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Christine Chen is a co-Founder and Executive Director of Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), the nation’s leading national, nonpartisan organization to engage, educate, and empower Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to strengthen their voices and create impact. APIAVote’s mission is to work with local and state community based organizations to mobilize AAPI communities in electoral and civic engagement. Since 2007, APIAVote has been building power in AAPI communities by investing in their capacity and infrastructure to mobilize voters. This investment, as well as proactively training and resourcing community leaders across the country, paid off in the 2020 election cycle and Census.

Jona Hilario is a founding member and Co-Director of OPAWL-Building AAPI Feminist Leadership, a grassroots member-led community that organizes for social justice and elevates the voices, visibility, and progressive leadership of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women, nonbinary, and trans people in Ohio. She was born in the Philippines and has lived in Columbus, Ohio since 2004. Jona is mom to Max and Maryann and wife to Paul. She holds a PhD in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the Ohio State University. She is working to build a better Ohio for her children and all children, through collective action, advocacy and community because “The children are always ours, every single one of them”.

Council member Kim Singh was elected to Council on November 4, 2025.Council member Singh received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University, her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Xavier University, and her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from the University of Dayton. She currently works with the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities as part of the leadership team, and additionally works as a Mental Health Therapist in private practice. 

Dr. Hongmei Li serves as the Founding President of AWARE Ohio. She is a Full Professor of Strategic Communication at Miami University and Director of Documenting Asian American Histories in Ohio. Over the past decade, she has become deeply engaged in initiatives supporting the Asian American community and has recognized a pressing need for a nonprofit organization that fosters stronger bonds within Asian American communities while building bridges to others. She draws on her media expertise and leadership experience to advocate for Asian American voices and promote cross-cultural understanding across diverse communities. 

Yuxing Wang is a co-founding board member of AWARE Ohio. He is co-founder of MilesAhead Energy LLC and owner of Alternative Lab Source LLC. Yuxing has led several government-funded research projects and mentored numerous engineering students and interns through roles at universities and research institutes. As a first-generation immigrant and father of two, he is passionate about immigration justice and fostering inclusive communities.