Los Angeles, CA - On Wednesday, August 11th, CAUSE held the eleventh session of the 2021 Leadership Institute virtually on Zoom.
This open CLI session, “Creating Our Path: Women in Power,” featured a number of powerful and impactful Asian American women. The program started off with two special, pre-recorded conversations, one between Congresswoman Young Kim and CAUSE Boardmember Tammy Tran, and the second between California State Treasurer Fiona Ma and CAUSE Boardmember, Tami Bui.
In the conversation featuring Congresswoman Kim, she shared about her journey into being one of the first Korean American women in Congress, what events lead her to her past roles in public service, and how she is navigating her role today. Congresswoman Kim’s stories explored the perseverance and determination needed when getting involved with public service. In honor of the program’s theme, she left the fellows and audience with these empowering words,
In the second conversation, Treasurer Ma talked about her own experiences in public service, her relationships with familial support, and what motivates her as she leads in overseeing the fifth largest economy in the world. She explained how leadership sometimes comes from the top and that leading by example is important. Treasurer Ma also reminded us that leading by example includes leading with our own strengths, even if they are different than how other people lead.
Following these pre-recorded conversations, the event featured a live conversation between Vice-Mayor Tammy Kim, Tammy Tran, and Tami Bui which was moderated by Diana Hwang, Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Asian-American Women’s Political Initiative (AAWPI). The panel covered topics including how each panelist got to where they are, ways to create change in local communities, and how valuable support systems are.
CLI Fellows and audience members then took the opportunity to ask the panelists questions. In the end, participants left with deeper understanding and appreciation of the challenges and rewards of running for office as an APA woman.
The CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI) is a community leadership and advocacy training certificate program for high-potential professionals with seasoned leadership experience and a passion for serving the needs of the APA community in California. Participants complete the program armed with the skills and connections vital to advocate for the APA community. Graduates of this program have gone on to change the civic landscape in the region through elected office and leadership roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The 2021 program will be held virtually using Zoom.
Our program is highly selective and each member of our cohort is selected based on their leadership abilities, public service, and community involvement. Program fellows are identified by leading elected officials, select nonprofit partner organizations, CAUSE Board Members, and CAUSE Alumni.
Read more about this year’s Leadership Institute cohort here.