Ms. Jent is Vice President of Operations — Multicultural Business Development Group at State Farm Insurance Companies’ corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois. Her career with State Farm began in 1987 as an auto claim representative in Greenville, Miss., and she progressed to the positions of claims supervisor and superintendent, public affairs manager, regional services director, health division manager and executive assistant to the President’s office. In 2006, Ms. Jent was named VP-Operations in the Southern Zone where she was responsible for human resources, learning and development, marketing, public affairs and the developmental agency field offices. She was named to her current post in January 2008 and is the Executive Sponsor for the AsiaNet Employee Resource Group.

Angela E. Oh is an attorney, teacher, and public lecturer best known for her role as spokesperson for the Korean American community after the 1992 Los Angeles Riots and her position on President Bill Clinton's One America Initiative.

She is a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Public Health degrees. Her Juris Doctorate is from King Hall, the University of California, Davis School of Law.

In 1992, Ms. Oh gained national prominence as a spokesperson and mediator for the Asian American community in connection with the Los Angeles riots. In June 1997, she was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the President’s Initiative on Race. She served as part of a seven-member Advisory Board to the President in an effort directed at examining how race, racism, and racial differences have affected the United States.

Oh has also designed and made presentations for businesses and organizations seeking to prevent claims of discrimination and harassment. She has provided services as a consent decree monitor in matters involving the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as an external investigator for claims of discrimination or harassment in employment, and as a private consultant to leaders faced with discrimination or harassment cases in their organizations.

Oh was the Chair of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer’s Federal Judicial Nominations Committee for two years, she was a Lawyer Delegate to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, and served as a member of the Federal Magistrate Judge Selection Panel in the Central District of California, for three years.

Between 1998 and 2002, Ms. Oh left the full-time practice of law to study, teach, and write. Her speeches and writings reflect the opportunities and challenges that diversity presents. Ms. Oh’s lectures have taken her into both national and international arenas, including China, Korea, the Middle East, Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

Ms. Oh has taught at the University of California, Irvine, University of Southern California, U.C.L.A., and other institutions. In 2002, she finished a collection of essays entitled Open: One Woman’s Journey, published by UCLA’s Asian American Studies Department. She is also an ordained Priest, Zen Buddhist Priest - Rinzai Sect. Ms. Oh is currently interim Executive Director for the Western Justice Foundation.

Bill Imada is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the IW Group (formerly Imada Wong Communications Group), a full-service communications firm that specializes in the growing multicultural markets here in the U.S. The IW Group was ranked the seventh fastest growing public relations agency in the U.S. by PR Week (2002) and is among the top Asian American advertising firms in this country according to Advertising Age (2005).

With more than a decade of experience in marketing, public relations, advertising and training, Mr. Imada and his company have and continue to represent some of the top global brands, including Farmers Group, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Nike, McDonald’s Corporation, Merrill Lynch, Washington Mutual, GlaxoSmithKline, Blue Cross, Wal-Mart Stores and UPS. The IW Group also represents a number of prominent government agencies, including the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section and the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Both Mr. Imada and the IW Group are active in the communities they serve, building bridges between corporations and community based organizations. They have given countless hours to help build the capacity of Asian Pacific American organizations, and have provided invaluable media and communications training for community leaders across the country. IW Group staff at every level lends their expertise to the boards of several community-based and national Asian American organizations. In addition, Mr. Imada and his company have been strong advocates for fairness in the media, speaking out against defamatory depictions in advertising. IW Group funded AAJC’s groundbreaking 2005 report, “Lights, Camera and Little Action,” which analyzed the limited roles for Asian Americans in prime time television programming. Recently, IW Group spearheaded the development of the first Asian Pacific Islander American national college scholarship fund.

Mr. Imada was elected president of the Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF) in 2004, and served on the board of directors for PRSA/Los Angeles. He also serves as a national speaker on multicultural issues and has served as a speaker for trade associations, universities and companies. They include the American Cancer Society, UC Berkeley, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Association of National Advertisers, Public Relations Society of America, Strategic Research Institute, American Marketing Association, and others.

David Lum is the Director of Asia/Pacific Product & Support Operations for the Government & Public Safety business in Motorola. For over 26 years, David has worked in the land mobile two-way radio business and has extensive experience in a wide variety of markets and applications that use two-way voice and wireless data radio systems in mission-critical applications. David’s work experience & responsibilities include product development, systems marketing, manufacturing, systems engineering, field engineering, project and program management, sales and engineering training, business development, product marketing, government regulatory affairs, and operations management.

Prior to relocating back to Schaumburg in early 2003, David spent 5¼ years doing Business Development for Motorola’s Asia/Pacific division, living in Singapore as an expatriate. David travelled frequently to many customer locations within Asia to promote radio systems, advised on design, spoke at technical conferences and seminars, presented to many senior level government officials, and educated customers and regulators on technology trends and applications. David also contributed to the industry by writing magazine articles that have been published internationally. One of the more interesting and unique credits in David’s career is being the first Motorolan to enter into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (aka North Korea) in 2001.

David has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s of Science degree in Management from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. In his spare time, David is a Business Professor teaching at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management since 1993, teaching Project Management, Global Business & Cultural Diversity, and Effective Leadership to MBA students. David also served for 3½ years as President of the Asian Business Council, a twice award-winning employee-based network inside Motorola. David also started two Toastmasters Clubs, served as President, and continues to serve as Past President in his club, where he is an Advanced Communicator Bronze. David also contributes his time towards the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) Chicago chapter as a senior advisory council member to help Asians in the Chicago area to improve their professional career and leadership abilities through personal growth and leadership development, and as a National senior advisory board member with NAAAP National, where he is a frequent guest speaker, lecturer, and trainer on Asian affairs and leadership development.

Born and raised in the United States of America, David is married to his beautiful wife for over 26 years, has two great teenage sons, and lives in the Chicagoland area. David’s hobbies include aviation (where he is a licensed private pilot), reading, microcomputing, teaching, public speaking (on business, cultural awareness, career management, and leadership), movie-watching, and spending time with his family.

Hans Huang is a partner at Maupin Taylor, a well-regarded corporate law firm that has served clients in North Carolina for more than 130 years, with offices in Raleigh, Research Triangle Park and Wilmington . Hans is member of the law firm's litigation section, where he concentrates his practice in commercial litigation, securities law, health care law, and insurance defense. He represents clients in contract disputes, software licensing and distribution matters, corporate fraud, insurance coverage, securities fraud, and unfair and deceptive trade practice claims.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Huang practiced law in Charlotte, North Carolina with Morris York Williams Surles & Barringer, L.L.P., where he concentrated on liability insurance defense and workers' compensation defense issues.

He received an undergraduate degree in political science in 1994 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1998.

Before entering law school, he provided software and hardware support to the National Institute of Environmental Health Services. He is the former President of the National Association of Asian-American Professionals - North Carolina Venture. During Mr. Huang’s presidency, the Association and its members were recognized for numerous achievements, including the 2002 National Association of Asian-American Professionals Venture of the Year. In 2003, Mr. Huang was voted one of Triangle’s “40 under 40” for attaining a significant leadership role, achieving significant career milestones, and contributing to the community through volunteering before reaching the age of 40. He has also been active in Band Together and in the North Carolina Chinese Business Association.

J.D. Hokoyama is the President and CEO of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP), Inc. As LEAP's chief executive officer, he is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the organization. Hokoyama has been with LEAP for nearly 20 years - first as a founding Board member, then as President and Executive Director - is a lead trainer, speaking around the country on leadership, diversity and Asian Pacific American issues.

LEAP is a national, nonprofit organization founded in Los Angeles in 1982 with a mission to achieve full participation and equality for Asian Pacific Americans through leadership, empowerment and policy. With original programs in leadership training, public policy research and community education, LEAP raises the impact and visibility of Asian Pacific Americans in all sectors.

Under Hokoyama's leadership and vision, LEAP has steadily grown from its roots as a volunteer organization. In addition to serving an extensive roster of nonprofits, LEAP's clientele currently includes federal and state government agencies, colleges and universities and Fortune 500 companies.

In nearly two decades of commitment to advancing the leadership potential of Asian Pacific Americans, LEAP has conducted over 1,000 workshops, reaching more than 100,000 people nationwide. In recent years, LEAP has developed collaborative partnerships with several corporations, offering customized leadership and cultural diversity training for such leading companies as IBM, Raytheon, Procter & Gamble, and Merrill Lynch.

Hokoyama is also nationally recognized for his leadership and service to the Asian Pacific American community. In 2000, he was named one of the "100 Most Influential Asian Americans of the Decade" by "A." Magazine, and has received numerous awards, including the "Executive Development Institute Service Award" by the Seattle Japanese American Chamber of Commerce and the "Community Leadership Award" by Asians for Corporate and Community Action at Pacific Bell.

Hokoyama has dedicated his professional life to educating others. A former Peace Corps volunteer serving in Ethiopia, Hokoyama has served as a high school teacher, an elementary school principal and the Director of Asian Pacific American Student Services at University of Southern California. He was also the Acting National Director of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the largest and oldest Asian Pacific American civil rights organization in the U.S.

In addition to growing leaders in Asian Pacific American communities, Hokoyama is committed to raising the visibility of Asian Pacific Americans. His current affiliations include board positions in organizations such as Independent Sector, Alliance for Nonprofit Management, National Immigration Forum, National Diversity Network, Volunteer Consulting Group and the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.

Joanne Tabellija is the MillerCoors Director of Multicultural Relations programs for the Asian, Women’s, Native American, and U.S. Volunteer Programs and communities. Her goal is to align community relations support with the visions and values of MillerCoors. By developing solid, positive relationships with the communities and creating mutually valuable partnerships, she has brought MillerCoors closer to the communities.

Joanne is currently Board Chair of the Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC), serving her 2nd term. APDC is a non-profit that promotes the well-being and health of Asian American community by bridging generations, cultures, and languages through culturally appropriate programs and services. She and the Board are working towards opening a Blended Care Clinic, offering medical and mental health services to the community.

Joanne started with Coors Brewing Company in 1996. Her previous positions include manager of Supplier Diversity where she assisted the company in seeking contracts with diverse suppliers, and executing local and national external programs targeting minority suppliers, and Brand Coordinator in Brand Marketing on Coors Original.

Joanne’s professional background includes 18 years of sales, marketing and merchandising administration, judicial experience as a magistrate for an Oregon municipality, and contract administration. She was a trainer for the Inn Between Program, a program that trains young adults who have dropped out of high school to market themselves successfully in the job market.

Her personal interest in serving the community and raising cultural awareness has spurred her commitment and activities membership to many interests and groups. The combination of her business background and her desire to mentor and work with non-profits to create viable organizations, has proven to be effective in every organization she has touched.

Joanne has also served as APDC Board Director, Board Chair & Board Director of the Colorado Asian Chamber of Commerce, Corporate Advisor of the Dragon Boat Festival Steering Committee in Colorado, Board Member & Youth Director of Filipino-American Community of Colorado (FACC), Board Member of Minority Enterprises Educational Development Week (MED Week), Co-Chair of Minority Enterprises Inc. (MEI) Marketing Committee, Chair of Coors Asian Network (CAN), Board Member of Uplift Internationale Inc.

Mable F. Yee is a technologist, entrepreneur, filmmaker and activist. She spent 27 years in the tech industry launching and managing global brands for Fortune 1000 corporations like Xerox Corporation, Ashton-Tate and Network General. She has been CEO and co-founder of several start-ups in the networking, internet and consumer marketing industries. She is fascinated with the intersection of New Media technologies, online activism and the opportunities to build new content and distribution models to attract and connect socially networked and mobile audiences.

As a filmmaker, she co-produced the documentary, “Engage Her: Getting minority women to lead and vote”. In 2008, Mable launched a new social movement and start up: EngageHer.org. It is an online organization that educates and activates multiculturals, women and communities to step up to leadership and participate about issues they care about. Mable has sat on many boards and actively advises technology start ups and non-profit organizations. She is a member of the Women’s Media Center, Shesource.org and as a public speaker has appeared at many conferences and engagements.

Panney is an award-winning writer and motivational speaker on women’s issues, the power of the mind, and achieving your potential, inspiring people to move through obstacles and achieve greatness in their personal and professional lives. She is a proud descendant of one of China’s greatest military heroes and statesmen, General Zuo Zong-Tang (1812-85), forever immortalized in pop culture for the famous cuisine, “General Zuo’s Chicken.

Drawing from her experience as a competitive figure skater in her youth and an executive in the entertainment and finance industries, Panney’s passion is teaching people to be a champion in life, being a change agent in the world, and empowering people to live fulfilling lives. Designated as an Honorary Goodwill Ambassador for California, she is also a popular TV-Radio host with appearances on NBA TV China, Discovery Channel, and an upcoming show for Lifetime TV, and currently hosts her talk radio show, “Positive Changes with Panney Wei” on KCAA 1050 AM radio, an NBC News Affiliate, Wednesdays at 6pm PST to nearly one million listeners a month and currently ranked Top 100 Best Podcasts on Itunes in the category “Spirituality”

Panney is also a Certified Hypnotherapist and founder of Positive Changes with Panney Wei™ in Beverly Hills where her private practice and programs focus on educating and empowering corporations and individuals with success strategies to create effective leaders in the world and bring peace, success, and prosperity in their lives. Much of her work is grounded in her Chinese and Asian American heritage, leveraging the strengths of both cultures, where her extensive travels contribute to her global view of achieving the human potential and shooting for your stars!

In the community, she translates her dynamic energy and passion for public service serving on the board of several community organizations such asThe Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) Senior Advisory Council, the NAAAP – Orange County Advisory Board, and Teada Productions, donating much of her time and energy empowering organizations that make a positive impact on our society and the Asian Pacific community at large. She is also an active member of the American Counseling Association, the National Speakers Association, the American Hypnosis Association, and American Women in Radio and Television.

Panney is currently finishing a Doctorate in Naturopathy and is the author of several audios, articles, and an upcoming novel. Her website is www.panneywei.com

Vu H. Pham, Ph.D. is a Partner of Spectrum Knowledge, Inc., a training, research and consulting organization. He also currently serves as a Researcher at the Center for Center for Research on Employment and the Workforce at California State University—Fullerton, as well as the Asian American Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. Previously, he held Research Fellow positions through the University of California Office of the President and the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine.

He has been featured on national and international multimedia venues, such as CNN, MSNBC, Voice of America, The Los Angeles Times, KSCI International Television, Asian Week, Radio Free Asia, and The Orange County Register. His experience includes having worked with companies as large as those from the Fortune 500 to those in governmental and non-profit sectors. Having completed his doctoral degree from Cornell University, Dr. Pham’s specialties include the areas of culture, organizational development and leadership.

He combines training, data-driven research and consulting to assist clients with identifying and assessing organizational challenges, as well as providing effective solutions. Dr. Pham’s clients range in industries that include: Aerospace and Defense, Technology, Financial Services, Accounting, Advertising, Healthcare, Retail as well as Museums and Cultural Organizations. He has also worked with individual clients to optimize their career success. He has been a keynote speaker on multiple occasions and presented at numerous workshops, conferences and retreats internationally and has published in both academic and mainstream publications. Beyond his professional work, Dr. Pham has participated in generating over a million dollars for non-profit groups and donates countless hours to them.

His other honors and roles include being selected as the head of a Smithsonian cultural project and museum exhibit, a Role Model for KSCI International Television’s “Our Role Models” series, Board Member of Western University’s Capital Campaign, “Entrepreneur of the Year” in California’s 49th Assembly District, as well as being an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow, a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) award recipient, a Chancellor’s Scholar at UC Irvine and an Honoree at UCLA. He serves on the Los Angeles Asian Heritage Month Committee.