NAAAP100, Inspire, & Pride Awards

The honorees chosen for our prestigious NAAAP 100, Inspire, and Pride awards will be recognized at the gala during our Leadership Convention. The programs were created to recognize exemplary leaders in the AAPI community to celebrate, inspire, and confirm possibilities for many more future leaders.

NAAAP100 Awards

In 2008, NAAAP established the NAAAP100 Awards to recognize exemplary leaders in the Asian community who have made significant contributions to their profession and the Asian community.

Inspire Award

In 2016, NAAAP established a parallel program to recognize promising up-and-coming leaders in the Asian community. Like NAAAP100 honorees, NAAAP Inspire honorees have created significant impact through their roles in various sectors such as business, government, or nonprofit.

Pride Award

In 2019, the NAAAP Pride award was created to honor influential leaders in the Asian American LGBTQ+ community who have made significant contributions to advancing LGBTQ+ leadership, equality, and visibility.

HONOREES

Jane Hyun
NAAAP 100 (2025)

Leadership Strategist and Author “Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling”

Chris Do
NAAAP 100 (2024)

Chris Do
NAAAP 100 (2024)

Founder and CEO, Futur and Emmy-Winning Designer

Ai-Jen Poo
NAAAP 100 (2023)

President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance

Sharifa Khan
NAAAP 100 (2023)

Founder and CEO of Balmoral Multicultural Marketing

Piyush Malik
NAAAP 100 (2022)

CDO and CTO of Veridic Solutions

Charles Lee
NAAAP 100 (2022)

Environmental Justice Leader, Policy Author, Founder

Padmasree Warrior
NAAAP 100 (2021)

Chief Technology Strategy Officer of Cisco

Helen Zia
NAAAP 100 (2020)

Journalist, Founder, Author, and Civil Rights Activist

Ryan Patel
NAAAP 100 (2020)

Board Director, Media Contributor, and Senior Fellow

Cecilia Chung
NAAAP 100 (2020)

Senior Director, Health Commissioner, and HIV/AIDS Activist

Mia Yamamoto
NAAAP 100 (2019)

Criminal Defense Attorney and Civil Rights Activist

Apa Sherpa
NAAAP 100 (2019)

Legendary Mountaineer and Founder of Apa Sherpa Foundation

Hitesh Ramchandani
NAAAP 100 (2019)

Paralympic Football Medalist, Author, and Ambassador

Rachelle Arizmendi
NAAAP 100 (2019)

Mayor of Sierra Madre and City Council Member

Frank Wu
NAAAP 100 (2018)

President of Queens College, Legal Scholar, and Author

Lani Wong
NAAAP 100 (2018)

Community Advocate and Philanthropist

Chaiwon Kim
NAAAP 100 (2018)

President and CEO of CPACS

Ben Chestnut
NAAAP 100 (2018)

Co-Founder and CEO, MailChimp

Linda Yu
NAAAP 100 (2017)

News Anchor and Author of “Lessons I Learned in America”

Bernie Wong
NAAAP 100 (2017)

President and Founder of Chinese American Service League

Li-Young Lee
NAAAP 100 (2017)

Poet, Memoirist, Translator

Santa Ono
NAAAP 100 (2016)

President, University of British Columbia

Omar Ishrak
NAAAP 100 (2016)

Chairman and CEO, Medtronic

Victor Dzau
NAAAP 100 (2016)

Scientist and Chancellor of Duke University Health System

Thomas Park Clement
NAAAP 100 (2016)

Founder, President and CEO of Mectra Laboratories

Juju Chang
NAAAP 100 (2016)

News Anchor and Journalist at ABC News

Albert Wong
NAAAP 100 (2015)

Citizenship Judge and Former Lieutenant-Commander

Tammy Nguyen Lee
NAAAP 100 (2015)

President and Founder of Against the Grain Productions

Ronald Chang
NAAAP 100 (2015)

President of UPS Capital

David Tsubouchi
NAAAP 100 (2014)

Former Member of Provincial Parliament and Cabinet Minister

Gary Locke
NAAAP 100 (2014)

Former U.S. Ambassador to China, U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Harry Lee
NAAAP 100 (2014)

VP of Corporate Contracts at Northrop Gunman

Grace Lee Boggs
NAAAP 100 (2014)

Philosopher, Activist, Author, Community Organizer

George Takei
NAAAP 100 (2013)

Actor, Narrator, and Author

Thear Suzuki
NAAAP 100 (2013)

Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

Chris Lu
NAAAP 100 (2013)

U.S. Cabinet Secretary and Co-Chair, WHIAAPI

Don Liu
NAAAP 100 (2013)

Senior VP, General Counsel, and Secretary, Xerox Corporation

Constance Lau
NAAAP 100 (2013)

President and CEO, Hawaiian Electric Industries

Lang Lang
NAAAP 100 (2013)

Concert Pianist

Daniel Inouye
NAAAP 100 (2013)

U.S. Senator, Hawaii

Tom Hom
NAAAP 100 (2013)

Founder, Tom Hom Group and Author

Hines Ward
NAAAP 100 (2012)

NFL Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ike Song
NAAAP 100 (2012)

VP of Situation Awareness Systems, Northrop Grumman

Vivienne Poy
NAAAP 100 (2012)

Senator of Canada, Author, Entrepreneur, and Fashion Designer

Richard Lui
NAAAP 100 (2012)

News Anchor, MSNBC and NBC News

Doris Ching
NAAAP 100 (2012)

Vice President of Student Affairs, University of Hawaii

I.M. Pei
NAAAP 100 (2011)

Architect, Founder, Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate

Indra Nooyi
NAAAP 100 (2011)

Pepsico CEO

Norman Mineta
NAAAP 100 (2011)

U.S. Secretary of Transportation and U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Sachi Koto
NAAAP 100 (2011)

Founder and CEO, Sachi Koto Communications, Inc.

Svetlana Kim
NAAAP 100 (2011)

CEO, Consultant, Author, Speaker

Jim Yong Kim
NAAAP 100 (2011)

Physician and President, Dartmouth College

Mike Honda
NAAAP 100 (2011)

Congressman of California’s 15th Congressional District

Brad Furukawa
NAAAP 100 (2011)

VP and CTO, Northrop Grumman

Tracey Doi
NAAAP 100 (2011)

Group VP and CFO, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Mable Yee
NAAAP 100 (2010)

CEO and Founder, Engage Her and High-Tech Entrepreneur

Michelle Rhee
NAAAP 100 (2010)

Chancellor, Washington D.C. Public Schools

Qi Lu
NAAAP 100 (2010)

President, Online Services at Microsoft Corporation

Howard Koh
NAAAP 100 (2010)

Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. HHS

Sonya Gong Jent
NAAAP 100 (2010)

Vice President of Operations, State Farm Insurance

Neil Horikoshi
NAAAP 100 (2010)

President and Executive Director, APIA Scholarship Fund

Doreen Ho
NAAAP 100 (2010)

President and CEO of United Commercial Bank

Chan Hon Goh
NAAAP 100 (2010)

World-Renowned Prima Ballerina, Artistic Director, Entrepreneur

Martha Choe
NAAAP 100 (2010)

Chief Administrative Officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

John Cho
NAAAP 100 (2010)

Actor, Musician, Author

Maya Lin
NAAAP 100 (2009)

Architect, Sculptor, Designer, Environmental Activist

Paul Lee
NAAAP 100 (2009)

Partner at Goodwin Proctor law firm

Bill Imada
NAAAP 100 (2009)

Chairman and CEO of IW Group

David Henry Hwang
NAAAP 100 (2009)

Tony Award-Winning Playwright, Screenwriter, Librettist

J.D. Hokoyama
NAAAP 100 (2009)

President & CEO of LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)

Elaine Chao
NAAAP 100 (2009)

Former U.S. Cabinet Secretary and Distinguished Fellow

Scott Oki
NAAAP 100 (2008)

Founder and Chair, Oki Developments and Philanthropist

David Lum
NAAAP 100 (2008)

Executive at Motorola, Consultant, Speaker

HONOREES

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Alex Chester-Iwata
NAAAP Inspire (2025)

Founder and CEO, Mixed Asian Media

Julie Huang
NAAAP Inspire (2024)

Associate Scientific Director, Neurocrine Biosciences

Michelle Li
NAAAP Inspire (2023)

Journalist and Co-Founder, The Very Asian Foundation

Stephanie KyeongSeon Drenka
NAAAP Inspire (2023)

Executive Director, Dallas Asian American Historical Society

Michelle MiJung Kim
NAAAP Inspire (2022)

Founder and CEO, Awaken

Onchantho Am
NAAAP Inspire (2022)

Associate General Counsel, University of Central Florida

Francesca Hong
NAAAP Inspire (2021)

Wisconsin State Representative

Tony DelaRosa
NAAAP Inspire (2021)

Founder and CEO, Tony Rosa Speaks LLC

Alpa Amin
NAAAP Inspire (2021)

Executive Director, Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network

Symington W. Smith
NAAAP Inspire (2020)

Founder and CEO, Waysmith Enterprises

Nydia Han
NAAAP Inspire (2019)

News Anchor at WPVI-TV

Aisha Yaqoob
NAAAP Inspire (2018)

Executive Director, Asian American Advocacy Fund

Nanxi Liu
NAAAP Inspire (2017)

Co-Founder and CEO, Enplug

Brian Wong
NAAAP Inspire (2016)

Co-Founder and CEO, Kiip

HONOREES

Jay Kuo
NAAAP Pride (2025)

Founder and CEO, The Social Edge

Michael Liu
NAAAP Pride (2023)

Internal Communications Manager, NAIT

Schuyler Bailar
NAAAP Pride (2022)

Athlete, Author “He/She/They”

Urooj Arshad
NAAAP Pride (2021)

Director of Advocates for Youth

Ocean Vuong
NAAAP Pride (2020)

Author “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” Photographer

Telly Leung
NAAAP Pride (2019)

Broadway Star, Actor, Recording Artist