Media Advisory Board - Asian Culture & Media Alliance

Amy Ahn 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 Alexa Khan 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 Arnold Chun 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 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 Eric Michelson 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 Lane Nishikawa 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 Marissa Pei 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 Hula Ramos 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 Alicia Summers 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 Quyen Tran 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 Iris Yamashita 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 Christine Yoo 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

Amy Ahn

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.

Alexa Khan

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

Arnold Chun

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.

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.

Eric Michelson

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.

Lane Nishikawa

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.

Marissa Pei

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.

Hula Ramos

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.

Alicia Summers

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.

Quyen Tran

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.

Iris Yamashita

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.

Christine Yoo

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.