Asian American LEAD (AALEAD)

We surpassed our goal and raised $203,673! 🎉

Thanks to our incredible community, AALEAD’s 28th Annual Dinner was a huge success! We’re so grateful to everyone who showed up, donated, sponsored, volunteered, and celebrated with us. 💛

We couldn’t do this work without your support. Thank you for believing in our mission and investing in our youth and communities. 🧡

📸 Photography by Peter Chuong Photography and Trevor K. Chan Photography

We’re proud to celebrate Dr. Fatima Baig, AALEAD’s Director of Programs, for speaking at Fortitude Re’s AANHPI Heritage Month panel alongside leaders from The Asian American Foundation and ALFA-Asian American Leadership in Financial Services Alliance. 💛

The conversation centered on identity, mentorship, representation, and leadership within AANHPI communities. Panelists shared reflections on everything from youth mentorship and the model minority myth to the importance of building pathways to leadership.

Thank you to Fortitude Re for creating space for these meaningful conversations and for highlighting the voices and experiences of AANHPI leaders. 🌟

📸 Image credit: Fortitude Re

Thank you, Accenture, for hosting Asian American LEAD (AALEAD) at your office! 🧡💛

Our team had the chance to share more about AALEAD’s mission and the work we do to support and empower AAPI youth in underserved communities. After learning about our programs, Accenture staff jumped in to help pack snacks for our youth participating in summer programs this year. ☀️🍎

We’re so grateful for partners who not only learn about our work, but also take action to support our youth in meaningful ways. Thank you for helping us make this summer a little brighter for the young people we serve!



📸 Photo credit: Accenture staff

Special thanks to Charles Dozier, Abraham G Walker, Nicole Jonassen, Hojin Mun, Grace Flaak, Tiffany Bui, and Riya Trasi for helping make this meaningful event possible!

Asian American LEAD (AALEAD) is so grateful to Monumental Sports & Entertainment for their generous $10,000 gift supporting our youth and programs! 🧡

We were honored to celebrate this incredible support at our End of Year Celebration alongside Kimberly Marcus, Vice President, Access, Impact & Inclusion; Amanda Scibilia, Sr. Production Manager and leader of AAPIN, the Asian American Pacific Islander Network Employee Resource Group; and Courtney Humphrey, Manager, Access, Impact & Inclusion.

Thank you for believing in our youth and investing in culturally responsive programming that helps underserved AAPI young people thrive. Your partnership means so much to our community!

Asian American LEAD (AALEAD)’s End of Year Celebration brought together youth, families, friends, community members, and staff for an afternoon full of joy, creativity, and connection. From our STEAM project showcase and graduation ceremony to museum exploration and fun, it was incredible to celebrate everything our youth accomplished this year.

We also loved hearing remarks from our Executive Director and Program Team as we reflected on this year’s growth and impact together. And a huge congratulations to our AALEAD seniors! We’re so proud of you and excited for all that’s ahead. 🎓✨

A very special THANK YOU to KID Museum for providing such an incredible event space and helping make this celebration unforgettable for our community!

As we wrap up Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, we’re reflecting on the amazing partners, families, youth, and community members who continue uplifting AANHPI voices and showing why representation and cultural awareness matter. 🧡

This is work AALEAD is proud to do not just this month, but every month through our programs and events that empower and celebrate youth and community.

In April, AALEAD staff and community members had the opportunity to attend the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company’s performance, “An Asian American Dance Journey,” through a generously donated opportunity from the company. Through modern dance, the performance beautifully depicted the Asian American experience and highlighted the power of storytelling through the arts.

Thank you to everyone who helps make moments like these possible! 💛

🎉 WOW! Our Virginia and Maryland Summer Programs are officially FULL and enrollment is now closed! Thank you to all the amazing youth and families who signed up 💛

BUT good news 👀 DC youth can still join us this summer! There's still space available in our DC Summer Program for a summer full of community, leadership, fun activities, and unforgettable memories ☀️✨

Spots are limited, so enroll today!
👉 https://bit.ly/3Re4BCa

Still thinking about the joy, energy, and community from our 28th Annual Dinner, Our Stories, Our Power ✨

Because of your generosity, AALEAD has already raised over $189,000 to support AAPI youth across the DMV, and we are getting closer every day to our $200,000 milestone! ❤️

We are now just $11,000 away from reaching an incredible $200,000 milestone, a milestone that will directly help expand opportunities for AAPI youth to thrive, lead, and feel seen in our communities.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, supported us, and continues to believe in the power of our youth and community.

Want to help us cross the finish line?

Support our youth. Donate today 🌟: https://bit.ly/4eQcOWP



📸 Photography by Peter Chuong Photography and Trevor K. Chan Photography

Over 400 seats sold for Asian American LEAD’s 28th Annual Dinner! A new record! 🎉

We are so grateful for this community and your support. We cannot wait to see everyone this Saturday, May 9, 2026 💛