Discover 5 Influential Impact Leaders in the AAPI community
This AAPI Heritage Month, meet five AAPI impact leaders breaking barriers and introducing innovative solutions through their nonprofits and social enterprises. From promoting mental health and well-being to addressing homelessness, these leaders are making an impact in their communities and beyond.
Lulu Ge – Founder of Elix
Lulu Ge is the founder of Elix, a groundbreaking organization dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being in the AAPI community. With a passion for destigmatizing mental health, Lulu has created a platform that provides accessible resources, support, and community for AAPI individuals. Through Elix, Lulu is revolutionizing the way mental health is approached and addressed within the AAPI community.
Tony Shu – CEO and Co-Founder of Breaktime
Tony Shu, along with co-founder Connor Schoen, is the CEO and Co-Founder of Breaktime, an organization with a mission to end young adult homelessness. Breaktime empowers young adults experiencing homelessness through purposeful transitional employment, helping them build sustainability in their lives while creating resilience within their communities. During the challenging times of the pandemic, Breaktime employed 25 young adults experiencing homelessness, who led the preparation and delivery of over 500,000 meals to people facing food insecurity in Boston. Not only did they earn a living wage, but they also developed career-launching job skills. Backed by the City of Boston, Liberty Mutual, BlackRock, and many other partners, Breaktime is making a significant impact on the lives of young adults experiencing homelessness.
Betty Ban – Co-Founder and CEO of Evermeal Labs
Betty Ban is the Co-Founder and CEO of Evermeal Labs, a social meal-planning app that simplifies meal planning with personalized recipe recommendations, shoppable recipes, and grocery delivery. Betty’s entrepreneurial journey is rooted in her experiences growing up in China, where she witnessed her grandmother’s entrepreneurial spirit. As a first-generation immigrant and a mother, Betty’s boldness and resilience have guided her through transformative life experiences. Through Evermeal Labs, she is making meal planning more accessible and convenient for individuals and families, promoting healthier eating habits.
Steve and Daniel Lee – Co-founders of Aura Health
Steve and Daniel Lee, brothers and co-founders of Aura Health, are making a significant impact in the AAPI communities through their mental well-being app. Their personal experience of witnessing their parents’ painful divorce motivated them to start Aura. The app allows therapists and coaches worldwide to record their voices and effortlessly share high-quality audio content. Aura offers a vast library of expert-created audio wellness tracks, including mindfulness meditations, life coaching, cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, breathwork, and sleep tracks. With over 5 million users and 150 coaches and therapists as creators, Aura is empowering individuals to improve their mental well-being. Backed by Cowboy Ventures and Reach Capital, Steve and Daniel’s entrepreneurial journey demonstrates the power of their innovation and dedication to mental health support.
Ai-jen Poo – Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance
Ai-jen Poo is a dedicated advocate for domestic workers’ rights and the executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA). Under her leadership, NDWA has fought for fair labor standards, improved working conditions, and the recognition of domestic work as valuable and essential. Ai-jen’s unwavering commitment to empowering domestic workers, many of whom are AAPI women, has led to significant advancements in labor rights and social justice.
