CAPIAA AANHPI Leader Spotlight Honoree

For our inaugural AANHPI Leaders Spotlight Series, we are proud to highlight two inspiring leaders and one impactful organization making a difference in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.

They are breaking barriers in their institutions, carving out new spaces, and building opportunities where none existed before. As the first in their roles, they are not just leading but redefining what leadership looks like. Their commitment to the AANHPI communities continues to inspire meaningful change across our state and beyond.

Read the Very Asian Foundation’s profile below.

Very Asian Foundation

“Be resolute, be bold, and know that the work you do today is shaping a better, more inclusive future for all of us.”

Gia Vang

“Everyone should be able to bring their full humanity to the table.”

Michelle Li

The Very Asian Foundation (Foundation) was launched on New Year’s Day 2022 by co-founders Michelle Li and Gia Vang during the pandemic and a surge in anti-Asian sentiment. The immediate spark of creating the Foundation was a racist voicemail directed at Li, telling her to “keep her Korean to herself.” That message struck a chord with many nationwide and catalyzed a broader mission.

“We founded the organization to push back against that othering and to affirm that AANHPI identities deserve full recognition and belonging,” Vang said. It responded directly to what AANHPI communities needed. In one case, high school students in St. Louis contacted the Foundation after their district dismissed their request for books that reflected their unique identities. In response, the May Book Project was created, which places books written by AANHPI authors or featuring AANHPI protagonists into school libraries across the country, including California. This is just one example of the ways the Foundation is helping diverse students—Asian and non-Asian alike—see that AANHPI people can be the main characters of their own stories and that being ‘very Asian’ is a celebration.

The Very Asian Foundation’s commitment to fuller, more accurate representation is at the heart of the work, not just in our own newsrooms, but in how the Foundation uplifts AANHPI voices across the country. That includes supporting other journalists through partnerships with the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) and backing artists through initiatives like the Creators Grant.

The Very Asian Foundation encourages emerging AANHPI leaders, especially in California, to claim their voice and continue the work of building a more inclusive future. “Whether you’re telling stories, leading movements, or creating art—your voice matters, and it’s needed. Especially here in California, where we’ve seen shifts in leadership and some people stepping back, it’s more important than ever to keep pushing forward. Be resolute, be bold, and know that the work you do today is shaping a better, more inclusive future for all of us.” Vang says.

The Very Asian Foundation is shaped by the power of storytelling and a deep commitment to ensuring Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities are seen, heard, and valued at a time when AANHPI identities are too often misunderstood or overlooked. “Everyone should be able to bring their full humanity to the table,” Li reiterates frequently as a guiding principle for the foundation.