AAPIP - Key Persons
Brandon Hadi (he/him) is second-generation Thai and Indonesian American born in California's Central Valley. With a background in social work, psychology, and biochemistry, Brandon's work has been an exploration in the concepts of healing, belonging, and community. In his role as Director of Programs at Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), Brandon conducts research and develops programs to increase the visibility of and drive philanthropic investments to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
Brandon has worked with The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Social Justice Fund Northwest, Forefront: Innovations in Suicide Prevention, Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation, and the University of Washington. Brandon received his Master's in Social Work from Columbia University and Bachelor's from the University of Washington. In 2016, Brandon founded a mental health initiative at the University of Washington to advocate for culturally-competent mental health resources for underrrepresented minority students. He calls himself a student of life, bell hooks, Thich Nhat Hanh, his parents, and countless elders. You can always find Brandon staring out the window and writing, with a cortado and boba closeby.
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- Senior Director of Programs, the Eisner Foundation
For more than 20 years, Cathy Choi has bridged the nonprofit, philanthropic, and political spheres to address social justice challenges in Los Angeles and beyond. Currently the Director of Programs at The Eisner Foundation, Cathy oversees $7 million in annual giving and spearheads a variety of foundation initiatives. Previously, she served as a program officer at the California Community Foundation, and in the offices of former U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra, L.A. Unified School District Board Member George Kiriyama, and the U.S. Department of Labor. Cathy comes to the AAPIP national board after completing a six-year term as co-chair of the AAPIP Los Angeles chapter.
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- Senior Manager ( Education )
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- Senior Program Officer, the Colorado Health Foundation
- the Colorado Health Foundation, Senior Program Officer / Rocky Mountain
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- AARP Foundation, Development Officer
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- Vice President of Membership Programs
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- Arcus Foundation, Program Manager / New York
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- Rose Hills Foundation, Program Officer / Los Angeles
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- Program Director, English Learners at Sobrato Philanthropies
- Vice President, Strategy & Influence at Sobrato Philanthropies
Doua Thor is the Program Director, English Learners at Sobrato Philanthropies. Since 2017, as Senior Program Officer, she successfully managed Sobrato's work in English Learner policy and as Director, she oversees the English Learner policy work as a separate focus area, continuing to work with nonprofits and local and state leaders to advance change in the education system for English Learners in California.
Previously, she served as an advisor to the Asian American and Pacific Islander Civic Engagement Fund and most recently was a political appointee in the Obama Administration as the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
She earned her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan and her B.A. from Wayne State University. Doua and her family were resettled in Detroit and are among the many thousands of Hmong refugees who were resettled in the United States after supporting and fighting alongside the U.S. during the Vietnam War.
Tanuja Dehne is the President & CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation in Morristown, New Jersey. Established in 1974, the Dodge Foundation has distributed more than $500 million in grants and technical support to New Jersey nonprofits, with a focus on the arts, education, the environment, informed communities and local journalism, and poetry. With her team, Tanuja is leading Imagine a New Way, the Dodge Foundation's transformation to become an antiracist organization, centering its work on racial equity and justice while designing a new model of philanthropy that democratizes power, redistributes wealth, and shifts economic control to communities in ways that are just and regenerative for people and the planet.
Tanuja is also a public company director and former C-level executive of NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 250 power company. Tanuja brings perspective and experience from her cross-discipline roles to the C-suite and board room. She is a purpose-driven leader, cultivator of talent, and proven strategist. Tanuja is an award-winning corporate attorney, human resources professional, and community volunteer who thrives when making a positive difference in the lives of others. Tanuja is frequently called upon to share her expertise across the globe from New York, Austin, San Francisco, Brussels, and Davos.
Tanuja is a member of the Board of Directors of Granite Point Mortgage Trust Inc. (NYSE: GPMT) where she serves as the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and Climate Real Impact Solutions II Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: CLIM.U). She previously served on the Boards of Directors of Advanced Disposal Services (NYSE: ADSW) where she was Chair of the Compensation Committee (2017-2020); and Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp. (NYSE: SBY) where, during her tenure, she served as Chair of the Compensation Committee and Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (2012-2017).
Tanuja recently served as a Senior Advisor on corporate governance matters for The B Team, an NGO focused on mobilizing global leaders to drive a better way of doing business for the well-being of people and the planet. An active member of her community, Tanuja has served on several non-profit boards, and currently serves on the Boards of Trustees of Lafayette College, New York Public Radio (Vice Chair) and New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.
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- Program Associate, Schmidt Marine Technology Partners
- Silicon Valley
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- If, a Foundation for Radical Possibility, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships / Metro D.C
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- Senior Manager ( Eduation ), the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
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- Equal Measure, Senior Director
- Equal Measure, Senior Director / Philadelphia
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- Social Justice Philanthropic and Legal Senior Consultant
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- Director of Finance and Administration
Jill (she/her/hers) is the Director of Finance and Administration at AAPIP. She brings years of finance and administration experience from a wide range of nonprofit organizations as a staff member and consultant, including education, racial justice, advocacy, fine arts, music, social lending and healthcare. Her work at small organizations from startup to steady state has allowed her to cultivate a variety of safe and progressive financial and administrative policies that center people and the communities served. She loves detailed spreadsheets, clear manuals and figuring out how to remove obstacles for the team.
She graduated from Florida International University and Columbia University with degrees in Communications and International Education Development. She lives in New York with her partner and enjoys reading, yoga and being outdoors. Jill was born and raised in the Caribbean, to Chinese and Indian parents.
Job Titles:
- Chief Administrative Officer
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer of the Board
John Kim is the Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing all the administrative and operational functions at The Annie E. Casey Foundation. He has played many roles both on the administrative and programmatic sides at AECF starting as a Program Associate in 2002 working with states and jurisdictions to reform child welfare and juvenile justice systems. In 2005, Kim transitioned to Director of Grants Management, where he oversaw the distribution of funds to more than 600 grantees annually while also overhauling of the organization's grant-making process. In 2010, he served as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the federal Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, D.C.
Growing up in a Korean-immigrant family that worked in retail in the South Side of Chicago, Kim noticed at an early age that "there were vast disparities in the opportunities people had depending on where they grew up in the city." Working at Casey has taught him that "if you are actively engaged in finding the right solutions, have the right resources and point of view about what it takes to bring about change, you can actually improve lives."
Kim earned his Law degree from the University of Baltimore, holds a master's degree in International Affairs from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.
Chief Administrative Officer, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
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- Minnesota Council on Foundations, Member Services Manager
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- Unbound Philanthropy, Program Officer / New York
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- Satterberg Foundation, Program Manager
- Satterberg Foundation, Program Manager / Seattle
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- Development and Membership Manager
- Senior Manager of Membership and Operations
- Senior Manager, Membership and Operations at Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders
Kyla Alvarez (she/her/hers) is the Senior Manager, Membership and Operations at Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP). Kyla joins AAPIP from the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) and brings her years of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, and membership engagement experience. She is passionate about closing the nonprofit racial leadership gap and supporting communities of color that have been historically excluded.
Born in the Philippines, Kyla immigrated to the United States with her family in 2001, settling in South Central Pennsylvania. She studied at Robert Morris University School of Business. Kyla is a member of PA Eats and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Central PA Chapter. She is also a committee member for the Lancaster County Suicide Prevention Coalition with Mental Health America (MHA) Lancaster. In her free time, Kyla enjoys cooking Filipino food with her family, kayaking, and spending time with her two cats.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Interim President
- Founding Board Member of the American LGBTQ Museum
Lyle Matthew Kan (he/him), a leader in social justice philanthropy, is the Interim President and CEO of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.
He previously held leadership roles at CHANGE Philanthropy, Funders for LGBTQ Issues, and Stonewall Community Foundation. He has served as a strategic advisor to the Edward W. Hazen Foundation, the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity, and the Queer Youth Fund at Liberty Hill Foundation. An expert on trends, gaps, and opportunities in social justice grantmaking, he is well known for his reports and infographics on the scale and character of Asian American/Pacific Islander, LGBTQ, and racial justice grantmaking. He is also a co-creator of the Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals (DAPP) Survey and Report.
Lyle is a founding board member of the American LGBTQ+ Museum in New York City and an advisory council member for The City University of New York (CUNY) LBGTQI Student Leadership Program. Lyle holds a B.A. in individualized study from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study and an M.Sc. in political sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. When not traveling for business or pleasure, he calls New York City's East Village home.
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- Education Foundation / One8 Foundation / Proteus Fund
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- Program Officer, the Colorado Health Foundation
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- Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Program Officer / Seattle
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- Member of the Board
- Secretary of the Board
- Director of Social Impact for Blue Shield of California
- President of the Surdna Foundation
- President, Surdna Foundation
As Director of Social Impact for Blue Shield of California, Perry Chen directs the corporate grantmaking and sponsorships, signature program initiatives, employee engagement programs in volunteering and donations, and community emergency responses. He also designs and implements strategies to contribute toward the Blue Shield's social responsibility goals in community benefit and impact and environmental sustainability and support the company's values with becoming a Great Place to Work and Standing for What's Right.
For more than two decades, Perry has worked in the field of education and youth development, with a particular focus on equity and quality for children and families in California. Starting out as an undergraduate teacher and executive director for CityStep, a youth arts organization, he has since held leadership roles in nonprofits, school districts, and philanthropy - all driven by the vision of opportunity, access, and quality education for all.
From 2015-2019, Perry was the Chief Strategy & Operating Officer for the Stuart Foundation and oversaw strategic planning, impact and learning, and operations. Prior to joining the foundation, Perry served as the Chief of Staff for several Superintendents of the Oakland Unified School District. From 2000-2005, Perry was the Executive Director of OASES, a community organization based in Oakland Chinatown serving Pre K-12 youth who have limited resources. During his tenure, Perry was awarded the Eureka Communities/LeaderSpring Fellowship for nonprofit executive leadership and later served on its board and chaired the alumni board (2005-2011).
Over the years, Perry has become recognized as a leader for education, youth services, and public/private partnerships. He is currently the chairperson of the Partnership for Children and Youth, and a board member of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) and the Asian Law Caucus. He also has a background in law and social justice, and has served as a litigation attorney (Morrison & Foerster LLP), a policy advocate (Children Now), a political action chair (Gay Asian Pacific Alliance), and a law professor (New College School of Law).
For his leadership in the social sector, Perry has received the Wells Fargo Community Leadership Award, the Waitt Family Foundation Fellowship, the Hearst Foundation Fellowship, and the 21st Century Future Leaders Award (Alameda County). He graduated with honors from Harvard University and Harvard Law School.
Don Chen is the President of the Surdna Foundation where he leads the 100-year old foundation's efforts to strengthen and further leverage its commitment to social justice.
Prior to his appointment, Don was the Director of the Cities & States program at the Ford Foundation, where his work supported urban development initiatives to make housing more affordable, promote more equitable land use practices, and empower communities to have a powerful decision-making voice in American cities and in developing countries. He also led a multi-program team to support the strengthening of social justice organizations and networks in targeted U.S. states.
Previously, Don was the Founder and CEO of Smart Growth America, where he led efforts to create the National Vacant Properties Campaign (which later became the Center for Community Progress) and Transportation for America, and managed a merger with the Growth Management Leadership Alliance. He has authored many pieces on land use, transportation, social equity, and environmental policy.
Don has also served on the boards of the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, West Harlem Environmental Action, the Environmental Leadership Program, and Grist magazine. He holds a master's degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a bachelor's degree in political science from Yale University.
Director of Social Impact, Blue Shield of California
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- Member of the Board
- Board Co - Chair )
- Board Co - Chair ) CEO, the James B. McClatchy Foundation
- Chief Executive Officer of the James B. McClatchy Foundation
Priscilla is the Chief Executive Officer of the James B. McClatchy Foundation (JBMF). She provides leadership in strategic philanthropic investments while supporting the bedrock tenets of democracy and advancing equity in education to lift community voice and improve access to learning. Priscilla ensures that all people, especially children, have pathways to living a fulfilling life in California's Central Valley. As a dedicated servant, she works to enhance and uphold The James B.McClatchy Foundation's promise to support English Language and First Amendment rights- especially the freedoms of speech, expression, and the press.
With over 20 years of experience in grantmaking and philanthropy, Priscilla has facilitated community investments in human services, civic engagement, the arts, consumer protection, the digital divide, health care, and youth. Prior to leading The James B. Mcclatchy Foundation, Priscilla served in various leadership positions with Sacramento Region Community Foundation, where she was responsible for grantmaking, community engagement, and program initiatives.
For example, she addressed digital divide issues across California through her work with the ZeroDivide foundation. Priscilla worked with the California Telehealth and Telemedicine Center to create greater access to health care in underserved communities through technology. When Omni Healthcare (a Sutter Health HMO) needed help with its roll-out of Geographic Managed Care for Medi-Cal and medically underserved populations, Priscilla was there to help them become successful For the March of Dimes, Priscilla made grants in maternal and child health for a 12-county region. She is a thoughtful leader who cares about impact, working to infuse rigor, diversity, equity, and respect as tools to fuel community change.
Priscilla has also served on many nonprofit boards, previously providing board leadership in the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera turnaround which reinvigorated its operations. She recently joined the Fairytale Town board and also serves on the Advisory Council of the Unity Center at The California Museum, and the United Way's Steering Committee for the Square One Project.
Priscilla holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Public Health and an M.A. in Public Health- both from UC Berkeley. She is a Senior Fellow in the American Leadership Forum and was a recipient of the Pew Charitable Trust Educational Stipend.
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- Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Director of Partnerships / Chicago
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- Chief Financial Officer for the California Wellness Foundation
Rochelle Witharana is chief financial officer for The California Wellness Foundation and has served in that role since 2019. She was previously the foundation's controller. With approximately $1 billion in assets, Cal Wellness awards more than $45 million annually in grants and program related investments that promote health equity, justice and advocacy for communities and individuals whose lives and wellness are too often determined by their race, income, immigration status or where they live.
Before joining Cal Wellness in May 2015, she was accounting manager for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and previously was controller for the Arizona State Retirement System. She began her career with Deloitte & Touche and has served as a controller, a CFO and a consultant for businesses in California and Arizona.
Rochelle possesses a strong interest in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the philanthropic sector. Under her leadership, Cal Wellness has significantly increased the percentage of its corpus that is invested with diverse managers, and she has implemented policies requiring demonstrated commitment to DEI principles in deciding with whom the foundation invests. Alongside the foundation's investment committee, Rochelle spearheaded the foundation's effort to purposefully align its investment strategies with the foundation's mission and values around health equity, while maintaining or improving investment performance. She has also overseen the development and implementation of the foundation's program related investment strategy.
A native of Sri Lanka, Rochelle emigrated to the United States with her parents in 1973, settling in Los Angeles. She identifies as Southeast Asian. Rochelle is a Certified Public Accountant. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and accounting from Cal State, Northridge.
She has an extensive history of voluntarism, particularly with organizations that assist survivors of domestic violence. She serves on the boards of Peace Over Violence and served on the board of Asian Pacific Women's Center. She also serves on the advisory board for the Clarendon Foundation, an organization that supports orphanages and disadvantaged individuals in Sri Lanka. While living in Arizona, Rochelle volunteered at Paz De Cristo for 20 years preparing and serving meals to homeless and provided volunteer financial services to nonprofits. Rochelle has supported the Asian American community in Los Angeles through service on the board of Asian Pacific Womens Center and through attendance at events and financial support for Center for Pacific Asian Families.
Over the past several years she has directed grants through her discretionary Cal Wellness grant making budget to Center for Pacific Asian Families and the Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF). Her work with the APCF led to connection with Cal Wellness programs team, resulting in a large grant from the foundation to support capacity building of API nonprofits. Rochelle has supported local AAPIP chapter events.
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- President & Chief Impact Officer
Paurvi is deeply committed to building the next generation of women leaders focusing on social impact. She is passionately a "working daughter" as a caregiver and serves on several advisory groups and nonprofit boards focusing on leadership, philanthropy, caregiving, and access to healthcare. Her formal Board roles include, The Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregivers, CaringBridge, and The Nurse Family Partnership. She advises the Council of Foundations, The Conference Board, GlobeMed, and Women in Global Health. Paurvi holds a Master of Public Health in health systems and economics from Yale University and Bachelor Degree in neuroscience from Northwestern University, is PhD (ABD) from Johns Hopkins University.
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- Leader Project, Chief Operating Officer
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- Member of the Board
- Board Co - Chair )
- Board Co - Chair ) Managing Partner, Carlson Beck, LLC
- Managing Partner at Carlson Beck
Sally Carlson is managing partner at Carlson Beck, a retained executive search firm, steeped in nonprofit and philanthropy sector expertise. Sally's career spans nearly 30 years, and is steeped in nonprofit Board leadership and philanthropic investment management. Her experience in finance, real estate and institutional investment management on behalf of foundations, endowments, and public pension funds was earned at companies such as Wells Fargo, Deloitte & Touche, and Jones Lang LaSalle, Sally also gained in-depth experience in capital raising and client relations. In the world of recruitment, from Heidrick & Struggles to founding her own firm, Terra Search Partners and now, Carlson Beck, her track record includes C-level searches in community development and affordable housing, community foundations, and health and human services. Sally graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, with a minor in political science, specializing in Soviet studies.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Interim President
- Member Engagement Manager
Samanta Ratsavong (she/hers) is the Member Engagement Manager at AAPIP. She has served in several capacities at AAPIP - as Senior Coordinator of Member Programs, Data Specialist, and Social Justice Fellow. She comes to us with experience in grassroots anti-violence programming to support pan-Asian survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. Her diverse practice work in case management, community outreach, and grants management deepens her passion to ensure community voices drive the future of shared, restorative wealth.
Samanta was born and raised in the Midwest from a family of Lao refugees. She received her MSW from Columbia University and has a degree in Human Development and Family Science from The Ohio State University. Samanta relishes in her self-care by watching movies at the theater, exploring NYC's hidden gems, and going for long walks.
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- Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Director of Partnerships / Chicago
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- Director of Elgin Programs, Grand Victoria Foundation / Chicago
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- Co - Chair of the Advisory Board of Drexel University 's Gupta Governance Institute
- Member of the Board of Directors of Granite Point Mortgage Trust Inc
- President & CEO of the Geraldine
- President & CEO, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation
- Public Company Director
Tanuja Dehne is the President & CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation in Morristown, New Jersey. Established in 1974, the Dodge Foundation has distributed more than $500 million in grants and technical support to New Jersey nonprofits, with a focus on the arts, education, the environment, informed communities and local journalism, and poetry. With her team, Tanuja is leading Imagine a New Way, the Dodge Foundation's transformation to become an antiracist organization, centering its work on racial equity and justice while designing a new model of philanthropy that democratizes power, redistributes wealth, and shifts economic control to communities in ways that are just and regenerative for people and the planet.
Tanuja is also a public company director and former C-level executive of NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 250 power company. Tanuja brings perspective and experience from her cross-discipline roles to the C-suite and board room. She is a purpose-driven leader, cultivator of talent, and proven strategist. Tanuja is an award-winning corporate attorney, human resources professional, and community volunteer who thrives when making a positive difference in the lives of others. Tanuja is frequently called upon to share her expertise across the globe from New York, Austin, San Francisco, Brussels, and Davos.
Tanuja is a member of the Board of Directors of Granite Point Mortgage Trust Inc. (NYSE: GPMT) where she serves as the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and Climate Real Impact Solutions II Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: CLIM.U). She previously served on the Boards of Directors of Advanced Disposal Services (NYSE: ADSW) where she was Chair of the Compensation Committee (2017-2020); and Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp. (NYSE: SBY) where, during her tenure, she served as Chair of the Compensation Committee and Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (2012-2017).
Tanuja recently served as a Senior Advisor on corporate governance matters for The B Team, an NGO focused on mobilizing global leaders to drive a better way of doing business for the well-being of people and the planet. An active member of her community, Tanuja has served on several non-profit boards, and currently serves on the Boards of Trustees of Lafayette College, New York Public Radio (Vice Chair) and New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.
At NRG for 12 years, Tanuja served in various roles of increasing responsibility. As Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief of Staff, she oversaw NRG's Human Resources (11,000+ employees), Information Technology, Communications, Sustainability and Corporate Marketing departments, the company's charitable giving program, M&A integrations, as well as the construction of NRG's sustainable, corporate headquarters in Princeton, N.J. Prior to these positions, she led NRG's Human Resources department and served as Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Tanuja previously practiced corporate law as a member of Saul Ewing's business department.
Tanuja is the Co-Chair of the Advisory Board of Drexel University's Gupta Governance Institute. She is on the Faculty of NACD's Board Advisory Services, is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow and was recognized as one of the "2018 NACD Directorship 100." In 2017, she was named a "Director to Watch" by Directors & Boards. Tanuja is also a part of BigSpeak Speakers Bureau.
Tanuja earned her undergraduate degree from Lafayette College, her Master's degree in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and her Juris Doctor degree with honors from Syracuse University College of Law. Tanuja is a 200HR RYT certified yoga instructor who integrates mindfulness and movement in her personal and professional lives.
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- GHR Foundation, Program Officer / Minneapolis - Saint Paul
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- Climate Imperative, Grants Manager / Silicon Valley
- Grants Manager, Climate Imperative
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- Assistant
- Senior Executive
Victoria (she/her/hers) is the Senior Executive Assistant at AAPIP. She came to AAPIP with several years of high-level administrative experience and customer service, having previously worked in philanthropy (Proteus Fund), the nonprofit sector (American Museum of Natural History), and higher education administration (New York University). She also has taught within the secondary education system, private and public universities, and other educational institutions in both the U.S. and Germany. She is passionate about authentic methods of inclusion as it relates to racial diversity and LGBTQ issues and actively seeks to fold minority voice awareness into everyday discussion. Victoria is a second generation Chinese-American, born to immigrant parents raised during the Cultural Revolution.
Victoria is fluent in German and is also an enthusiastic amateur classical musician. She holds an M.A. in German Studies from UMASS Amherst and a B.A. in French and German from the University of Rochester.