Hosted by Council Member Shekar Krishnan and Council Member Linda Lee
In 2026, we celebrated the power players in our community and explored how advocacy and influence can strengthen our coalition.
VIEW PAST CELEBRATIONS:
What we learned in 2026
-
The diversity of our AAPI communities makes us stronger.
-
Kindness is a strength and culture is a core value.
-
We need to lift each other up and encourage each other to take risks.
-
Community members are increasingly interested in advocacy and civic engagement—especially those now in retirement.
-
We need to be intentional and thoughtful about the type of media we consume, and whether it aligns with the type of world we want to live in.
-
We all want to build something bigger and better for the future.
You told us that this was the best year yet. We can’t wait to make next year even better.
We heard from leaders at The New York Times, NFL, Bellevue Hospital, Obama White House National Economic Council, PAPER Magazine, AAPI Lead and more.
Ascent Over the Years
HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST CELEBRATIONS
SEE MORE:
Photo Highlights
Hosted by Council Member Shekar Krishnan and Council Member Linda Lee
2024 marked our inaugural celebration of Asian American leadership in New York City.
Hosted by Council Member Shekar Krishnan and Council Member Linda Lee
2025 was a year of change and celebration for Asian American leadership in New York City.
S. Mitra Kalita
URL Media
Priya Krishna
NYT Food
Madhuri Kommareddi
Obama White House
Shekar Krishnan
NYC Council
Stephanie Kwok
NFL
Linda Lee
NYC Council
Evan Louie
AAPI Lead
Meera Marti
Forum NYC
Jason Ve
PAPER Magazine
-2024%20(1).jpg)
Eric Wei
Bellevue Hospital
Jenny Wu
GWB&S LLP
Kyung B. Yoon
Korean American CF
Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone LLP
Korean American Community Foundation
Our Panelists
2026 Program
Hosted at Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall
Opening Remarks
Council Member Shekar Krishnan and Council Member Linda Lee
Telling Our Stories: AAPIs in Media
Jason Ve, President of PAPER
Priya Krishna, Reporter & Video Host at New York Times Food and Cooking
Moderated by Kyung B. Yoon, President & CEO of the Korean American Community Foundation
AAPI Trailblazers
Eric Wei, MD, MBA, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
Stephanie Kwok, VP, Head of Flag Football at the NFL
Jenny Wu, Partner at Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone LLP.
Moderated by S. Mitra Kalita, Author & Co-founder of URL Media and Epicenter NYC
The Power We Hold: AAPI Civic and Political Engagement
Evan Louie, Board of Director for AAPI Lead
Madhuri Kommareddi, National Security Council in the Obama White House.
Moderated by Meera Marti, attorney and founder of Forum NYC
Cocktail Hour
Our Partners
S. Mitra Kalita
URL Media
Priya Krishna
NYT Food
Madhuri Kommareddi
Obama White House
Shekar Krishnan
NYC Council
Stephanie Kwok
NFL
Linda Lee
NYC Council
Evan Louie
AAPI Lead
Meera Marti
Forum NYC
Jason Ve
PAPER Magazine
Eric Wei
Bellevue Hospital
Jenny Wu
GWB&S LLP
Kyung B. Yoon
Korean American CF
Panelists
AAPI LEADERS FROM ACROSS NYC
Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone LLP
Korean American Community Foundation
ZEKO
DESIGN
May 12-15
2035
SUMMIT
PRAVA CENTER,
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
IN PERSON & ONLINE
ZEKO UNITES VISIONARY GLOBAL TALENTS TO IGNITE AND SHAPE GROUNDBREAKING IDEAS. BE A PART OF THE FUTURE TODAY