As a nonprofit lawyer and executive director, Eddie leads Brightline Defense ("Brightline"), an environmental justice nonprofit based in San Francisco, and he also serves as a commissioner for three local and state government agencies related to environmental policymaking. In addition to his longtime community work, his illustration work is displayed on utility boxes and walls across San Francisco, and he has been recognized as a Cartoonist-in-Residence by the Charles M. Schulz Museum. Eddie Ahn is a self-taught artist, with a national bestselling graphic memoir “Advocate” published by Penguin Random House as well as a large following on Instagram @ehacomics. Recognized as a Washington Post and American Library Association Best Graphic Novel of the Year, "Advocate" is a moving graphic memoir about Eddie's nonprofit work as a public interest lawyer and afterschool programmer serving diverse communities while confronting burnout and his family’s expectations.

Bao Nguyen is an award-winning Vietnamese American filmmaker and founding partner of EAST Films, a transpacific production company based in Los Angeles and Vietnam. His work has been seen on HBO, Netflix, The New York Times, and Arte, among others. He directed Be Water, an intimate portrait of Bruce Lee that competed in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, was invited to screen at SXSW, Cannes, Telluride, and Hot Docs, and became the most-watched ESPN 30 for 30 film of all time on their platform. His feature documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, about the making of “We Are the World,” premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, debuted as the number one film globally on Netflix, won the PGA Award and Critics Choice Award, and received a Grammy and Primetime Emmy nomination. He directed the critically acclaimed film, The Stringer, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and was released on Netflix. His most recent film, BTS: The Return, which was also released on Netflix, chronicles the world's biggest band, BTS, as they return from military service to record their 5th studio album. He is a member of BAFTA and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a PBS/WGBH Producers Fellow, a Firelight Media Documentary Lab Fellow, a Berlinale Talents alumnus, and a BAFTA US Breakthrough recipient, and holds a BA in Politics/International Relations from NYU and an MFA in Social Documentary Film from the School of Visual Arts.

Are you wondering about starting your leadership journey? Or maybe you are actively hoping to advance? The AsEA Conference Leadership Lab is just what you need. According to National Association of Independent Schools data, there will be a significant leadership need within independent schools due to a high turnover rate among heads and senior administrators, with many expecting to leave their current positions within the next few years. The AsEA Leadership Lab aims to support the career development of AANHPI educators who are currently in leadership positions or those who aspire to be in these roles. Learn from these amazing leaders in our independent schools! Faculty: Kimberly Kaz (she/her) Director of Strategic Initiatives at Chinese American International School San Francisco, CA Juna Kim McDaid (she/her) Head of School at The San Francisco School San Francisco, CA Ricco Siasoco (he/him) Director of PS-12 Student Life at The Waverly School Pasadena, CA Kavan Kin-wing Yee (He/Him) Director of Middle School at Lowell School Washington D.C.

This year we are offering high school students a special and exciting program. We have partnered with AsEA Conference student alumni and TeachAAPI to provide workshops and learning spaces specifically tailored for high school students. Students will focus on identity, allyship, activism, leadership, and building community. Led by a diverse team of trained adults and peer facilitators, participating students will develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue, and learn the foundations of allyship and networking principles.