working in the Bay area as a software engineer. As he enters his first year with PbP, Alex is eager to pivot his technical focus toward community impact, helping to foster lasting connections and giving back to the community. When he isn’t debugging or coding, you’ll likely find him exploring local hiking trails or trying new recipes. 

  • Sam is originally from Socal but thinks Norcal might actually have the edge. He joined PbP to both expand his network and to further pursue volunteering. By day, a submarine engineer but in the off time a huge music enthusiast, movie lover, basketball casual and meat smoker.  His "son" Schnitzel keeps him busy bark bark

TEAM & LEADERSHIP

The Team & Leadership team is the internally-focused group concentrating on enriching the Project by Project experience for our Steering Committee members by both organizing team building events and instituting leadership development programs.

  • Originally from Phoenix, Patric moved to San Francisco a little over 2 years ago. Outside of his day job where he works on cancer drug development, he loves building community around his heritage. From hosting dinners with his favorite Vietnamese dishes to organizing discussions around his favorite reads, Patric is excited to dive deeper into the SF AAPI community through Project by Project. On his free time, you can find him on his yoga mat (as a certified yoga teacher!) or planning the next theme for his dinner party! 

  • Nelly Lin is a first-generation Chinese American born and raised in New York City. Deeply rooted in the Asian American community, she has channeled that commitment through work spanning mentorship, nonprofit, and civic programs. As a Product Manager at TikTok, Nelly builds content safety systems designed to address large-scale extreme risks. She holds a B.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley. Outside of work, she can be found traveling, doing pilates, or catching (sporadically performing) a comedy show.

  • Jimmy Zhou is a strategy consultant at PwC Strategy& and a long-time community advocate. He supported low-income families through JusticeCorps, served as a COVID-19 contact tracer for San Diego County, and volunteered as a CASA in San Francisco advocating for foster youth. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, try new restaurants, and is grateful to call San Francisco home.

  • Back for his second year, Jasper is thrilled to return to PbP and continue serving the AAPI community. He's excited to join the Team & Leadership team and help foster an inclusive environment for people to connect with each other.

    In his free time, you can catch him whisking matcha (non-performatively), playing pool, vibing at a concert, trying a new recipe, or riding the bus. 

  • Joyce is originally from Irvine and moved to SF last year and has been enjoying exploring the city! She first joined PbP LA in 2024 and returns for her 2nd year with PbP SF. During the day, she works as a Strategy Consultant at Kaiser Permanente. She is passionate about mental health and healthcare access. Outside of work she likes picnicking, finding cute coffee shops, arts and crafts, concerts, and eating sweets.

  • Nathaniel is a member of the Team and Leadership Team with Project by Project returning for his second year. Nathaniel grew up in San Jose and graduated in with a degree in Computer Science before working for several years at a community tech education nonprofit in East Palo Alto. Since then, he has worked as a Computer Science Curriculum Developer at Khan Academy, as a Technical Assessment Developer at Karat, and as an Instructional Designer at Rize Education. In his free time, Nathaniel enjoys playing and watching soccer, cooking and trying new foods, and spending time with friends.

  • Hello, I'm Terence! I joined Project by Project in 2024 as a Fundraising Manager and am now excited to be on Team & Leadership as an Alumni Relations Team Member. I'm originally from New Jersey and moved to San Francisco in 2021 after getting my MBA at UCLA. I currently work at Google in Product Strategy for Search. Outside of work, I like to stay active playing basketball, tennis, pickleball, golf, or snowboarding (Ikon Pass!!). I'm excited to give back to the AAPI community and work with the rest of PbP!

  • As a proud native of San Francisco, Sam is committed to giving back to the community that has shaped him. Through his involvement with PbP, he seeks to make a positive impact and contribute to the betterment of the community that has been instrumental in his upbringing. Sam graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Business. He began his career in consulting and has since worked in crypto/tech industries. Outside of work, Sam finds joy in rock climbing, camping, and cherishing moments with his loved ones

  • Starlee is excited for his second year in PbP! Having lived in Southern California his entire life, he ventured to San Francisco in search of new experiences. Having a strong AAPI community at home, Starlee is looking to give back and develop his roots in the greater San Francisco area. In his free time, you can catch Starlee trying to cook different variations of the same meals, strolling around the city, or playing board games with his friends!

JOIN OUR TEAM

If you are interested in joining our steering committee in 2026, please fill out the form below. In addition, please follow us on social media to be up to date on upcoming events open to the public.

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