National AAPI Business Summit
in celebration of
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
The forum will address issues facing AAPI businesses across the nation in the area of access to contracts, capital, and global markets.
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Speakers
Bruce H. Andrews
Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce
Bruce H. Andrews was confirmed as the Deputy Secretary of Commerce on July 24, 2014. Andrews was named Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce by President Obama and Secretary Penny Pritzker on June 9, 2014. Prior to this, Andrews served as Chief of Staff to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, a post which he began in October 2011.
Prior to joining Commerce, Andrews served as General Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, where he served as the chief counsel for the Committee and was responsible for policy, legal and jurisdiction issues. Before joining the Committee staff, Andrews served as Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the Ford Motor Company, where he oversaw the company’s federal and state government affairs. Prior to joining Ford, Andrews practiced law as an attorney in the Public Policy and Telecommunications Groups at Arnold & Porter. He was also a founding member of the firm Quinn Gillespie & Associates (QGA), where he worked with clients on a variety of issues related to transportation, technology, judiciary, telecommunications and financial services.
Andrews began his career on Capitol Hill where he served as Legislative Director for Representative Tim Holden (D-PA), Legislative Assistant for Representative Gus Yatron (D-PA) and on the staff of Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA).
Andrews, a Syracuse, New York native, is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and Haverford College. He, his wife and children live in Washington, D.C.
Matthew S. Borman
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Administration, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
Mr. Borman serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Administration where he is responsible for implementing the Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS) controls on the export of commercial, dual-use, and less sensitive military items for national security, foreign policy, nonproliferation, and short supply reasons. In addition, he oversees BIS’s programs to ensure that industrial resources are available to meet national and economic security requirements, BIS’s implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the U.S. Additional Protocol.
Prior to his appointment as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Mr. Borman served as Acting Chief of the Enforcement and Litigation Division of the Office of Chief Counsel. As division chief, he was responsible for providing legal advice to the Export Enforcement unit of BIS.
Mr. Borman received his B.A. in History from Northwestern University, his M.A. from Northeastern University, and his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Alejandra Y. Castillo
National Director, Minority Business Development Agency
In 2014, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker appointed Ms. Alejandra Y. Castillo to serve as the National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Ms. Castillo is the first Hispanic-American woman to lead the Agency since its creation. In this capacity, Ms. Castillo directs the Agency’s strategic efforts to enhance the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises (MBEs). Under Ms. Castillo’s leadership, the Agency has expanded its effort to help MBEs grow and succeed through access to capital, access to contract and access to business opportunities both domestically and abroad. Prior to assuming this role, she served as National Deputy Director managing the Agency’s day-to-day operations and its national network of MBDA Business Centers.
Castillo first joined the Department of Commerce in 2008 as a Special Advisor to the Under Secretary for the U. S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA). Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Ms. Castillo served as the Executive Director of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) headquartered in Washington D. C.
A native of New York, Ms. Castillo holds a Bachelor Degree of Arts from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in economics and political science. Ms. Castillo holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; and also holds a Juris Doctorate Degree from American University - Washington College of Law.
Dennis Chrisbaum
Director of International Trade Finance, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Dennis Chrisbaum serves as Director of International Trade Finance for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In that capacity, he oversees SBA’s export loan programs and the SBA staff who deliver those programs at U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEAC) throughout the country. Over the past three years, Mr. Chrisbaum also has worked closely with the inter-agency Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee’s Small Business Working Group in drafting recommendations to expand small business exports under the President’s National Export Initiative.
Prior to assuming his current position, in 2011 Mr. Chrisbaum served as SBA’s representative at the U.S. Export Assistance Center located in Denver, Colorado. In that role, he oversaw the SBA’s International Trade Finance Program in the five-state, Inter-Mountain West region, which included Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Before moving to Denver, Mr. Chrisbaum worked in Washington, D.C. for both the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he developed and oversaw SBA’s national export promotion program, and the U.S. Department of Commerce where he worked in various positions with the Office of High Technology Export Promotion, the Office of the Under Secretary for International Trade, and the President’s Export Council.
Mr. Chrisbaum has an MBA degree in Finance, Investments and Banking and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin, as well as Masters of Arts degrees from Columbia University and Atlantic University.
Judy Chu
United States Representative, 27th Congressional District of California
Judy Chu was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2009. She represents the 27th Congressional District, which includes Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley of southern California.
Representative Chu currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee, where she is a member of the Subcommittees on Intellectual Property and the Internet as well as Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations.
She also serves on the House Small Business Committee, which has oversight of the Small Business Administration. Rep. Chu is the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access. She is also a member of the Subcommittees on Contracting and Workforce as well as Investigations, Oversight and Regulations.
In 2011, Chu was elected Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Chu founded and co-chairs the Congressional Creative Rights Caucus, which advocates for the copyright protections of those in the creative industries, such as music, film and visual arts. She also serves in leadership of the House Democratic Caucus as a Member of the Steering and Policy Committee.
Demetria Gallagher
Senior Advisor for Policy and Inclusive Innovation, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
Demetria Gallagher has spent more than a decade championing the revitalization of America’s disadvantaged communities. Demetria has fought to amplify the voices of marginalized areas through innovative urban planning and business investment strategies. She is committed to addressing the needs of under-served neighborhoods, communities of color, and minority-owned businesses with revolutionary action. Having begun her career as an academic advisor in Chicago, Demetria helped over 300 first generation/low-income college students become promising young professionals.
In 2010, Demetria took these leadership skills to Washington, DC to work at the Minority Business Development Agency. In 2015, Demetria was appointed by the White House as the Senior Advisor for Policy and Inclusive Innovation to advance the economic impact of minority-owned firms in 21st century innovation and entrepreneurship. Demetria currently leads a national program to engage minority innovators in technology commercialization and federal innovation.
Demetria holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her focus on urban policy led to her to a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Urban Planning from George Washington University. In 2016, she will advance her entrepreneurial skill set at the University of Oxford in London by focusing on the best practices in social impact investment.
Efrain Gonzalez
Associate Director, Office of Business Development, Minority Business Development Agency
Efrain Gonzalez serves as Associate Director for the Office of Business Development at the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). He oversees the Agency’s business development operations and programs. The Office of Business Development is responsible for creating, developing and implementing innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by minority-owned businesses such as access to capital, access to contracts, access international markets and capacity building. He is one of MBDA’s longstanding leaders and has served in numerous roles at MBDA during his 15-year tenure at the Department of Commerce.
Throughout his career, Efrain has been a tireless advocate for minority-owned businesses, entrepreneurship, and helping U.S. firms compete in the global economy. He has a deep appreciation for the challenges faced by business owners because of his own experience running a small business in Los Angeles. Mr. Gonzalez is a graduate from the University of Southern California.
Phu Hunyh
Senior Advisor, U.S. Export Assistance Center, International Trade Administration
Phu Huynh serves as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for U.S. Operations with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA). Phu works with the U.S. Commercial Service’s network of 108 U.S. Export Assistance Centers whose trade specialists support local companies to achieve their export goals. Since 2014, Phu has served as the ITA representative to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) interagency working group. He collaborates with the Minority Business Development Agency in Asian American Business outreach and advocacy on Global Business Development. He also facilitates ITA’s support for the WHIAAPI/MBDA “Doing Business in Asia” Initiative.
Prior to joining Commerce, Phu worked at a law firm in Washington, D.C. for six years advising a variety of clients on federal administrative matters and international trade issues. Phu also has served as Special Advisor to the Board of Directors at the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Phu graduated from Virginia Tech and the Catholic University Columbus School of Law.
Bill Imada
Commissioner, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders & National ACE Board Member
Bill Imada is Founder, Board Chairman and Chief Collaboration Officer of IW Group, a minority-owned and operated advertising agency focusing on the growing multicultural markets. For more than 20 years, Mr. Imada has represented some of the top companies in the U.S. His areas of expertise include multicultural communications, marketing, advertising, strategic public relations, cross-cultural training and crisis management.
Mr. Imada is very active in the Asian-American community and serves on several nonprofit boards, including California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, Advertising Educational Foundation and Center for Asian American Media. He co-founded the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship. Mr. Imada is currently a member of President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
Mr. Imada has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is a graduate of the Coro Foundation’s Leadership Training Program in Public Affairs. He is also a graduate of the AMBEP Program at the Tuck School of Business.
Gary Jones
DC Liaison Manager, Federal Laboratory Consortium
Gary Jones is the Washington, D.C. Representative for the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) for Technology Transfer, a position he has held since 2005. As the DC Representative, Mr. Jones is responsible for providing FLC coordination in the DC area with federal agencies and their laboratories, Congressional staff, and trade, professional and other organizations.
Gary brings over twenty-three years of professional experience to his current position, including seven years in academia and over sixteen years in industry and government. Most recently, Mr. Jones was on the faculty of American University’s Washington Semester Program, where he served as an Academic Director for International Business & Trade. He has also lectured on global R&D management in the George Washington University graduate business program and served as an adjunct faculty member at University of Maryland University College, Graduate School of Management & Technology.
He holds an M.B.A from the University of Richmond and a B.S. in Geophysics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and has studied technology management and international business at the post-graduate level.
Patrick Kirwan
Director of Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, International Trade Administration
Mr. Kirwan is the Director of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee Secretariat. In this capacity, he coordinates a network of 20 government agencies chaired by the Secretary of Commerce to develop and implement the National Export Strategy, a national government-wide strategy to improve federal trade promotion and finance programs to increase U.S. exports. He has focused specifically on improving the competitiveness of agency trade promotion programs, developing commercial strategies for key markets such as China and India, and improving federal/state cooperation on export promotion. Under the Obama Administration, the TPCC is charged with implementing major portions of the National Export Initiative. Mr. Kirwan is focusing on the NEI/NEXT milestones related to Doing Business in Africa, infrastructure, improving customer service, and supplying actionable information to U.S. companies.
Over the last three years, Mr. Kirwan has also held two senior level positions. First, as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Domestic Operations within the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, where he oversaw the operations of the 105 export assistance offices of the Department of Commerce located around the country. Second, as Acting Director of Trade Promotion Programs, where he was in charge of the Federal Government’s three main trade promotion programs- trade missions, domestic trade shows, and the overseas trade shows.
Alissa Ko
Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, The White House
Alissa Ko serves as Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, working primarily with attorney general offices and state legislators. Before joining the White House, Alissa served as Deputy Director for Ready for Hillary, where she managed the day to day operations of the organization. Prior to joining the Obama administration, Alissa worked on the Obama Biden 2012 campaign as the National Asian American and Pacific Islander Vote Director and Western Operation Vote Director. Following the election, Alissa joined the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee as the Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement.
She is a native Californian and graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Michelle K. Lee
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
As Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Michelle K. Lee provides leadership and oversight to one of the largest intellectual property offices in the world, with more than 12,000 employees and an annual budget of mover than $3 billion.
Ms. Lee also serves as the principal advisor to the President, through the Secretary of Commerce, on domestic and international intellectual property policy matters. Ms. Lee is the first woman to serve as Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the country’s 225+ year history. Prior to her current role, she served as Deputy Director, and before that as the first Director of the USPTO’s Silicon Valley Regional Office.
Ms. Lee has been recognized by numerous organizations for her work including by Politico Magazine as one of the “Top 50 Most Influential Visionaries in American Public Policy” in 2015, by Washingtonian Magazine as a “Tech Titan” in 2015, and by the San Francisco Business Times and San Jose Business Journal as the Best Bay Area IP Lawyer in 2012 and one of the top 100 most influential women in the Silicon Valley in 2013.
Patricia M. Loui
Founder and CEO, OmniTrak Group
Former Board Member, Export-Import Bank of the United States
Patricia Loui is Chairman and founder of OmniTrak Group, a strategic marketing, research and planning consultancy serving the U.S. and Asia. In 2011, President Obama nominated and the Senate unanimously confirmed her to the full-time Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. President Obama nominated her for a second term in 2015, from which she later withdrew in 2016.
At EXIM, Loui led initiatives to increase U.S. exports to Asia and signed a significant addendum with China’s Ministry of Finance to include environmentally-beneficial financing under the China Framework Agreement. Loui led EXIM’s opening in Burma for the first time in 27 years, and portfolio growth in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. She chaired the Audit Committee and women/minority business.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appointed her to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2011 Host Committee for Leaders Week that President Obama hosted. She has also worked at Bank of Hawaii, United Nations Development Program, and UNESCO. She graduated from Northwestern University and the University of Hawaii/ East-West Center.
Chris Lu
Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor
Chris Lu was sworn in as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor on April 4, 2014, after being confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. He serves as the chief operating officer of a 17,000-employee organization that works to create greater opportunities for all Americans.
During his career in public service, Lu has worked in all three branches of the federal government. From 2009 to 2013, Lu served as the White House Cabinet Secretary and Assistant to the President. In this role, he was President Obama's primary liaison to the federal departments and agencies, helping to coordinate policy and communication strategies. As one of the highest-ranking Asian Americans in the Obama Administration, Lu was also the Co-Chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
In addition to his government service, Lu has been a fellow at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, the University Of Chicago Institute Of Politics, and the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. He is also the co-editor of the book, Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Congress.
Lu is a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University and cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, and the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from MacMurray College. He is married to Katie Thomson, the General Counsel of the Department of Transportation.
Tamara Maxwell
Director, Minority and Women Owned Business Group, Export-Import Bank of the United States
Tamara Maxwell is Director of Minority & Women Owned Business Group at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). The Minority and Women Owned Business Group is responsible for the promotion of Ex-Im Bank’s programs to underserved markets.
Tamara’s personal knowledge of owning a small business was a key factor in her successful creation and development of Ex-Im Bank’s outreach efforts to minority and women-owned businesses. For the past 20 years Tamara’s objective has been to help minority and women owned businesses increase their export and domestic sales. Her dedication is evidenced in Ex-Im Bank’s yearly increase of authorizations to minority and women owned businesses.
Prior to her creating the outreach program her primary focus was working with the Latin American and Caribbean Market. While working in Business Development and other areas within the Bank, Tamara gained extensive experience assisting small businesses in structuring international transactions to meet Ex-Im Bank program requirements.
Prior to joining the Bank Tamara served in the US Army during the Gulf War. Mrs. Maxwell is a graduate of Bowie State University.
Willie E. May
Under Secretary for Standards and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
On May 4, 2015, Congress confirmed Dr. Willie E. May as the 15th Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He also serves as Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, a position created in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. Dr. May had served as Acting NIST Director and Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology since June 2014. Prior to that assignment, he was Associate Director for Laboratory Programs, where he was responsible for oversight and direction of NIST's seven laboratory programs and served as the principal deputy to the NIST Director.
As NIST Director, Dr. May provides high-level oversight and direction for NIST. Dr. May led NIST's research and measurement service programs in chemistry-related areas for more than 20 years. Dr. May has several leadership responsibilities in addition to those at NIST. He is Vice President of the 18-person International Committee on Weights and Measures (CIPM); President of the CIPM’s Consultative Committee on Metrology in Chemistry and Biology; and an Executive Board Member for the Joint Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM). He also serves on the External Advisory Boards for the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (NAIST).
Grace Meng
United States Representative, 6th Congressional District of New York
U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her second term in the United States House of Representatives. Grace represents the Sixth Congressional District of New York encompassing the New York City borough of Queens, including west, central and northeast Queens.
Grace is the first Asian-American Member of Congress from New York State, and the only Congress member of Asian descent in the entire Northeast. She is also the first female Member of Congress from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro.
Grace is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and its Subcommittees on the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia and the Pacific. She also serves on the House Small Business Committee where she is the Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Trade Subcommittee. Grace is also an Assistant Whip in the House and a founder and Co-Chair of the Kids’ Safety Caucus, the first bipartisan coalition in the House that promotes child-safety issues. She helped create and serves as Co-Chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus.
Grace graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Michigan. She then earned a law degree from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin Cardozo School of Law.
Craig Miller
CEO, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG Chicago)
Craig Miller brings decades of operational and financial advisory experience to his role as CEO of ACG Chicago. He has worked with hundreds of great volunteers over the last 23 years, first as a Board member and since 2007 as the CEO. He currently serves on the ACG Chicago Executive Committee, as well as the Kenilworth Police Pension Fund and the Small Business Advisory Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Prior to joining ACG Chicago formally in the late summer of 2007, Craig worked on private equity investments, strategic advisory, and valuation analyses for privately held companies, has managed a 363 bankruptcy and was Managing Director of Valuemetrics, where he was active in structuring and executing buyouts, debt placements, transaction analyses for ownership transition and management buyouts, fairness opinions, and ESOP development.
Mr. Miller received his BA from Baldwin Wallace College, his MM and an MA from Northwestern University.
George Mui
Access to Markets Team Lead, Minority Business Development Agency
George Mui is a Global Market Access Team Lead in the Office of Business Development for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. As a global strategist, he provides business consulting services for minority businesses in the area of international business development and strategy with a keen focus on domestic and international partnerships that provide access to global markets. In 2014 and 2015, George served as the Senior Advisor to WHIAAPI in a special assignment as the Business Liaison for the AAPI Business Community. In his role, he initiated multiple innovative national programs designed to advocating for AAPI businesses: Doing Business in Asia by leveraging successful Asian American businesses as the lead for American exports and business expansion in Asia, AAPI Construction Advocacy programs that is designed to increase AAPI participation in government contracting; the New American Business Boot Camp providing new AAPI immigrants access to federal, state, and local government resources.
George has a Master and a Bachelor degree in Computer Sciences from The Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL. He also completed two Executive Education programs at Stanford University.
Jay C. Shambaugh
Member of the Council of Economic Advisers, The White House
Jay Shambaugh is a member of the Council of Economic Advisers. He is on leave from George Washington University where he is a Professor of Economics and International Affairs. Dr. Shambaugh had also served as a Faculty Research Fellow and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research since 2007. He previously held positions within the Council of Economic Advisers between 2009 and 2011, first as a Senior Economist from 2009 to 2010 and then Chief Economist from 2010 to 2011. Dr. Shambaugh has held several teaching positions within economic departments across the country as an Associate Professor with tenure at the George Washington University from 2012 to 2013, a Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business from 2011 to 2012, and an Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor from 2002 to 2011 at Dartmouth College.
From 2011 to 2013, Dr. Shambaugh was also a Visiting Scholar at the International Monetary Fund. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of International Integration Studies at Trinity College, Dublin from 2005 to 2006. Dr. Shambaugh received a B.A. from Yale, an M.A.L.D. from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Albert K. Shen
National Deputy Director, Minority Business Development Agency
Albert K. Shen is the National Deputy Director of the Minority Business Development Agency. He serves as the principal advisor to MBDA National Director, Alejandra Y. Castillo, overseeing the management of the day to day operations of the agency. His public policy and economic development advocacy focus has raised the agency’s profile in Congress and state houses and afforded MBDA the opportunity to make its business case around the country. His passion for community development put MBDA on the ground in cities like Baltimore and Ferguson facing the aftermath of civil unrest.
He has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Asian American Businesses in the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce and awarded the 2012 U.S. Small Business Administration Region 10 Minority Champion of the Year Award. Mr. He served as Chair of the Seattle Community College Board of Trustees and as Vice Chair of the Washington State Commission on Asian and Pacific American Affairs. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Diversity Alliance for Science, the supplier diversity organization for the pharmaceutical and biomedical industry.
Albert Shen earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and environmental science from the University of Washington.
Lawrence Spinelli
Acting Vice President, Department of Management and Administration, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)
Lawrence Spinelli is currently the Acting Vice President of the Department of Management and Administration at OPIC where he oversees the agency’s administrative resources and information technology.
In addition, Dr. Spinelli is OPIC's Director of Outreach and Public Affairs where he is responsible for all public diplomacy activities, including outreach and business development, and he serves as OPIC’s liaison to a wide array of business organizations and government agencies in the United States and throughout the world. Dr. Spinelli launched OPIC’s Expanding Horizons program in 2006 which sponsors seminars and workshops for small businesses, he organized seven Access to Opportunity international conferences which focus on investment opportunities in emerging markets, and he created and manages OPIC’s Partners Program. In January 2009, President Obama named Dr. Spinelli as OPIC’s Acting President and CEO, a position he held until June 2010 making him the longest serving acting president in the history of the agency. Dr. Spinelli was awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition in 2013 for his “outstanding efforts in connecting U.S. businesses with emerging markets.”
Dr. Spinelli received his undergraduate degree from Drew University, a master’s degree in government from Georgetown University, and a master’s degree and doctorate degree in history from New York University.
Sach Takayasu
President and CEO, National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE)
Sach Takayasu is the President and CEO of Asian/Pacific Islanders American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (ACE).
Ms. Takayasu brings 16 years of experience in marketing and business development from IBM where she has successfully built its new businesses in Open Source, Virtualization, and most recently, Digital Marketing. She led the team which pioneered IBM’s web and social media best practices through 20+ innovations including integrated digital marketing models, Virtual Concierge Service, and web/social media for events. Her contributions have been recognized by the industry through many awards, including the 2011 Forrester Groundswell Award and an invitation from the Executive Director of the United Nations Populations Fund to join its Strategic Innovation Advisory Board.
Over the years, Ms. Takayasu has been contributing to the efforts of various organizations such as Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, United Nations Populations Fund, Asian University for Women, and New York International.
Ms. Takayasu has a Bachelor of Science from Carnegie-Mellon University and a Masters of Business Administration from The Ohio State University.
John H. Thompson
Director, U.S. Census Bureau
John H. Thompson was sworn in as the 24th Census Bureau Director on Aug. 8, 2013. As Director, Thompson will oversee preparations for the 2020 Census and preside over more than 100 other censuses and surveys that measure America's people, places and economy, and provide the basis for crucial economic indicators such as the unemployment rate.
Thompson was President and CEO of NORC, an independent research organization at the University of Chicago, from 2008 to 2013, and Executive Vice President from 2002 to 2008.
Thompson had a distinguished career at the Census Bureau from 1975 to 2002. As an Associate Director, he was the senior career executive responsible for all aspects of the 2000 Census. Prior to that, Thompson served as Chief of the Decennial Management Division.
Thompson is an elected fellow of the American Statistical Association. He holds both a BS and MS degree in mathematics from Virginia Tech.
Doua Thor
Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI)
Doua Thor serves as the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Previously, she served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Initiative. Doua also serves as a Senior Fellow with the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD). Prior to this Doua was the Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) for nearly 9 years. During that time Doua was appointed by President Obama to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She also served on the board or in a leadership position in a number of organizations and coalitions including the National Committee to Preserve Social Security, Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), the Red Cross National Diversity Advisory Council, and the executive committee of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans. Additionally, through her leadership, SEARAC is a core work group member of the Diverse Elders Coalition, an initiative supported through Atlantic Philanthropies to improve the lives of vulnerable elders. Doua was selected as a New Voices Fellow in 2002, a German Marshall Memorial Fellow in 2008, an Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute Fellow in 2009, and a Health and Aging Policy Fellow in 2013.
She earned her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan and her Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State University.
Vinai Thummalapally
Executive Director, Select USA, International Trade Administration
Vinai Thummalapally brings a wealth of experience from both the private and public sectors to his position as Executive Director of SelectUSA, part of the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Established by Executive Order of the President, SelectUSA is the U.S. government-wide initiative to attract and retain business investment in the United States. Prior to becoming the Executive Director, President Obama appointed him ambassador to Belize in 2009, where he served until 2013.
As Executive Director of SelectUSA, Ambassador Thummalapally manages the strategy and implementation of SelectUSA as it works to create jobs, spur economic growth, and promote American competitiveness. He also co-chairs, with the Director of the White House National Economic Council, the SelectUSA Interagency Investment Working Group to coordinate existing resources across the federal government to promote business investment and address federal regulatory barriers.
Originally from Hyderabad, India, Ambassador Thummalapally moved to the United States in 1974 to pursue his engineering studies. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from California State University and completed post graduate Business Administration courses from Cal State University and University of Tennessee. He is also fluent in Telugu, Hindi and Urdu.
Jay Williams
Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce
Jay Williams was appointed by President Obama to serve as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and was sworn into office on May 20, 2014.
As the Administrator of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), Williams is charged with leading the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, and preparing American regions for growth and success in the global economy. Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Jay served as the executive director of the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, working directly with state and local stakeholders in areas affected by the changing American automotive industry to deliver federal support to ensure they returned to better economic condition. He also served in the White House as Deputy Director for the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs where he led efforts to engage mayors, city council members, and county officials around the country.
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Williams served as its Mayor from 2006 to 2011. He holds a B.S.B.A. in finance from Youngstown State University.
Helene Yan
Chair, National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE)
Helene develops and oversees client relationships and strategic initiatives at Interpublic Group. She leads key healthcare client accounts at the holding company level—bringing together IPG’s multidisciplinary, worldwide resources on behalf of clients, and ensuring successful delivery of global client programs. In this capacity, Helene’s areas of oversight include new business development, client service, and client finance and operations.
She is a member of Interpublic’s Healthcare Management Council, which comprises IPG executive leadership and the CEOs of IPG’s major global healthcare marketing agencies.
She is on the Board of Directors of the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ACE); and has previously served on the boards of Operation Homefront Tri-State and Plaid House, Inc. Helene received her B.A. in economics from the University of Maryland; and her M.S. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
