Rakashi Chand

Rakashi Chand

Commissioner

Emma Chen-Banas

Emma Chen-Banas

Commissioner

Emma Chen-Banas is a Fortune 100 Global Leader, NGO Leader, Entrepreneur, and TEDx Speaker. Currently, she serves as the United Nations Representative & Chief Administrative Officer at the Changier Education Foundation, an NGO with special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. Additionally, Emma holds the position of Honorary Chairwoman of the American Chinese United Association Massachusetts Chapter, is a member of the Board of Trustees for Bement School (K-9), serves as a Corporator for Greenfield Savings Bank, and as co-founder for small businesses.

With a career spanning over 30 years in regional and global leadership roles, Emma has an extensive international background, she has lived and worked in North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe with esteemed organizations across various sectors, including healthcare, NGOs, technology, financial services, and manufacturing. Her international career is highlighted by key roles including Head of IT at GE Healthcare Southeast Asia in Singapore, Head of IT at Honeywell Europe, Middle East & Africa in London, and Assistant Vice President at MassMutual Financial Group. Emma has demonstrated strong expertise in leadership, strategy formulation, innovation, technology integration, lean methodologies, program/project oversight, strategic procurement, vendor relations, and operations management.

Since 2015, Emma has been dedicated to philanthropic endeavors, supporting various NGOs and advocating for the AAPI community while championing initiatives that foster cultural awareness and empowerment. She’s deeply committed to social justice and driven to create a more equitable society for local and at global platform, like UN. Additionally, during the pandemic, she voluntarily undertook the translation of a best-selling mental health self-help book from English to Chinese, demonstrating her commitment to spreading valuable information across languages and cultures. In recognition of her efforts, she was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime
Achievement Award.

Emma holds an MBA from the University of South Australia and a Master of Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. As a sought-after speaker, she spoke at TEDx, global conferences like the American Society for Quality Global Innovation Conference and the Global Business Process Excellence Conference.

Gary Yu

Gary Yu

Commissioner

Gary Yu is a senior media personality and political activist. In 2016, he founded Boston International Media Consulting Inc. Four years later, he established Boston Asian Radio and TV, a station dedicated to the lives and interests of Asians. Gary Yu is a senior media personality. He also served as a producer and host of ATV, BNN TV, and Quincy Access Television (QATV), and a reporter for World Journal, World Journal Weekly, and other publications.

In addition, he contributed to the election campaigns of Boston Mayor Michele Wu and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. He is currently the President of New England Chinese American Alliance, Co-President of the
Massachusetts Chapter of United Chinese Americans, and President of the Boston Chapter of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association. He also is Transition Team Member of State Auditor Diana
Dizoglio and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden. In February 2023, He brought the community together to promote for unanimous approval Resolution in support of designating Lunar New Year as an official holiday in the City of Boston by the Boston City Council. In May 2023, He brought the community together to promote for the Governor of Massachusetts to sign the Proclamation designating May as AAPI Heritage Month in Massachusetts.

Ekta Srinivasa

Ekta Srinivasa

Commissioner

Ms. Ekta Srinivasa was born in Nepal and immigrated to the U.S. when she was ten. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and her Master of Science in Nursing from Curry College. She obtained her Nursing Ph.D. in Health Policy and Population Health at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Ms. Srinivasa is the Founder of Improving Healthcare Culture, Inc. This nonprofit organization is established to provide resources to healthcare workers and healthcare organizations seeking strategies to mitigate the effects of workplace violence. Ms. Srinivasa is thrilled to be selected to serve in the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission. She hopes to contribute to the Commission’s goals meaningfully.

Karen Chen

Karen Chen

Commissioner

A photo of Moana Bentin, a Samoan-American woman, smiling. She is wearing glasses, maroon lipstick, an orange shirt, and blue jacket.

Moana Bentin

Moana Bentin

Commissioner

Moana Bentin is Senior Associate Director of Identity-Based alumni communities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A proud Samoan tamaitai, she is an advocate for underserved and underrepresented communities. Her Cambridge home serves as a base for Pacific Island students studying in Greater Boston.

A descendant of the Seuamuli family in Fagamalo Savaii and Sa Aiono from Fasitoouta, Moana’s journey started from the village of Magiagi, through the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, and eventually settled in Cambridge, MA.

Moana is currently serving as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC) and Moderator of the Executive Council of First Church in Cambridge. She is the mother of two Samoan-Irish-Americans and human to two cats; Tama and Toa.

Tuyet Tran

Tuyet Tran

Treasurer

Tuyet Tran, LICSW, a refugee from Vietnam, holds a master’s degree in social work from Boston College and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Emmanuel College. She brings 30 years of progressive leadership in the design and delivery of public health and social services, including serving as Director of Integrated Care at Community Healthlink for 18 years during which she was recognized by the Worcester Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 “rising star” in the Worcester community. For the past 5 years, Ms. Tran led the Community Partner Program at the Behavioral Health Partners of Metrowest (BHPMW) where she helped to design a multiregional integrated care coordination program as part of the MA Executive Office of Health and Human Service’s DSRIP Demonstration Project.

Ms. Tran has lived in Worcester since June of 2000. At that time, she and a small group of community members came together to advocate for social and health care access for members of the Southeast Asian community. Ms. Tran served as SEACMA Board Chair and Acting Director for the first few years of its founding and continued to support the organization as a board member and supporter for many years after. She was instrumental in steering SEACMA from its inception into a viable community organization and has recently returned as Executive Director to once again lead the organization into the next chapter.

Marilyn Park

Marilyn Park

Commissioner

Dr. Marilyn Park yog ib tug queer Korean-American uas yog passionate txog los tiv thaiv racism ua hauj lwm nyob rau hauv daim teb ntawm kev puas siab puas ntsws. Lawv yuav muab rau neeg noj lub teb chaws As Mes Lis Kas ua ib Lieutenant Commander hauv lub Public Health Service. Tam sim no, lawv yuav chaw nres tsheb hauv lub Boston Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) ua hauj lwm raws li ib tug psychologist kho veterans nrog addictions. Ua ntej lub VA, Dr. Park yog ib qhov kev pab cuam supervisor nyob rau hauv tsoom fwv teb chaws Bureau of tsev rau txim (BOP) muaj 18 xyoo, muab rau neeg lam tau lam ua thiab marginalized pejxeem incarcerated cov neeg laus. Dr. Park strives yuav hloov tus neeg saib xyuas nyob rau hauv lawv cov kheej ntawm cawv. Thaum nyob hauv lub BOP, lawv tsim thiab DVR los tiv thaiv racist kev kawm rau clinicians thiab trainees kom paub inequities, Txheeb xyuas tej yam ntawm racism, thiab txhawb los tiv thaiv racist xyaum kho ib marginalized thiab lam tau lam ua.

Dr. Park tau hais khov kho rau hauv lub nroog ntawm Natick tus Equity Task Force. Lawv ua hauj lwm specifically koom tes nrog kev ntsuam xyuas ntau municipal DEI hais txog pawg neeg, uas coj mus rau lub creation ntawm ib Chief Diversity Officer txoj hauj lwm rau lub nroog ntawm Natick. Dr. Park muab kev txaus siab rau elevating lub suab ntawm lub zej zog AAPI hauv Natick, uas yog cov haiv neeg tsawg haiv neeg tsawg haiv neeg tsawg nyob hauv lub zos, tsis tau muaj qhov tsawg kawg yog koom tes hauv tsoom fwv hauv lub zos. Dr. Park strives kom AAPI folks xav empowered txuam yuaj rua tsoom fwv thiab coj hauv zej zog tej qhov chaw, thiab advocates tirelessly rau AAPI zej zog muaj rooj zaum ib ncig kev txiav txim siab-txiav txim siab.

Heashot ntawm Bethany Li, hnav ib lub tsho xiav tsho, sawv pem lub taub hau tej ntoo thiab ib lub tsev cib.

Bethany Li

Bethany Li

Commissioner

Bethany Li tau siv ib tus kws lij choj zog mus tua kev ncaj ncees rau kev ncaj ncees hauv esxias American zej zog thiab ua ntej haiv neeg yuam kev. Siv ib lub innovative thiab multi-faceted kev nyob rau hauv kev koom tes nrog lub zej zog organizers, Bethany muaj litigated tus neeg mob thiab coj advocacy ua hauj lwm rau ntau yam teeb meem txog txoj cai, xws li tsev thiab displacement, cov neeg ua hauj lwm txoj cai, teb chaws, kev kawm ntawv yuam kev, kev kawm ntawv, thiab ntxub txhaum. Bethany uas muaj tuaj Southeast Esxias zej zog ntaus tiv thaiv lub teb chaws, xws li cov thawj Cambodian American rov qab mus rau sab hnub tuaj ntug dej hiav txwv sab hnub tuaj tom qab lub teb chaws. Nyob rau hauv kev koom tes nrog lub zej zog organizers, nws puag ua cov documentary "Khaws Saray tsev" txog southeast Esxias tsev neeg ntaus deportations. Nws txais kev pab raws li nqi counsel rau ib txuj kev ncau ntau haiv neeg coalition ntawm lub koom haum thiab tsev neeg intervening nyob rau hauv ib foob txhawb boston Public Schools cov ua haujlwm nyob rau hauv txoj cai piv txwv. Bethany muaj yeej lab tus nyiaj rov qab rau cov neeg ua hauj lwm uas tsis muaj nyiaj tsawg raws tus Northeast corridor. Nws tau coj ntau teg num kom tsawg-nyiaj thiab txwv-English english americans cov kev pab cuam. Nws kuj luam tawm ib daim ntawv qhia txog cov gentrification ntawm Chinatowns rau sab hnub tuaj ntug dej hiav txwv sab hnub tuaj thiab guided lub launch txog SAU, tus thawj undocumented Esxias American cov hluas pab pawg neeg rau sab hnub tuaj ntug dej hiav txwv sab hnub tuaj. Bethany pib nws cov hauj lwm raws li txoj cai ntawm AALDEF ua ib equal Justice works koj txog haujlwm thiab cov neeg ua hauj lwm kws lij choj. Nws mam li qhia thiab saib xyuas cov neeg mob nyob yale txoj cai tsev kawm ntawv cov qub tub rog raws li tus Robert M. npog koj txog haujlwm. Bethany kuj yog tus thawj coj ntawm cov neeg Esxias Outreach unit nyob ntau dua Boston raws li txoj cai. Bethany qhia raws li ib tug xibfwb adjunct xibfwb hauv Hunter College rau esxias American civil rights thiab txoj cai. Bethany kawm tiav los ntawm Georgetown University txoj cai Center thiab Amherst College. Nws pab raws li massachusetts cov supreme Court standing pawg neeg nyob zoo thiab tus Massachusetts tswv xeev task force rau ntxub txhaum.

Headshot ntawm Saatvik Ahluwalia. Nws yog hnav ib lub tsho xiav collared tsho, xiav khi, thiab maroon ce tsho.

Saatvik Ahluwalia

Saatvik Ahluwalia

Vice Chair

Saatvik Ahluwalia yog ib qho puav pheej-winning cov lag luam uas yog ib tug senior kev sib tw tus thawj tswj ntawm Zebra Technologies thiab cov naiskhu director ntawm Esxias Texans rau kev ncaj ncees. Nws yog ib tug pej xeem Voices koj txog haujlwm ntawm qhov oped peb tes num thiab ib tug tshiab coj council koj txog haujlwm. Nws ua hauj lwm tau them rau lub ntiaj teb Boston, Austin American-Statesman, Austin NPR, Ms. Magazine, thiab ntau dua. Nws muaj yeej ib Platinum MarCom puav pheej, tau txais pej xeem-hais lus txeeb los ntawm Toastmasters International, competed nyob rau ntau Bollywood seev cev championships, thiab yog profiled nyob rau hauv phau ntawv "Cov neeg tsiv teb!: Indians nyob America: Ib Psychological exploration of Achievement" los ntawm journalist Scott Haas.