AAPI Power Players

Binna Kim is the co-founder and group CEO of Vested. For two decades, Binna has worked with leading financial services brands on driving integrated marcomms campaigns to enhance brand, shape reputation, and deliver results. Binna was named a Woman of Distinction by PRWeek in 2024 as well as Top 40 under 40 in PR. She is a member of Chief and supports the Association of Asian American Investment Managers in a communications advisory role.

If you could give your younger-self advice, what would it be?
Leadership doesn’t have to be loud. My AAPI heritage meant that I wasn’t raised to be the loudest voice in the room. Early on in my career, I felt this was holding me back. But I realize now that my ability to listen and to thoughtfully communicate is one of my greatest strengths.

Do you have any event/movie/music suggestions for our readers to check out in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month?
I’m a reader, so I’m going to recommend a book instead! Jessamine Chan’s “The School for Good Mothers” is an incredible book – the book haunted me and I wept multiple times reading it. It throws a harsh spotlight on American parenting and opens your eyes to realize that our American definition of being a good mother excludes how different heritages show love – which is not always in hugs and organic food.

How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
As the first child of two immigrants, even though I was born in the U.S., I didn’t speak English when I started kindergarten. That feeling of ‘otherness’ lingered, but also forced me to define my own identity in who I really am. When you don’t fit in, you might as well be your own shape. As a leader, I try to advocate for defining leadership in the actual value you create, not in leadership presenteeism.

What can New York policymakers do to support the AAPI-community in the short-term? In the long-term?
There still needs to be more recognition for the breadth of the AAPI diaspora and the diverse needs of AAPIs as minorities. There’s greater recognition of anti-AAPI violence as hate crimes, but more needs to be done here. There should be more AAPI history taught within classrooms. How many children know about Japanese internment camps or Chinese slavery in the U.S.? Not enough. Progress is being made, which is exciting, but we can do better.

Kevin D. Kim serves as the commissioner for the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), a dynamic city agency focused on equitable economic opportunity. Initiatives launched under his leadership include the largest public-private partnership loan fund in NYC directed to small businesses ($85M to 1046 businesses); Cannabis NYC, the city’s first support for the newly-legalized market; and Small Business Forward – more than 90 reforms to violations.

If you could give your younger-self advice, what would it be?
Though I had learned at one point to be proficient in Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean, I now wish I had learned to speak fluent Spanish.

Do you have any event/movie/music suggestions for our readers to check out in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month?
“Who killed Vincent Chin?” and “Linsanity”

How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
Being proud of who you are, where you come from, understanding cultural differences for a young child, especially an immigrant child, is never easy. As you grow older, however, you begin to appreciate more and more how those “differences” can be powerful assets. For example, it allows you to bring unique and fresh perspectives when problem solving.

What can New York policymakers do to support the AAPI-community in the short-term? In the long-term?
Roughly speaking Asian Americans comprise about 16-18% of the NYC population, yet the community receives less than 1% of all government social service dollars. If such a disparity exists, NY policymakers should better understand why this is the case. In addition, NY policymakers should require disaggregation of data to better understand how the needs of different communities within the extremely diverse AAPI community varies.

Ronald Tae Sok Kim (born May 2, 1979) is an American politician from New York City. He serves in the New York State Assembly representing the 40th District, which includes portions of Whitestone, Flushing, College Point, and Murray Hill in Queens. First elected in November 2012, Kim became the first Korean American elected in New York State. In 2021, Speaker Carl Heastie appointed him chair of New York Assembly Committee on Aging

If you could give your younger-self advice, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self to avoid social media and live more in the moment.

Do you have any event/movie/music suggestions for our readers to check out in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month?
Any movie or show featuring the actor Ken Leung.

How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
During my senior year of high school, I overcame the embarrassment of being a Korean immigrant surrounded by non-Asians. This was the moment I embraced my heritage and liberated my fixed mindset; that decision led me down a path filled with dedication and purpose.

What can New York policymakers do to support the AAPI-community in the short-term? In the long-term?
My top priority is public safety. We must do everything we can to keep working class families feeling safe while walking the city. Next, housing. We need more affordable homes. Long-term, in places like Flushing, we could show a pathway forward for the rest of America in how to grow the middle-class. Through hard work, education, and jobs that lead to social mobility, we can reverse the ongoing trend of a shrinking middle-class.

Yin Kong 邝海音 is the co-founder and  executive director of Think!Chinatown, an intergenerational nonprofit working at the intersection of storytelling, art, and neighborhood engagement in Manhattan’s Chinatown. She’s built community festivals like Chinatown Night Market and Chinatown Arts Festival,  as well as Chinatown!Studio, a cultural hub which will host community art exhibitions, tea workshops, talks, performances, and kitchen classes.  An urbanist by training, she holds a master’s from University College London and a bachelor’s from Columbia University.

If you could give your younger-self advice, what would it be?
It’s okay to give up. Letting go of some things helps you focus on what’s important to you and where you can make the most impact. Keep learning, experiencing, and exploring things that are interesting to you, even if the connection is not yet clear to you. This will help you develop your lens in which you’ll see the world, and refine your focus. Find your mentors and circle of peers. Change only happens from within the community.

Do you have any event/movie/music suggestions for our readers to check out in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month?
Think!Chinatown will present our first ever Chinatown Storytelling Festival May 5-7 at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema! Featuring a heartfelt selection of short films created by the Think!Chinatown’s storytelling team, these film series put the lives of our Chinatown neighbors in the context of the Asian American movement, and how music and culture can connect people and draw strength in our community. Through storytelling projects, we include our undertold stories in the wider narrative of American history. Tickets available here.

How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
Early in my career, I lived, worked, and traveled through China for many years. I learned just how American I am, and how not Chinese I am. Returning to the US, I had my first experience living outside of a diverse population while in Central Virginia. Like many immigrant kids, I grew up navigating between worlds, but the feeling of otherness in my own country felt extra jarring after my time abroad. Because of these experiences, my work today focuses very much on building a place of belonging for Asian Americans.

What can New York policymakers do to support the AAPI-community in the short-term? In the long-term?
Remove the red tape that hinders small and micro businesses. Small scale vending is often the life line of new immigrants. Decriminalizing street vending violations, and expanding street vendor permits are all very feasible short-term solutions. In the long term, policymakers can focus on equitable funding to the growing AAPI population. For instance, Think!Chinatown is advocating for resources to build the Asian American Arts Research Center so that our vulnerable archives can be protected from erasure and stake our place of belonging in American history.

Shekar Krishnan is the New York City Council Member for District 25, representing Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Woodside, and the first Indian-American elected to city government. As chair of the council’s parks Committee, he won the largest ever budget for NYC Parks in city history and advocates tirelessly for public, open, green spaces across the city. Krishnan is a former civil rights attorney and community activist in Jackson Heights.

If you could give your younger-self advice, what would it be?
Your difference is your strength. All of the things that distinguish you from the mainstream will make you especially capable of advocating for your community and our needs. So whenever you’re in a classroom, or a courtroom, or in government, where your voice is unique, even if it’s just you, you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. (And keep practicing your jump shot!)

Do you have any event/movie/music suggestions for our readers to check out in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month?
There is always so much excitement and joy every May around our AAPI communities, but one of the most authentic ways to experience our full diversity is through our incredible food. My recommendation is to visit the buzzing food scene on Woodside Avenue in Elmhurst, which we renamed “Little Thailand Way.” You can’t go wrong at Ayada, Spicy Shallot, Zaab Zaab, or any of the Thai and Southeast Asian restaurants there.

How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
Growing up, I didn’t see people like me in places of power. I didn’t see our Indian culture reflected in the media, in our textbooks, or in any of the public services that our family had a right to receive. Now, in the City Council I am proud to elevate and advocate for our South Asian communities, from hosting Diwali celebrations at City Hall, to funding language-accessible services, to mentoring and supporting other AAPI leaders.

What can New York policymakers do to support the AAPI-community in the short-term? In the long-term?
In the short-term, we need city and state budgets that allow AAPI New Yorkers to access critical public services like housing, childcare, and food benefits, in the languages we speak and in the communities we live in. In the long-term, we need to expand the physical infrastructure – community centers, schools, affordable housing – and the social infrastructure – community and civic organizations, inclusive curricula – that will allow all of us to thrive.

Assembly Member Grace Lee represents New York Assembly District 65 in Lower Manhattan, which includes the Financial District, Chinatown, and the Lower East Side. She is the first Korean American woman to serve in the New York legislature and the co-chair of the assembly’s Asian Pacific American Task Force. In her first term, Assembly Member Lee has had a standout legislative track record with historic achievements for the Asian community. She led the effort to pass legislation making New York the first state in the country to recognize Lunar New Year as a statewide school holiday, included an unprecedented $30 million in the state budget for nonprofits serving Asian New Yorkers, and exempted the commuter vans that serve Asian neighborhoods in New York City from congestion pricing tolls. This year, Assembly Member Lee is leading new initiatives to combat hate against minority communities in New York, including Asian New Yorkers. She is the sponsor of the Hate Crimes Modernization Act to enhance New York’s laws to address hate crimes (A8261), the AANHPI Curriculum Bill to mandate the instruction of Asian history in New York public schools (A6579), and the Stop Hiding Hate Act to hold social media companies accountable for preventing hate on their platforms (A6789). Assembly Member Lee lives in Lower Manhattan with her husband and three young daughters. She received her bachelor’s from Columbia University and her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Lina Lee is the co-founder and executive director of Communities Resist (CoRe), a community-based tenant organizing and legal services group representing the most vulnerable tenants facing displacement, harassment, and housing discrimination in high impact affirmative litigation cases across NYC. CoRe provides legal representation, educational workshops, and advocates for housing justice alongside tenants. She serves on the Pro Bono Committee for Asian American Bar Association of New York. Ms. Lee received her bachelor’s from Cornell University and J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Council Member Linda Lee represents the 23rd Council District in Eastern Queens. She was elected to the council in November 2021, becoming the first Korean-American ever elected to the City Council. Council Member Lee currently chairs the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addictions. Prior to taking office, Linda was the President and CEO of Korean Community Services (KCS) New York’s first community-based social service organization focused on the Korean community.

If you could give your younger-self advice, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self to take more risks. From an early age, my parents instilled in me a heart to serve and fight for others. To be put in the position to create and advocate for the changes you want to see in society, being bold and embracing challenges head-on can lead to opportunities and doors opening that you would never have imagined.

Do you have any event/movie/music suggestions for our readers to check out in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month?
“Pachinko” is a beautifully written book by Min Jin Lee that covers life as a Korean under Japanese occupation. It encapsulates the intergenerational struggles of four generations of a Korean family and the discrimination many of our ancestors faced up to modern times. Another suggestion I have is the classic drama, “The Joy Luck Club.”

How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
My heritage is a source of my strength and has guided me throughout my career – from leading a social services organization serving the Korean and immigrant communities to being elected to be one of the first Korean Americans to serve on the City Council. Like how the first generation paved the way for us to thrive here in this country, I strive to be an example to inspire the next generation of AAPI leaders.

What can New York policymakers do to support the AAPI-community in the short-term? In the long-term?
The AAPI community is the fastest-growing immigrant group in the United States, and AAPI New Yorkers currently represent 18 percent of our city’s population. Having a seat at the table where important decisions are made is one way to ensure that policies are implemented that reflect the needs of our community. As policymakers, we must ensure our outreach and education are linguistically and culturally accessible so that services can reach the communities most in need.

Michael Lee is a third generation Chinese American, a lifelong Brooklynite, and currently the president of the Museum of Chinese in America. He previously was the managing director of Corporate Development at the New York Institute of Finance, the executive director and apex for youth and development director of the Committee of 100. He also serves on the boards of the Chinese American Planning Council, Central Queens Academy and the Red Hook Initiative.

If you could give your younger-self advice, what would it be?
At a practical level, I would advise to immerse yourself in the community and network actively. Hone your public speaking skills. Spend more time outdoors, shooting hoops at the park. Hold onto that NVDA stock. Personally, I’d say don’t be embarrassed that you can’t speak Chinese; study it and you will. Be confident in your Asian American identity. It’s a valuable perspective. Cherish belonging to such a remarkable community and see it as a gift.

Do you have any event/movie/music suggestions for our readers to check out in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month?
At the Museum of Chinese in America, we are presenting “Catching Silhouettes,” a street performance depicting oral histories of Chinatown’s past. Audience members stroll through Chinatown, witnessing actors recount tales of old movie theaters and the expansion of the Fujianese community along East Broadway. For recommendations beyond the museum, I recently saw “Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story” and really liked it. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed “The Three-Body Problem” and “Warrior” on Netflix.

How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
My heritage profoundly influences me, from my personal choices in what I eat to my career path. Being racially Asian, I often felt like an outsider in mainstream American society. The inability to speak Chinese created similar feelings in the Chinese community. These experiences fueled my curiosity to explore my heritage and contribute to the community. This journey has shaped me significantly, driving me to be the person I am today, both professionally and personally.

What can New York policymakers do to support the AAPI-community in the short-term? In the long-term?
In the short term, I encourage all the policymakers to visit our exhibits at the Museum of Chinese in America. Exploring Chinese-American history highlights the challenges immigrant communities endured and the impact of American policies on Chinese communities today. These issues are relevant again in current immigration debates and the upcoming presidential election. Long term, prioritizing AAPI curriculum development in New York schools is crucial. Understanding diverse cultures fosters respect for all in society.

John C. Liu is a New York State senator representing a broad area of northeast Queens.  He is chairperson of the senate’s committee on New York City Education and also serves on the committees of education, finance, higher education, judiciary, rules and transportation. John was comptroller of the City of New York (2010-2013) and a New York City Council Member (2002-2009).

If you could give your younger-self advice, what would it be?
Don’t neglect your burpees, and finish Iron Man by the age of 30, not 50!

Do you have any event/movie/music suggestions for our readers to check out in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month?
“Photographic Justice, the Corky Lee Story” will premiere on April 19th. Corky is synonymous with Asian American history in New York and beyond. He died from COVID-19 during the pandemic, but his tremendous legacy of works documenting Asian Americans lives on, and his story should be remembered.

How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
Although my parents named their three sons after the Kennedys (John, Robert and Edward), I’ve been Asian my whole life! My experience as an Asian American is not unlike many others in our community. I came to New York as an immigrant from Taiwan at the age of 4. Growing up Asian American helped shape my beliefs and outlook on life. It helped me understand that even in the great promise land of America, too many continue to be marginalized and discriminated against, and that we must always fight for our fair shake.

What can New York policymakers do to support the AAPI-community in the short-term? In the long-term?
There are many issues we are working on in the state legislature to empower the AAPI community. From making sure that AAPI history is taught in every school to securing funding through the Equity Budget Coalition to help support the vast network of culturally and linguistically competent nonprofits who work directly with AAPI communities, we are continuing to make progress.