ABOUT US

Reshma Shamasunder is the Executive Director of Asian American Futures. She has worked as an independent consultant and held senior positions at national civil rights and immigrant rights organizations. Reshma served as Executive Director of the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) for more than a decade. Under Reshma's leadership, CIPC helped to spearhead groundbreaking campaigns at the state level, including placing limits on cooperation between local law enforcement and immigration authorities and winning driver's licenses for all Californians regardless of status.

Reshma currently serves on the board of the Campaign for College Opportunity and was an inaugural fellow with the Rockwood Fellowship for a New California. Reshma is a recipient of the Families USA Health Equity Advocate of the Year Award and the National Immigration Law Center Courageous Luminaries Award. Reshma holds dual Bachelor's Degrees from UCLA and a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Anne Lee is the Director of Administration & Finance for Asian American Futures. Anne joined AAF in 2022, after more than 15 years of building nonprofit operations that support people and culture for maximum impact. Most recently, she worked as part of a statewide network that helped to democratize access to California's $2.7 billion ratepayer-funded portfolio while modernizing operational infrastructure during a tenfold revenue increase.

Prior to working in energy, Anne held leadership positions in both philanthropic and community-based startups that more than doubled in size during her tenure. She currently serves as an Advisor to Cool OC, previously served on the boards of the Orange County Asian & Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA), Khmer Girls In Action and Build It Green, was a national fellow of the Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. Anne holds a Masters in Management from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree from Pomona College.

Gabby Agustin is the Communications and Development Manager at Asian American Futures. She brings expertise in digital strategy, content creation, and communications for social impact and policy-focused nonprofits. Most recently, she led influencer and creator outreach, client management, and campaign strategy at Social Currant, including work on the Harris-Walz presidential campaign. Her portfolio also includes Stories of Immigrants, Healing Justice Project, Arizona AANHPI for Equity Coalition, and JustFund. Earlier in her career, she became the first social media hire at Prism Reports, an award-winning, POC-led independent newsroom, where she strengthened and expanded their digital strategy.

Gabby holds a BA in Communications and Anthropology from UCLA and an MA in Media Studies from the University of Amsterdam. Guided by a passion for storytelling, she is committed to amplifying diverse voices and advancing social change through the power of digital media.

Suman brings deep experience and a longitudinal perspective to her strategy work spanning the immigrant rights, racial justice, civic and electoral engagement, and civil rights movements. She is a seasoned leader and strategist with fluency in policy advocacy, legislative targeting and organizing, political engagement, program design, strategic communications, membership and network development, and visionary partnerships. Suman has engaged in mission-oriented, community-driven policy, advocacy, and mobilization efforts toward justice at the grassroots, state and national levels for 25 years.

Suman has been deeply engaged in many of the most significant immigrant justice campaigns in recent decades, including responding to the events of September 11th; the Immigrant Worker Freedom Rides; the aftermath of Arizona's SB 1070; the DREAM Act and DACA; legalization fights; and the attacks on immigrants, Muslim and communities of color during the first Trump term.

The former Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and an experienced tactician at the national, state and local levels, Suman has extensive relationships in the immigrant rights, racial justice, civic engagement, and civil rights movements. Honed through roles at SAALT, the ACLU, Progressive States Network, the New York Immigration Coalition, Chhaya Community Development Corporation, and her consulting practice, Suman's network informs her understanding of numerous movement ecosystems and the coalitions that can drive change.

ANITA VUKOVIC (she/her) is the Project Director of the CoLAB, a strategic initiative for immigration narrative change, research, and field-building, that is fiscally sponsored by AAF. In this role, she oversees and commissions original persuasion research based on community priorities, and has personally organized and provided 70+ training hours and trained 700+ advocates in the immigrant justice movement.

Anita has a Master of Arts in Anthropology from UCLA and an interdisciplinary background in communications, policy analysis, and social science research. She is the proud daughter of immigrants from the former Yugoslavia and has worked in migration and refugee issues both domestically and internationally for more than a decade, on projects investigating policies and histories of immigrant inclusion, governance, and criminalization in New York, Los Angeles, Morocco, and Southern Africa. Anita also brings expertise in housing justice, gender-based violence, community development, and teaching.

Managing Director, 21/64

Andine Sutarjadi is a speaker, facilitator, and writer on next gen philanthropy who has dedicated her career to advancing inclusive practices in philanthropic decision-making, governance, and advising.

As Managing Director at 21/64, a nonprofit practice serving next gen donors, multigenerational families, and professionals who steward resources for impact, Andine drives innovation and directs curriculum development to position 21/64 at the forefront of change. Recognized for turning ambitious ideas into reality and aligning multiple stakeholders, she brings complex initiatives to life with precision and lasting resonance.

A next gen donor herself, Andine brings a unique perspective and grounded presence to foster meaningful conversations across funders and professionals. She facilitates programs that equip next generation donors to clarify their philanthropic identity, give strategically, and serve on nonprofit boards. She also leads the 21/64 Certified Advisors of Color Program, supporting philanthropic advisors of color to build transformative donor relationships and advance inclusive philanthropy.

Prior to 21/64, she worked at Women Moving Millions, managing programming and engagement for funders who give boldly with a gender lens. She holds a B.Sc. in Health Science with a Minor in Public Health from Boston University.

She is an advocate for global women-led initiatives through serving on the Board of WomenStrong, cultivates civic and philanthropic engagement for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as a Board Member of Asian American Futures, and works to strengthen community-focused initiatives at the intersection of art and social change through the Asian Women Giving Circle.

Asian American Museum at Great Park, Executive Director

As a refugee whose family relied on the kindness of strangers, Jack understands the power of community and is driven to create social change through action. Jack is currently leading the development of the Asian American Museum at the Great Park in Irvine as its inaugural Executive Director. The museum is a groundbreaking cultural institution celebrating Asian American stories. He is also the Principal of JT Consulting Group whose mission is to create an equitable world by catalyzing and strengthening the power of nonprofit, corporate and social change initiatives to create meaningful societal impact.

Jack is the former Co-CEO of the Illumination Foundation, a $50M nonprofit with over 400 employees on the mission to disrupt the cycle of homelessness through healthcare and housing. Prior to that, he had an 18-year career in philanthropy and community development as Vice President of CSR at Wells Fargo.

A dedicated civic leader, Jack serves on the boards of Asian American Futures and the Dragon Kim Foundation, and as an advisory member for The Change Company, UCI’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, and the Mix Academy. He holds an MBA from UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business and is a graduate of the Southern California Leadership Network.

Dreams for Schools, Founder & CEO

The Meraki Collective, Founder

Nithin is the Founder and Executive Director of Dreams for Schools, a nonprofit cultivating critical thinking, creativity, and technical skills in youth through inclusive STEAM education, preparing the next generation to navigate and shape the digital future. A technologist and entrepreneur at heart, he has spent his career at the intersection of technology, education, and community, building institutions and partnerships that expand what young people believe is possible for themselves.

He is also the founder of The Meraki Collective, a creative and technology studio helping individuals and mission-driven teams with brand, technology, and practical AI. Beyond his ventures, Nithin advises early-stage companies, co-authored R is for Rice, a children's book celebrating Asian American food and culture, and serves on the boards of Friends of Kenya Schools and Wildlife and Topplers. As a founding board member of Asian American Futures, he believes the AAPI community's most abundant chapter is still ahead, and that narrative, technology, and civic power are how we build it together.

Founder, ImpactPro Tech

Tina T. Duong is a philanthropic leader and social impact strategist who has mobilized millions for climate, housing, equity, and global peace initiatives. As Founder & CEO of ImpactPro Tech®, she empowers mission-driven organizations with data-driven fundraising tools, following senior roles at the World Resources Institute, Carnegie Endowment, Asia Society, and The Asian American Foundation. She is known for turning bold vision into measurable impact.

Poet, Filmmaker, Creative Director

Titania Tran is an award-winning poet, filmmaker, and creative director. Her hybrid documentary approach to storytelling is informed by her roots as a daughter of political refugees, and her training in mental health, education, and social justice. Her work is a tender assault on human morality, characterized by her championing of marginalized experiences, interrogation of systems in power, and unflinching confrontation with mortality.

Her work transcends any one discipline, persisting at the intersection of education, entertainment, advocacy, advertising, and politics. Her grassroots social impact short films have garnered over $4 million in earned media across major publishers, including BBC News and NBA TNT globally; have been published in The New York Times and McGraw Hill; adopted by nonprofits including IRCO (The Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization); referenced by policy makers to inform social justice initiatives in Washington D.C.; and incorporated into the course curriculums of classrooms across America.

Titania is the recipient of AdAge’s Creative of the Year, Adcolor’s Ad of the Year, Cannes Lions, D&AD, Webbys, The One Show, One Screen, and Ciclope, among others.

She is currently developing her feature documentary debut, and is a creative at the world-renowned independent advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy, Portland.