Media Advisory Board - Asian Culture & Media Alliance

Alexa Khan (She/Her/Hers) Producer & Actress Alexa Khan (Dulguun Batjargal) is the founder of and producer at the film production company Three Flames Pictures. She is also creative director and producer of the marketing and media company 3 Sparks Digital. Alexa has produced many award winning feature films and short films, one of which became the official selection to the Oscars from Mongolia, titled "The Steed" (2019). Born and raised in Mongolia, Khan grew up performing on stage as an actress, dancer, and aerobics gold medalist. She studied Finance, Real Estate, and Law in Los Angeles, and upon receiving her bachelor’s degree, she quickly pursued careers with wealth management firms UBS Financial Services and Merrill Lynch. She is also a Board of Director at Chinese Chamber of Commerce Read More Alicia Summers (She/Her/Hers) News Anchor & Reporter Alicia was new a reporter/anchor at a KFMB-TV in San Diego. She has brought riveting breaking news from all over the states. A native of California’s Bay Area, Alicia was determined to pursue a career in journalism following the events of 9/11. Alicia's extensive career in the news media industry has granted her foundational skills. She has worked as a reporter/anchor and producer with many stations, mastering producing and reporting duties as well as anchoring the morning newscast and weather. She began at KYMA-TV in Yuma, AZ in 2006. She continued on to KOCT-TV and KGPE in Fresno, CA. Read More Amy Ahn (She/Her/Hers) TV/Film Producer Amy is a decorated independent producer, working all departments on TV Lit and Head of Operations, production & sponsorship on shows such as The American Music Awards, The Golden Globe Awards, So You Think You Can Dance and New Years Rockin’ Eve.. Having grown up in a small town, she became an avid reader and engrossed herself in literature and films of all genres from all over the world. In college, she studied commercial photography, providing a strong visual sense of storytelling. Her well-rounded view and experience comes from having worked for over 15 years in major entertainment companies such as Dreamworks, William Morris Endeavor, and Dick Clark Productions. In 2016, she became an independent producer, working on HBO's weekly digital after-show for The Game of Thrones, The Eagle & Albatross, and Tiger Mom. Currently she is working with several different directors on tv/film projects harnessing her passions for true stories and dramas. Read More Angela Sheng (She/Her/Hers) Executive Director, Non Profit In addition to being a business entrepreneur, Angela Sheng is a Producer, Director, Composer, Writer and TV show host. She currently owns ZSMT Group which include International Education, K-12 school, and Arts Programs for kids and Adults. In 2015, she founded Global Cultural and Creative Industries Foundation for helping more young artists and musician for pursuing their dreams. Angela was the composer and producer for the original musical show , she also performed in the show in June, 2017. Angela is also the producer and host for the TV show and the documentary . Read More Arnold Chun ((He/His/Him) Actor/Director Born in Boston, MA and raised in Los Angeles, Arnold is an established actor and film director. Over the years, Arnold has quickly risen to be a top player in the entertainment industry having worked with top Hollywood directors like Clint Eastwood and Michael aBay. Arnold has appeared in hit TV shows like, "Kidding, The Big bang Theory, Hawaii 5-0... ...The Last Ship and the Emmy-winning Amazon series "The Man in The High Castle". He stepped into his directorial debut with a short film about life in Koreatown called Eli's Liquor Store in 2007. Read More Christine Yoo (She/Her/Hers) Director/Writer/Producer Committed to telling stories of the under-represented, Christine Yoo is a TV producer, independent filmmaker, and volunteer at San Quentin State Prison. Since beginning in narrative filmmaking, she's taken part in a multitude of projects. Highlights include her award-winning feature debut Wedding Palace (Gravitas, Warner Bros, Amazon), the docu-news show, Mosaic (KCET) which was recently funded for a series and co-writing the anime series Afro Samurai starring Samuel L. Jackson (Spike/FujiTV). Christine has worked as a TV producer on series for National Geographic, History, Oxygen, KCET/PBS, LinkTV and The Africa Channel. She is a Logan Non-Fiction Fellow and has received grants from the Rogovy Foundation and recently a Sundance x Marshall Project grant for a new short that continues her work to tell the human impact of mass incarceration inside San Quentin. She is currently in post-production on her first feature documentary, 26.2 to Life: The San Quentin Prison Marathon, which she shot independently inside the prison over the course of three years. Read More Eddie Lain (He/His/Him) TV/Film Producer/Photographer A filmmaker and entrepreneur, Eddie developed and produced several music television shows (RockNSan Diego, California Nights, SoCal Showcase) fashion shows, concerts, and charity balls for over 20 years. He owns several businesses namely VisionPulse Creative, LainScapes Fine Art Photography and BucketList Adventure Club. Eddie is co-producer, writer and actor in a pilot TV show called "Shooters" that spotlights the behind the scenes antics of filmmakers and photographers. With a passion for supporting the music and filmmaking community, Eddie produces red carpet events, fundraising parties, and conducting photo and film tours around the world via a program he developed that combines filmmaking with his wholesale adventure company to produce short films shot in exotic locations around the world. Thus, making it incredibly affordable to filmmakers and wanna-be's to travel to these amazing destinations while also offering a monetization vehicle for the filmmakers themselves. Read More Eric Michelson (He/His/Him) TV/Film Producer & Director Eric Michelson has over 25 years of experience in TV/film and video production spanning various arenas, including corporate training programs, commercials, music videos, live fashion and music events, short films and documentaries. Eric is co-owner of Carma Media Productions. He has worked as co-producer on Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen... ...including Top Chef Korean Food Challenge and Hansik Stories, for tvK24, ArirangTV and PBS. He has been active in the co-producing, directing, and editing for Asian Voices TV (2014—). Since 2016, he has been instrumental in mentoring and providing hands-on media workshop to API youths through Take One Youth Internship program. Read More Hula Ramos (He/His/Him) DJ Personality & Podcast Host Hula Ramos worked as an on-air radio personality and producer in his hometown of San Diego for over 19 years. including Channel 933, Star 94.1, Energy 103.7, KSON KyXy 96.5, and Sunny 98.1. He has since moved on to podcasts. Currently, Hula hosts a couple podcasts: Life with Hula, where he talks about things going on in his life, including his Mexipino family, his special needs daughter, and his weight-loss journey; and Leader of the Club, a podcast about all things Disney. Read More Iris Yamashita (She/Her/Hers) Screenwriter / Lecturer Iris Yamashita is the Academy Award-nominated writer for the movie LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, directed by Clint Eastwood. LETTERS received a Golden Globe award for "Best Foreign Language Film" and was nominated for 4 Oscars®, including Best Original Screenplay. She has been working in Hollywood for 15 years, developing and consulting on material for both film and streaming media, and has taught screenwriting at UCLA’s Professional and MFA programs and at the American Film Institute. Her debut novel, CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, the first in a mystery series, was recently published by Berkley Books and has received early acclaim, with starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and the Library Journal, and being an Editor’s Pick by Amazon and Reader’s Digest. Yamashita has optioned or written on assignment for various production companies, and is currently developing an action film to be directed by Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Audition). Her screenplay, Letters from Iwo Jima, directed by Clint Eastwood, received a Golden Globe award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay. She also conceived and wrote a thirty-minute musical stage show called “Out of Shadowland,” working with Tony Award-winning composer, Jeanine Tesori. The show ran as an attraction at Tokyo DisneySea. Her debut novel, City Under One Roof, the first in a mystery series, will be released by Berkley Group in January, 2023. Read More Izzy Traub VFX Supervisor Izzy Traub is a VFX Supervisor from Whistler, BC, Canada. He first got into VFX at the age of 14, started his professional career in 2013 as a VFX artist and quickly became a VFX Supervisor. Izzy directed over ninety commercials and was contracted to do motion graphics for the Hollywood feature film, ‘Ender’s Game’, starring Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley. Most recently, he VFX Supervised The Bear season 1 (on Hulu). Jingyi Shao (He/HIs/Him) Writer/Producer/Director Jing kicked off his career during an impromptu trip to China where odd jobs on set somehow led to him directing commercials for global brands such as Levi’s, Johnnie Walker and Cartier. His commercial and shorts work would receive recognition at the Cannes Lions, D&AD and HBO Visionaries. He credits his time in China for giving him the experience and self-knowledge he needed to pursue his ultimate dream of writing and directing narrative work. Since returning to the US, Jing has explored both TV and Film. He was a staff writer on the inaugural season of the BET show Boomerang and directed two episodes of its sister show Twenties. His original screenplay Chang Can Dunk was named to the 2020 Black List and was eventually developed as Disney+ Original. For his directorial work on Chang Can Dunk, Jing was recently named to Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch 2023. With projects for Amazon, Netflix and others in development, Jing is passionate about telling intimate, personal stories that nevertheless have universal appeal and bringing the marginalized and underdogs of the world into mainstream focus. Read More Jo Kwon (She/Her/Hers) Reporter, Anchor & Host Jo Kwon is so grateful to have a career that allows her learn something new every single day. She has dreamt of having a career in broadcast journalism since she was five years old, watching the news with her parents. She landed her first professional job in college writing for a newspaper in Cambria for about a year. She then moved on to on-air work. Jo became anchor, reporter and Assistant News Director for her campuses' first daily newscast called CPTV. She did several internships at local television affiliates, then became a Field Producer and Weekend Producer at KCOY/KKFX (CBS/FOX affiliate) in Santa Maria, CA. After that, she was hired as the Morning Anchor and Reporter at KVTA Newstalk 1520 in Ventura. Then she went online to become the VJ/Host and Supervising Producer of 20th Century Fox's "Atomic News", a daily online news show aimed at 17-24 year olds. The next stop was KNX 1070 Newsradio. After about a month as a News Assistant, she was promoted to Producer of Money 101 and special features. She won two Golden Mikes for her work with KNX. But her true passion is on-air work. Thanks to a few mentors who truly believed in her talents, she was hired to be the General Assignment Reporter at KABC 790 in March of 2009. She has won two Golden Mikes for her stories at KABC Radio. After three years at KABC 790, she was hired as a Reporter for KFI AM 640 in February of 2012. After several years reporting, anchoring, and fill-in hosting she became the station's first multi-media journalist producing videos stories for the station's website. To this day, she continues to be a fill-in anchor and host at KFI AM 640. She made the jump to television news at CBS Los Angeles in 2017 as a multi-media journalist, filming, editing, and writing her own stories for air daily. In 2018, a new news network in Southern California recruited her to become a reporter at Spectrum News 1. She has produced several half hour specials reporting on her favorite place, the beach, as well as producing features on surfing, environment, health, and other feature stories. When she's not reporting, you will be sure to find her surfing or cooking up a meal! Read More Lane Nishikawa (He/HIs/Him) Filmmaker & Playwright Lane Nishikawa has been in the film, television and theatrical industries for over thirty-five years. His dramatic feature film, Only The Brave, appeared in over 18 film festivals, internationally, screened in over 25 cities across the U.S., broadcast on National PBS, SHOWTIME Television, Armed Forces Network, and distributed to over 15 countries worldwide. He was Artistic Director of the Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco, for ten seasons, before forming Mission From Buddha Productions, a film and theater production company, which he ran for 14 years. His new company, West River Productions, just completed production with his new documentary feature film, Our Lost Years, a comprehensive examination of the internment of the Japanese Americans during World War II, and the film is currently touring the U.S. He is in development of a new documentary, Our League of Dreams, the story of the 90-year history of the Japanese American Citizens League, the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the U.S. Lane has taught at Stanford University, San Francisco State University, C.S.U. Monterey Bay and the University of Hawaii, Maui Campus. He has been published in Time To Greez: Incantations From The Third World, Ayumi: The Japanese American Anthology, Bridge Magazine, The 20th Anniversary Edition of Gidra, and most recently, his first novel, Give Me Strength (Ikiru Yuuki). He has received numerous awards including, ABC Television – Profiles in Excellence, the National Endowment of the arts, the National Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the Harvard Foundation, the White House Millennium Council, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund, the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, and most recently, the National Park Service – Japanese American Confinement Sites Program. Lane currently sits on the advisory board of the San Diego JACL, and served on the advisory boards of the Pacific Arts Movement, and the Go For Broke National Educational Foundation. Read More MariNaomi Schaal Author / Illustrator MariNaomi is an award-winning author and illustrator who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their work has appeared in over eighty print publications and has been featured on websites such as The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, The Washington Post, LA Times, The Rumpus, LA Review of Books, Midnight Breakfast, and BuzzFeed. They are currently on a book tour for their memoir I Thought You Loved Me. Marissa Pei (She/Her/Hers) Psychologist & Radio Talk Show Host Known as "The Asian Oprah," Marissa Pei is a celebrity talk host/producer, life coach, and author. She published "8 Ways to Happiness from Wherever You Are" in 2018. Pei is a CSPP alumna and member of the Board of Trustees at Alliant who has been awarded the Asian Heritage Award for entrepreneurship. Pei has been an organizational consultant working with Fortune 500 clients that include Johnson & Johnson, Wells Fargo, Cedars-Sinai, AT&T, Mattel, Toyota and Bank of America. She participates as a TV commentator on topics regarding human dynamics, including “Why People Do Weird Things at Work,” and “Totally Out of Control People.” Pei is also the host of her own radio talk show called “Take My Advice I’m Not Using It.” She also teaches Balance Tai Qi Qong, a moving meditation that promotes inner peace one breath at a time. Read More Quyen Tran (She/Her/Hers) Cinematographer Quyen Tran is a Los Angeles-based Vietnamese-American cinematographer, mentor, and media activist. Beginning her career as a still photographer, she strives for emotive cinematography that captures the humanity and truth of each moment, regardless of the subject matter. She has shot films throughout the United States and all over the world, including New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Canada, Thailand, Japan, China, Russia, Italy and Vietnam. Tran was featured in American Cinematographer as an ASC Rising Star in 2017, and was recently named in Variety's 10 DPs to Watch 2019. She also was awarded the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater UCLA earlier this June. Her latest feature, Palm Springs (2020), premiered at the Sundance 2020 Film Festival and broke the record for the highest-selling Sundance film. Read More Rasha Goel TV Host & Producer Rasha Goel is an Emmy-nominated Television Host/Producer and International Correspondent. A UCLA alumnus, she has worked for outlets such as CNN, ESPN, REELZ Channel, HBO Asia, France 24, as well as Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, and Disney. She is the Anchor/Producer of “Star Talk” on TV ASIA - leading the way in providing content that highlights the South Asian diaspora. She is one of the few South Asian American women who has worked both for the US market and internationally. Rasha is a returning co-host for Dick Clark Productions Live Red Carpet Show for the Golden Globes and a co-host on the Shorts TV Podcast: Awards Season. Rasha has been an invited speaker at the renowned World Communication Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and been a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. A certified Reiki healer, she is passionate about educating people about mental wellness and living a fulfilling life. Rasha believes in the power of healing through conversation. She has integrated this interest with her media experience which led to co-hosting a Facebook Live show for DoTerra Essential Oils. Read More Sasha Foo Former News Anchor A former news anchor and journalist, Sasha Foo served over two decades as a broadcast journalist across the country. Sasha was the first Asian American at the anchor desk on CNN and CNN headline news in Atlanta. Sasha recently retired from KUSI after 17 years of sharing meaningful and impactful stories from across San Diego.

Alexa Khan (She/Her/Hers)

Producer & Actress

Alexa Khan (Dulguun Batjargal) is the founder of and producer at the film production company Three Flames Pictures. She is also creative director and producer of the marketing and media company 3 Sparks Digital. Alexa has produced many award winning feature films and short films, one of which became the official selection to the Oscars from Mongolia, titled "The Steed" (2019).

Born and raised in Mongolia, Khan grew up performing on stage as an actress, dancer, and aerobics gold medalist. She studied Finance, Real Estate, and Law in Los Angeles, and upon receiving her bachelor’s degree, she quickly pursued careers with wealth management firms UBS Financial Services and Merrill Lynch. She is also a Board of Director at Chinese Chamber of Commerce

Alicia Summers (She/Her/Hers)

News Anchor & Reporter

Alicia was new a reporter/anchor at a KFMB-TV in San Diego. She has brought riveting breaking news from all over the states. A native of California’s Bay Area, Alicia was determined to pursue a career in journalism following the events of 9/11.

Alicia's extensive career in the news media industry has granted her foundational skills. She has worked as a reporter/anchor and producer with many stations, mastering producing and reporting duties as well as anchoring the morning newscast and weather. She began at KYMA-TV in Yuma, AZ in 2006. She continued on to KOCT-TV and KGPE in Fresno, CA.

Amy Ahn (She/Her/Hers)

TV/Film Producer

Amy is a decorated independent producer, working all departments on TV Lit and Head of Operations, production & sponsorship on shows such as The American Music Awards, The Golden Globe Awards, So You Think You Can Dance and New Years Rockin’ Eve.. Having grown up in a small town, she became an avid reader and engrossed herself in literature and films of all genres from all over the world.

In college, she studied commercial photography, providing a strong visual sense of storytelling. Her well-rounded view and experience comes from having worked for over 15 years in major entertainment companies such as Dreamworks, William Morris Endeavor, and Dick Clark Productions. In 2016, she became an independent producer, working on HBO's weekly digital after-show for The Game of Thrones, The Eagle & Albatross, and Tiger Mom. Currently she is working with several different directors on tv/film projects harnessing her passions for true stories and dramas.

Angela Sheng (She/Her/Hers)

Executive Director, Non Profit

In addition to being a business entrepreneur, Angela Sheng is a Producer, Director, Composer, Writer and TV show host. She currently owns ZSMT Group which include International Education, K-12 school, and Arts Programs for kids and Adults.

In 2015, she founded Global Cultural and Creative Industries Foundation for helping more young artists and musician for pursuing their dreams. Angela was the composer and producer for the original musical show , she also performed in the show in June, 2017. Angela is also the producer and host for the TV show and the documentary .

Arnold Chun ((He/His/Him)

Actor/Director

Born in Boston, MA and raised in Los Angeles, Arnold is an established actor and film director. Over the years, Arnold has quickly risen to be a top player in the entertainment industry having worked with top Hollywood directors like Clint Eastwood and Michael aBay. Arnold has appeared in hit TV shows like, "Kidding, The Big bang Theory, Hawaii 5-0...

...The Last Ship and the Emmy-winning Amazon series "The Man in The High Castle". He stepped into his directorial debut with a short film about life in Koreatown called Eli's Liquor Store in 2007.

Christine Yoo (She/Her/Hers)

Director/Writer/Producer

Committed to telling stories of the under-represented, Christine Yoo is a TV producer, independent filmmaker, and volunteer at San Quentin State Prison. Since beginning in narrative filmmaking, she's taken part in a multitude of projects.

Highlights include her award-winning feature debut Wedding Palace (Gravitas, Warner Bros, Amazon), the docu-news show, Mosaic (KCET) which was recently funded for a series and co-writing the anime series Afro Samurai starring Samuel L. Jackson (Spike/FujiTV). Christine has worked as a TV producer on series for National Geographic, History, Oxygen, KCET/PBS, LinkTV and The Africa Channel. She is a Logan Non-Fiction Fellow and has received grants from the Rogovy Foundation and recently a Sundance x Marshall Project grant for a new short that continues her work to tell the human impact of mass incarceration inside San Quentin. She is currently in post-production on her first feature documentary, 26.2 to Life: The San Quentin Prison Marathon, which she shot independently inside the prison over the course of three years.

Eddie Lain (He/His/Him)

TV/Film Producer/Photographer

A filmmaker and entrepreneur, Eddie developed and produced several music television shows (RockNSan Diego, California Nights, SoCal Showcase) fashion shows, concerts, and charity balls for over 20 years. He owns several businesses namely VisionPulse Creative, LainScapes Fine Art Photography and BucketList Adventure Club.

Eddie is co-producer, writer and actor in a pilot TV show called "Shooters" that spotlights the behind the scenes antics of filmmakers and photographers. With a passion for supporting the music and filmmaking community, Eddie produces red carpet events, fundraising parties, and conducting photo and film tours around the world via a program he developed that combines filmmaking with his wholesale adventure company to produce short films shot in exotic locations around the world. Thus, making it incredibly affordable to filmmakers and wanna-be's to travel to these amazing destinations while also offering a monetization vehicle for the filmmakers themselves.

Eric Michelson (He/His/Him)

TV/Film Producer & Director

Eric Michelson has over 25 years of experience in TV/film and video production spanning various arenas, including corporate training programs, commercials, music videos, live fashion and music events, short films and documentaries. Eric is co-owner of Carma Media Productions. He has worked as co-producer on Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen...

...including Top Chef Korean Food Challenge and Hansik Stories, for tvK24, ArirangTV and PBS. He has been active in the co-producing, directing, and editing for Asian Voices TV (2014—). Since 2016, he has been instrumental in mentoring and providing hands-on media workshop to API youths through Take One Youth Internship program.

Hula Ramos (He/His/Him)

DJ Personality & Podcast Host

Hula Ramos worked as an on-air radio personality and producer in his hometown of San Diego for over 19 years. including Channel 933, Star 94.1, Energy 103.7, KSON KyXy 96.5, and Sunny 98.1. He has since moved on to podcasts.

Currently, Hula hosts a couple podcasts: Life with Hula, where he talks about things going on in his life, including his Mexipino family, his special needs daughter, and his weight-loss journey; and Leader of the Club, a podcast about all things Disney.

Iris Yamashita (She/Her/Hers)

Screenwriter / Lecturer

Iris Yamashita is the Academy Award-nominated writer for the movie LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, directed by Clint Eastwood. LETTERS received a Golden Globe award for "Best Foreign Language Film" and was nominated for 4 Oscars®, including Best Original Screenplay.

She has been working in Hollywood for 15 years, developing and consulting on material for both film and streaming media, and has taught screenwriting at UCLA’s Professional and MFA programs and at the American Film Institute. Her debut novel, CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, the first in a mystery series, was recently published by Berkley Books and has received early acclaim, with starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and the Library Journal, and being an Editor’s Pick by Amazon and Reader’s Digest. Yamashita has optioned or written on assignment for various production companies, and is currently developing an action film to be directed by Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Audition). Her screenplay, Letters from Iwo Jima, directed by Clint Eastwood, received a Golden Globe award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay. She also conceived and wrote a thirty-minute musical stage show called “Out of Shadowland,” working with Tony Award-winning composer, Jeanine Tesori. The show ran as an attraction at Tokyo DisneySea. Her debut novel, City Under One Roof, the first in a mystery series, will be released by Berkley Group in January, 2023.

Izzy Traub

VFX Supervisor

Izzy Traub is a VFX Supervisor from Whistler, BC, Canada. He first got into VFX at the age of 14, started his professional career in 2013 as a VFX artist and quickly became a VFX Supervisor. Izzy directed over ninety commercials and was contracted to do motion graphics for the Hollywood feature film, ‘Ender’s Game’, starring Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley. Most recently, he VFX Supervised The Bear season 1 (on Hulu).

Jingyi Shao (He/HIs/Him)

Writer/Producer/Director

Jing kicked off his career during an impromptu trip to China where odd jobs on set somehow led to him directing commercials for global brands such as Levi’s, Johnnie Walker and Cartier. His commercial and shorts work would receive recognition at the Cannes Lions, D&AD and HBO Visionaries. He credits his time in China for giving him the experience and self-knowledge he needed to pursue his ultimate dream of writing and directing narrative work.

Since returning to the US, Jing has explored both TV and Film. He was a staff writer on the inaugural season of the BET show Boomerang and directed two episodes of its sister show Twenties. His original screenplay Chang Can Dunk was named to the 2020 Black List and was eventually developed as Disney+ Original. For his directorial work on Chang Can Dunk, Jing was recently named to Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch 2023. With projects for Amazon, Netflix and others in development, Jing is passionate about telling intimate, personal stories that nevertheless have universal appeal and bringing the marginalized and underdogs of the world into mainstream focus.

Jo Kwon (She/Her/Hers)

Reporter, Anchor & Host

Jo Kwon is so grateful to have a career that allows her learn something new every single day. She has dreamt of having a career in broadcast journalism since she was five years old, watching the news with her parents. She landed her first professional job in college writing for a newspaper in Cambria for about a year. She then moved on to on-air work.

Jo became anchor, reporter and Assistant News Director for her campuses' first daily newscast called CPTV. She did several internships at local television affiliates, then became a Field Producer and Weekend Producer at KCOY/KKFX (CBS/FOX affiliate) in Santa Maria, CA. After that, she was hired as the Morning Anchor and Reporter at KVTA Newstalk 1520 in Ventura. Then she went online to become the VJ/Host and Supervising Producer of 20th Century Fox's "Atomic News", a daily online news show aimed at 17-24 year olds. The next stop was KNX 1070 Newsradio. After about a month as a News Assistant, she was promoted to Producer of Money 101 and special features. She won two Golden Mikes for her work with KNX. But her true passion is on-air work. Thanks to a few mentors who truly believed in her talents, she was hired to be the General Assignment Reporter at KABC 790 in March of 2009. She has won two Golden Mikes for her stories at KABC Radio. After three years at KABC 790, she was hired as a Reporter for KFI AM 640 in February of 2012. After several years reporting, anchoring, and fill-in hosting she became the station's first multi-media journalist producing videos stories for the station's website. To this day, she continues to be a fill-in anchor and host at KFI AM 640. She made the jump to television news at CBS Los Angeles in 2017 as a multi-media journalist, filming, editing, and writing her own stories for air daily. In 2018, a new news network in Southern California recruited her to become a reporter at Spectrum News 1. She has produced several half hour specials reporting on her favorite place, the beach, as well as producing features on surfing, environment, health, and other feature stories. When she's not reporting, you will be sure to find her surfing or cooking up a meal!

Lane Nishikawa (He/HIs/Him)

Filmmaker & Playwright

Lane Nishikawa has been in the film, television and theatrical industries for over thirty-five years. His dramatic feature film, Only The Brave, appeared in over 18 film festivals, internationally, screened in over 25 cities across the U.S., broadcast on National PBS, SHOWTIME Television, Armed Forces Network, and distributed to over 15 countries worldwide.

He was Artistic Director of the Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco, for ten seasons, before forming Mission From Buddha Productions, a film and theater production company, which he ran for 14 years. His new company, West River Productions, just completed production with his new documentary feature film, Our Lost Years, a comprehensive examination of the internment of the Japanese Americans during World War II, and the film is currently touring the U.S. He is in development of a new documentary, Our League of Dreams, the story of the 90-year history of the Japanese American Citizens League, the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the U.S. Lane has taught at Stanford University, San Francisco State University, C.S.U. Monterey Bay and the University of Hawaii, Maui Campus. He has been published in Time To Greez: Incantations From The Third World, Ayumi: The Japanese American Anthology, Bridge Magazine, The 20th Anniversary Edition of Gidra, and most recently, his first novel, Give Me Strength (Ikiru Yuuki). He has received numerous awards including, ABC Television – Profiles in Excellence, the National Endowment of the arts, the National Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the Harvard Foundation, the White House Millennium Council, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund, the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, and most recently, the National Park Service – Japanese American Confinement Sites Program. Lane currently sits on the advisory board of the San Diego JACL, and served on the advisory boards of the Pacific Arts Movement, and the Go For Broke National Educational Foundation.

MariNaomi Schaal

Author / Illustrator

MariNaomi is an award-winning author and illustrator who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their work has appeared in over eighty print publications and has been featured on websites such as The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, The Washington Post, LA Times, The Rumpus, LA Review of Books, Midnight Breakfast, and BuzzFeed. They are currently on a book tour for their memoir I Thought You Loved Me.

Marissa Pei (She/Her/Hers)

Psychologist & Radio Talk Show Host

Known as "The Asian Oprah," Marissa Pei is a celebrity talk host/producer, life coach, and author. She published "8 Ways to Happiness from Wherever You Are" in 2018. Pei is a CSPP alumna and member of the Board of Trustees at Alliant who has been awarded the Asian Heritage Award for entrepreneurship.

Pei has been an organizational consultant working with Fortune 500 clients that include Johnson & Johnson, Wells Fargo, Cedars-Sinai, AT&T, Mattel, Toyota and Bank of America. She participates as a TV commentator on topics regarding human dynamics, including “Why People Do Weird Things at Work,” and “Totally Out of Control People.” Pei is also the host of her own radio talk show called “Take My Advice I’m Not Using It.” She also teaches Balance Tai Qi Qong, a moving meditation that promotes inner peace one breath at a time.

Quyen Tran (She/Her/Hers)

Cinematographer

Quyen Tran is a Los Angeles-based Vietnamese-American cinematographer, mentor, and media activist. Beginning her career as a still photographer, she strives for emotive cinematography that captures the humanity and truth of each moment, regardless of the subject matter.

She has shot films throughout the United States and all over the world, including New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Canada, Thailand, Japan, China, Russia, Italy and Vietnam. Tran was featured in American Cinematographer as an ASC Rising Star in 2017, and was recently named in Variety's 10 DPs to Watch 2019. She also was awarded the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater UCLA earlier this June. Her latest feature, Palm Springs (2020), premiered at the Sundance 2020 Film Festival and broke the record for the highest-selling Sundance film.

Rasha Goel

TV Host & Producer

Rasha Goel is an Emmy-nominated Television Host/Producer and International Correspondent. A UCLA alumnus, she has worked for outlets such as CNN, ESPN, REELZ Channel, HBO Asia, France 24, as well as Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, and Disney. She is the Anchor/Producer of “Star Talk” on TV ASIA - leading the way in providing content that highlights the South Asian diaspora.

She is one of the few South Asian American women who has worked both for the US market and internationally. Rasha is a returning co-host for Dick Clark Productions Live Red Carpet Show for the Golden Globes and a co-host on the Shorts TV Podcast: Awards Season. Rasha has been an invited speaker at the renowned World Communication Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and been a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. A certified Reiki healer, she is passionate about educating people about mental wellness and living a fulfilling life. Rasha believes in the power of healing through conversation. She has integrated this interest with her media experience which led to co-hosting a Facebook Live show for DoTerra Essential Oils.

Sasha Foo

Former News Anchor

A former news anchor and journalist, Sasha Foo served over two decades as a broadcast journalist across the country. Sasha was the first Asian American at the anchor desk on CNN and CNN headline news in Atlanta. Sasha recently retired from KUSI after 17 years of sharing meaningful and impactful stories from across San Diego.