Dubbed "Korean Food Ambassador" by the media, Cathlyn is a multi award winning TV show host and producer of the first Korean TV cooking show in English on PBS called “Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen" and Asian Voices, a cultural and educational television program featuring Asian and Pacific Islanders, community, art, culture and events in Southern California.
Dennis Michael is the recipient of numerous awards, commendations, and recognition for his community involvement and outreach efforts. For the past decade, he has hosted and produced many cultural events and festivals in San Diego namely the Asian Cultural Festival of San Diego, the San Diego Ramen Festival, the AMP Music Festival and many other large community events.
Born in Richmond, Kentucky to a Japanese mother and Cherokee Indian and Irish father, Ellen studied art at eastern Kentucky University, where she also worked as a library technician. In addition to 6 years of experience working as an advertising and graphic designer
Dr. Janice Doan has 2 offices in San Diego and she practices general and cosmetic dentistry. Along with her sister Dr. Justene, Dr. Janice was named a “Top 40 Under 40” dentist by Incisal Edge magazine. This honor is given to outstanding dental professionals who are setting new benchmarks in their industry.
ACMA Board of Directors
Khoa D Truong – Marketing & Social Media Director
OD, KDT Optometry
Dr Khoa D Truong OD is a local San Diego native who is passionate about life, fitness, and eyes. He graduated from UCSD in 1998 majoring in Biology and Psychology with Magna Cum Laude honors and Phi Beta Kappa distinction. In 2002, he received his doctor of optometry degree from the UC Berkeley School of Optometry and earned high honors at most of his externships. After graduating from optometry school, he worked with an ophthalmologist to gain more knowledge on the treatment of ocular diseases and soon after became a mananging doctor for Eyexam of CA/Lenscrafters for seven years.
Dr. Truong has been a member of the American Optometric Association, California Optometric Association, and San Diego Optometric Society for over fifteen years. He was a member of the President’s Lions Club and used his expertise to conduct free vision screenings and health fairs for the community of San Diego. He also has his own wellness talk show on Vietnamese Television (VNTV) that helps address different aspects of health and life with co-host Dana Vo.
He is very passionate about staying healthy and helping others achieve and maintain their overall health and enjoys road cycling, mountain biking, working out at the gym, tennis and yoga.
Joseph Convento aka DJ Jammin J – Entertainment Director
CEO and Owner of VIP Production
Joseph is a Radio host and Mix Master of award winning Radio Station Jammin Z90, voted as the best listening radio station for 16 years from the 90s t0 2016.
Known as the legendary DJ Jammin J, Joseph is the first Asian Filipino DJ in San Diego. He is also the first DJ and club promoter for all the night clubs throughout San Diego county. A global DJ, Joseph also DJ-ed frequently at clubs in the Philipines, Japan, Thailand, Europe, Brazil as well as in Miami, San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Joseph currently hosts live interviews for TV and Radio and is heads the North County West Coast Radio. A former Muay Thai champion, Joseph enjoys running, weightlifting and training others in his sparetime promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Becky Akello – Events & Community Outreach
Associate Director of Career Services, Alliant International University
Becky is a person who lives to help people in need. Her passion for helping people lead her to pursue a profession in Human Services first as a public administrator at Alliant International University, and recently as Associate Director of Career Services for six physical and online campuses. Building strategic helping relationships is her talent.
Outside of office Becky, is very active in the community and church. She is a committed mentor, educator, and person who loves to bring people together. She thrives in rich diversity of all the national and international relations she has been blessed with and frequently volunteers her time at Ronald McDonald House and at various community events.
Hyosoon Park – Events & Community Outreach
Co-Founder, San Diego Korean Pungmul Institute
A community activist with a passion for promoting Korean culture, Hyosoon co-founded a non profit organization called San Diego Pungmul Institute with her husband in 2009 to create awareness of Korean folk music in the United States while fostering and mentoring second generation Korean Americans teaching then about the importance of cultural roots and tradition.
Since then, she has been performing with her group at dozens of cultural events and festivals annually throughout Southern California.
Hyosoon currently works as a full time high school’s math teacher at SDUHS and volunteers her time at various non profit organizations in the Korean community.
Janice Trinidad – Events & Community Outreach
Social Catering and Event Sales, Four Points by Sheraton
Janice has 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry, bringing a depth of hospitality experience from her position with Starwood/Marriott.
Janice holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management and a certificate in meeting planning and prides herself in continuous learning. She has a broad experience in planning corporate meetings, social events and generating revenue in sales.
Janice’s work philosophy is based on her favorite quote by Maya, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” ~ Maya. When she is not working, Janice loves to travel and satisfy her curiosity of different cultures.
Nicholas Tafao – Events & Community Outreach
Brand Ambassador, Q Sciences
A local San Diego native of American Samoan descent, Nicholas has been a member of the Samoan Community Council of San Diego, a nonprofit organization and performing for numerous years at the San Diego Pacific Islander Festival.
For the past decade, Nicholas has worked in Education and has recently ventured over into entrepreneurship in the Health and Wellness Industry. He has made an immediate impact on the local Polynesian community, being a vessel to helping the overall health of others and the exposure of entrepreneurship.
His servant heart for others is a genuine desire that drives his passion to “love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.”
Linda Schwartz – Marketing & Social Media
Comedian and Podcast Host
Linda is a Lao American Writer, Stand-Up Comedian, and Podcast Host/Producer of She Shed Comedy – a podcast dedicated to educating and empowering women pursuing a career in comedy.
She’s written for publications such as Huffington Post, elephant journal, and Positively Positive. Her podcast ‘She Shed Comedy‘ can be downloaded on all major podcast platforms such as iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.
Linda and her husband, Lee, own a real estate company in San Diego that focuses on sales, development, and investing. They have been helping San Diego with Real Estate investments since 1990 and their mission is to nurture relationships and educate clients every step of the way. She enjoys doing yoga, taking long morning walks on the beach with her son Huxley, and is a huge fan of True Crime shows. She’s obsessed with stand-up comedy.
Wendy Kim – Marketing & Social Media
Speaker and Empowerment Coach
Wendy is a #1 International Best-Selling Author of the book, Beyond Blending In: An Immigrant Daughter’s Guide to Overcoming Cultural Bonds For A Life of Authenticity and Abundance. She is committed to empowering Asian-American women to step from behind the shadows to fully own their power and leadership to go beyond blending in to make a difference in the world.
Some of the topics that Wendy speaks on include:
- The impact of assimilation on 2nd-generation immigrants
- Family drama within the Asian-American community
- Cultural Bonds of Fear and Anxiety within Asian-American Community
- Being an Empowered Asian-American woman, while owning your heritage
- Powerful communication v. Avoidant Communication
For more information on Wendy Kim, visit www.Yourdreamrealized.com