Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors, elected by AAPIP members, bring a national perspective to AAPIP's work.

Kiran Ahuja

CEO, Philanthropy Northwest

Seattle, WA

An immigrant from India, Kiran spent her childhood in Savannah, Georgia, and then most of her adult life in Washington, DC. She spent the greater part of her professional life being an advocate, both in and out of government, and brings that passion to the Philanthropy Northwest network and region. Most recently, Kiran served in the Obama Administration as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and as Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She's a former civil rights litigator and nonprofit CEO. Her passion for service and commitment to improving the lives of communities of color grew out of a formative educational experience at her alma mater, Spelman College. Kiran received her law degree from the University of Georgia, School of Law. [Click on board member name for full bio]

Sally Carlson

Managing Partner, Carlson Beck, LLC

San Francisco, CA

Sally Carlson is managing partner at Carlson Beck, a retained executive search firm, steeped in nonprofit and philanthropy sector expertise. Sally’s career spans nearly 30 years, and is steeped in nonprofit Board leadership and philanthropic investment management. Her experience in finance, real estate and institutional investment management on behalf of foundations, endowments, and public pension funds was earned at companies such as Wells Fargo, Deloitte & Touche, and Jones Lang LaSalle, Sally also gained in-depth experience in capital raising and client relations. [Click on board member name for full bio]

Stephen Chan (Board Chair)

Vice President of Strategy and Operations, The Boston Foundation

Boston, MA

Stephen Chan is Vice President of Strategy and Operations at the Boston Foundation where he leads strategy management, board relations, human resources, as well as a portfolio of external initiatives that help advance the Foundation’s civic leadership role in the community. These include the Foundation’s public forums and convenings program and Boston Indicators, a research center at the Foundation focused on equity and shared prosperity in Greater Boston. He previously served as Chief of Staff at the Boston Foundation from 2010 to 2016 and Special Assistant to the President from 2004 to 2006. His experience includes serving in the Mayoral administration of Thomas M. Menino at the City of Boston where he developed and managed public-private initiatives in education, community development, and human services.. [Click on board member name for full bio]

Ryan Chao (Board Vice Chair)

President, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Washington, DC

Ryan Chao is president of Rail-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), overseeing the organization’s national leadership in trail development, policy advocacy and movement building. RTC provides grants to organizations and local agencies that are working to improve and connect trails across the country. Ryan brings to his role a long history in community and economic development and a passion for connecting people to opportunity and the outdoors ... [Click on board member name for full bio]

Perry Chen

Director of Social Impact, Blue Shield of California

San Francisco, CA

As Director of Social Impact for Blue Shield of California, Perry Chen directs the corporate grantmaking and sponsorships, signature program initiatives, employee engagement programs in volunteering and donations, and community emergency responses. He also designs and implements strategies to contribute toward the Blue Shield’s social responsibility goals in community benefit and impact and environmental sustainability and support the company’s values with becoming a Great Place to Work and Standing for What’s Right. For more than two decades, Perry has worked in the field of education and youth development, with a particular focus on equity and quality for children and families in California. Starting out as an undergraduate teacher and executive director for CityStep, a youth arts organization, he has since held leadership roles in nonprofits, school districts, and philanthropy - all driven by the vision of opportunity, access, and quality education for all. [Click on board member name for full bio]

Don Chen

President, Surdna Foundation

New Yok, NY

Don Chen is the President of the Surdna Foundation where he leads the 100-year old foundation’s efforts to strengthen and further leverage its commitment to social justice. Prior to his appointment, Don was the Director of the Cities & States program at the Ford Foundation, where his work supported urban development initiatives to make housing more affordable, promote more equitable land use practices, and empower communities to have a powerful decision-making voice in American cities and in developing countries. He also led a multi-program team to support the strengthening of social justice organizations and networks in targeted U.S. states. [Click on board member name for full bio]

Antony Chiang, JD

Founding General Partner, Health Gap Venture Capital

Seattle, WA

Antony Chiang formerly served as the Founding CEO at Dogwood Health Trust and Founding President of Empire Health Foundation. Antony championed health equity and delivered measurable impact results during his tenure at EHF including the Council of Foundations and HUD Secretary’s Award for Public Philanthropic Partnership, the Annual Public Health Leader Award, and the first place Best Places to Work award from the Journal of Business. Antony currently serves on the board of Independent Sector...

Cathy Choi

Senior Director of Programs, The Eisner Foundation

Los Angeles, CA

For more than 20 years, Cathy Choi has bridged the nonprofit, philanthropic, and political spheres to address social justice challenges in Los Angeles and beyond. Currently the Director of Programs at The Eisner Foundation, Cathy oversees $7 million in annual giving and spearheads a variety of foundation initiatives. Previously, she served as a program officer at the California Community Foundation, and in the offices of former U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra, L.A. Unified School District Board Member George Kiriyama, and the U.S. Department of Labor. Cathy comes to the AAPIP national board after completing a six-year term as co-chair of the AAPIP Los Angeles chapter.

Priscilla Enriquez

CEO, The James B. McClatchy Foundation

Sacramento, CA

Priscilla is the Chief Executive Officer of the James B. McClatchy Foundation (JBMF). She provides leadership in strategic philanthropic investments while supporting the bedrock tenets of democracy and advancing equity in education to lift community voice and improve access to learning. Priscilla ensures that all people, especially children, have pathways to living a fulfilling life in California's Central Valley. As a dedicated servant, she works to enhance and uphold The James B.McClatchy Foundation’s promise to support English Language and First Amendment rights— especially the freedoms of speech, expression, and the press. [Click on board member name for full bio]

Manami Kano

Philanthropy Consultant, Kano Consulting

Seattle, WA

Manami Kano is a consultant to foundations on grantmaking strategy, funding collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion integration into organizational and program goals. In this capacity, she has advised foundations on their grantmaking strategies to focus on intersectional racial equity, organized a funder affinity group to advance DEI in journalism and media, and designed and helped launch a pooled fund, the Racial Justice in Journalism Fund at Borealis Philanthropy which has grown to 10 foundations and nearly $10 M in commitments in the first two rounds of grantmaking. [click to read full bio]

John Kim, JD

Chief Administrative Officer, The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Baltimore, MD

John Kim is the Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing all the administrative and operational functions at The Annie E. Casey Foundation. He has played many roles both on the administrative and programmatic sides at AECF starting as a Program Associate in 2002 working with states and jurisdictions to reform child welfare and juvenile justice systems. In 2005, Kim transitioned to Director of Grants Management, where he oversaw the distribution of funds to more than 600 grantees annually while also overhauling of the organization’s grant-making process. In 2010, he served as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the federal Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, D.C. [Click on board member name for full bio]

Nelson Louis (Board Treasurer)

Executive Officer, The Ong Family Foundation

New York, NY

Nelson Louis is Executive Officer of The Ong Family Foundation, a private family foundation that awards grants to not-for-profit agencies located in the northeast region of the United States. Prior to working for the Ong Family Foundation, Mr. Louis was employed with the YMCA for 37 years since his graduation with a B.A. degree in Education from Queens College/CUNY.... [Click on board member name for full bio]

Vivian Tseng, PhD (Board Secretary)

Senior Vice President of Programs, William T. Grant Foundation

New York, NY

Vivian Tseng leads the William T Grant Foundation’s grant making and spearheads its initiatives to connect research, policy, and practice to improve child and youth outcomes. She frequently writes and presents to international and domestic audiences on evidence-informed policy, research-practice partnerships, democratizing evidence, and immigrant children and families. Vivian has a deep committed to strengthening the career pipeline for young professionals of color. Under her leadership, the Foundation has expanded its support for scholars of color, including increased grantmaking to underrepresented researchers and a mentoring program for students of color.... [Click on board member name for full bio]

Board of Directors

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