Meet Our Visionary Leadership Council

Our distinguished Visionary Leadership Council collaborates with our board to to build community. Their keen ability to share stories and to connect activates passionate supporters of TeachAAPI.

Bing Chen is a creator and community economy founder, investor, and new world builder. He is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Gold House, a platform that consults, invests in, and champions culture to shape global opportunity. He is also Managing Director of AU (“awe”) Holdings, which incubates and invests in multicultural creators and communities and serves as a Board Director and Advisor to several leading digital media companies such as TikTok/Bytedance, Oura, Musely, and more. Previously, he was YouTube’s Global Head of Creator Development and Management, where he was one of the original and principal architects of the multi-billion dollar creator economy. He is a Young Presidents’ Organization Member; World Economic Forum Young Global Leader; Google Multicultural Champion; Los Angeles Times Most Influential Leader; Hollywood Reporter Next Gen Leader and Most Influential Agent of Change; Elevate Prize Honoree; Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree; American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement and Jack Averett honoree; ADCOLOR Catalyst Honoree; OUT100; and Milken Young Leaders Circle Member. His philanthropic work focuses on cultural and cross-continental bridges as a Board Director of Asia Society, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, the Banff World Media Festival, and VidCon, the largest online video convention that he helped forge in the 2010s. A proud Tennessee Squire, which becomes obvious at $11.99 buffets, Bing is a third culture kid across North America and Asia, finally graduating from the University of Pennsylvania.

Bing Chen

Visionary Leadership Council

Sherry Cola is a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. You’ve seen her in critically-acclaimed series Good Trouble, Nobody Wants This, and Shrinking, as well as ground-breaking films Joy Ride and Shortcomings. Her voice can be heard in animated projects such as GOAT, The Tiger’s Apprentice, and Turning Red. Upcoming projects include Netflix’s Little Brother opposite John Cena and Disney’s Camp Rock 3. As a proud immigrant from Shanghai, Sherry is always passionately advocating for both AAPI and LGBTQ+ stories on and off the screen. She’s inspired by the work that TeachAAPI continues to do for our youth and for our community.

Sherry Cola

Visionary Leadership Council

As a second-generation immigrant born in the U.S. during the 80s, Ami has always felt the need for more South Asian representation in the media world. She started her career behind the camera field producing for several newsmagazine shows, including Inside Edition and CNN. She soon discovered her passion for on-camera hosting and soon after landed her dream opportunity as the premier host for #OWNshow, a digital exclusive web-show on Oprah.com. Simultaneously while creating a name for herself on-air, she started building her own beauty business, as well as her family. She established herself as one of the first South Asian content creators to work with household brands like Toyota and Pampers for large campaigns, while highlighting important Indian traditions and holidays like Diwali. She also serves as a regular contributor on the Today Show with Hoda & Jenna. Ami’s ultimate goal is to bring together her experience as a host, makeup artist and mom to help inform other women like herself on how to prioritize and advocate for themselves while trying to wear many different hats.

Ami Desai

Visionary Leadership Council

SOSUPERSAM, or Samantha Duenas, is a performing artist from Los Angeles. Born of Filipino and Irish descent, Samantha spent her youth consumed by piano lessons, dance classes, musical theatre, and choir. After receiving her BA in Economics from the University of California, San Diego, she made her first foray into the entertainment industry as a professional dancer, supporting the likes of Ashley Tisdale, Miley Cyrus, and Kelly Rowland. As a dancer she has appeared in numerous music videos, live television, and a national tour with Vanessa Hudgens and The Cheetah Girls. With over 10 years of professional experience, SOSUPERSAM is a seasoned DJ and host with a strong cult following. Her versatile range and genre-bending mixing style has given her opportunities to play underground clubs, music festivals, and celebrity and fashion events alike. She helped pave the way for today’s modern female DJ, one of the pioneers who built a bridge between the nightclub, the red carpet, and the ad campaign. She is co-founder of legendary R&B party 143, cementing her place in LA nightlife history. Sam also finds time to share her perspective on motherhood through her weekly writings on THE SAM REPORT. Her Substack newsletter has thousands of subscribers and was recently highlighted in The Wall Street Journal.

Samantha Duenas

Visionary Leadership Council

Jing Gao, the founder and CEO of Fly By Jing is a chef, expert on Chinese cuisine and the author of James Beard Award-winning cookbook The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp. Fly By Jing brings thoughtfully crafted pantry staples to the modern kitchen, like their cult-favorite Sichuan Chili Crisp, the fiery condiment that has taken America by storm. Jing was born in Chengdu, but grew up everywhere, and uses her experience as a chef and entrepreneur to share meaningful flavors that evolve culture through taste, and expand palates and minds. She is the Founder of award-winning modern-Chinese fast casual restaurant Baoism in Shanghai, and is the Co-Founder of modern Sichuan grab-and-go eatery Suá in Los Angeles.

Jing Gao

Visionary Leadership Council

Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth, a First Generation Chinese-American and California native, has made her mark as a longstanding fashion influencer and digital creator with a rich client roster including Dior, Waldorf Astoria, and Tiffany & Co. Outside of the digital world, Stephanie has built upon her family’s over 30-year legacy in the restaurant business by opening the first Chinese grab-and-go concept in Larchmont Village called Suá Superette, blending her business acumen with a passion for community and culture.

Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth

Visionary Leadership Council

Michelle Lee is an award-winning beauty industry expert and former Editor in Chief of Allure. In 2021, she was named an Adcolor Legend for her work over the years in diversity and inclusion. She was named Adweek’s Editor of the Year in 2017, while Allure was named Magazine of the Year for their groundbreaking moments, such as the July 2017 This Is American Beauty cover featuring model Halima Aden in a hijab and their September 2017 oath to ban the term “anti-aging” from their lexicon, which sparked global conversation about how we speak about aging. Today, she is a sought-after beauty expert who is regularly interviewed by Vogue, Elle, The Cut, NYT, WWD, Business of Fashion and others. She acts as fractional Chief Marketing Officer of Landing International (which has been at the forefront of K-Beauty’s first and second wave in the U.S.) and fractional Chief Brand Officer at Front Row Group (an Amazon and e-commerce agency that works with incredible beauty/wellness brands including Tatcha, Charlotte Tilbury, Ouai, Seed Health, Summer Fridays and more). Previously, she was one of Netflix’s global marketing leads, serving as VP of Global Editorial & Publishing, where she ran global social media, podcasts, and digital video. Prior to Allure, Lee was Editor in Chief and Chief Marketing Officer of NYLON. Lee was a Scout for Sequoia Capital and an advisor for Silicon Foundry. She’s committed to diversity and inclusion issues, as an early member and Board Member of Gold House and Colorcomm. She is also involved in many AAPI organizations including on the Advisory Council for Act to Change, Teach AAPI Visionary Leadership Council and Apex For Youth Host Committee.

Michelle Lee

Visionary Leadership Council

Melissa Magsaysay is a journalist, best-selling author and entrepreneur. She has been a reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times and Women’s Wear Daily and continues to contribute to The Los Angeles Times, Business of Fashion, CNN and a variety of publications. As a trusted voice in fashion and beauty, Melissa advises beauty, tech and lifestyle brands, providing editorial direction and creative content. She is the host of the Live + Well podcast from Los Angeles Times Studios and the author of “City of Style: Exploring Los Angeles Fashion from Bohemian to Rock.” Melissa is a founding member of i am a voter and a council member of Vital Voices.

Melissa Magsaysay

Visionary Leadership Council

Ally Maki Matsumura, known professionally as Ally Maki, is an American actress and model. She portrayed Jess Kato in the TBS comedy series Wrecked and the voice of Giggle McDimples in Toy Story 4. She is also the founder of Asian American Girl Club, which is an apparel company and community set to redefine what it means to be a modern Asian American Pacific Islander woman.

Ally Maki

Visionary Leadership Council

Sara Tan is Refinery29’s Beauty Director and co-founder/co-host of the Gloss Angeles beauty podcast. With over 14 years of editorial experience, she has contributed to various women’s and lifestyle publications. She is an advisor for the Asian American Girl Club and a mom to two children, Zoe and Cade.

Sara Tan

Visionary Leadership Council

Tiffany Tse is a multidisciplinary writer, editor, and creative storyteller. She serves as Editorial Director at IPSY, where she leads brand narrative and strategic content initiatives for the world’s largest beauty subscription. A recognized voice in the Los Angeles food scene, her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Thrillist, HuffPost, Time Out, and more. She also advises lifestyle brands on editorial content and messaging strategy.

Tiffany Tse

Visionary Leadership Council

Monica Wang is a LA based entrepreneur, creative director, and content creator. She is the founder of The Revery LA, a thoughtfully designed event venue and photo studio known for bringing people together through celebrations, brand activations, cultural experiences, and large-scale marketing campaigns. Monica also creates lifestyle and wellness content focused on holistic skincare, beauty, and intentional living, sharing practical insights that support long-term well-being. She brings an entrepreneurial and creative perspective to the Visionary Leadership Council and is passionate about initiatives that strengthen community and create meaningful impact.