Chingcha's Give In May Fundraiser for LEAP

Happy AA & NHPI Heritage Month! This month is very special for me as May intersects the time in which I started my role at LEAP back in May of 2021. 

I often start my story with two simple facts: I was born to Hmong refugee parents in a small town in rural Wisconsin. From a young age, I knew I was different—my family, our language, our food, even the way we showed up in the world—everything about our existence felt like it didn’t quite fit into the narrative of success I saw around me.

Growing up, I believed leadership meant assimilation. I distanced myself from my culture, believing that success required shedding the very parts of me that made me so unique. But it wasn’t until college, when I found myself in community with other Asian American students that I began to understand there was another way. A way to lead that didn’t require me to erase myself.

That awakening changed everything.

It led me back to my Hmong roots, to my values, and to a kind of leadership that felt true and whole. It eventually led me to the front of classrooms filled with students who, like me, didn’t see themselves reflected in positions of power and leadership.

Let me tell you about a few of the incredible leaders I’ve had the honor of working with through LEAP:

Bethany Tasaka, a LEAP Advance 2023 alumna from San Bernardino Valley College, embodies transformative leadership in higher education. As an Associate Professor of Mathematics, she uplifts and empowers her students daily. Most recently as a newly elected Executive Committee Member of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, she’s shaping policy and advocacy at a statewide level.

Then there’s Mike Keo, my friend and a LEAP Impact 2025 alum. Mike’s leadership is rooted in the power of storytelling. As Senior Communications Officer at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and as the visionary behind the IAMNOTAVIRUS and Make Us Visible CT campaigns, he helped successfully advocate for the No Hate Act and pass legislation to include AAPI history in Connecticut’s K–12 curriculum.

And I’m continually inspired by Beth Comenat, a LEAP Exceed 2022 alumna. Shortly after completing the program, she was promoted to Business Domain Owner and Senior Remarketing Manager – Technology at Toyota North America. But her leadership doesn’t stop at the workplace. She’s also active in community philanthropy through the Orchid Giving Circle, a collective of Asian women investing in the well-being of North Texas Asian communities.

Each of their stories is a reminder: when we invest in leadership that honors our identities and experiences, we create ripples far beyond a single person, we impact generations. 

If my story or the stories of our alumni resonates with you, if you believe in the power of leadership that is authentic, culturally grounded, and community-driven, I invite you to join us. Your support helps us cultivate the next generation of leaders. Leaders who don’t have to choose between their culture and their calling. Leaders who will go on to transform their circles, organizations, and communities.

We’ve come a long way. But there’s still so much more to do. And with your help, we’ll get there together.

Ua tsaug ntau,

Chingcha Vang, Senior Program Manager, LEAP