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Chinese, Taiwanese Denver
Joie Ha, 28
As the daughter of refugees, Joie (she/her) has always been acutely aware of existing injustices and began her journey as an activist for minority communities in Colorado over 10 years ago. Joie is the Founder of CORE: Community Organizing for Radical Empathy, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm and community organizing group that focuses on grassroots solutions. Awarded the Asian American Young Hero of Colorado award in 2012, her background includes a B.A. in Anthropology and a M.A. in Development Practice with work spanning locally and abroad; including community development in Malaysia and research on hip hop and fictive kin in Cambodia. Connect with Joie at: coredei. com or infocoredei@gmail.com.
Stephen Zhang, 16
2 “Halo-Halo” Mixed Race, Broomfield
Elizabeth Mary Tavara Franz, 28
Under 30 Let’s kick off the 100 Asians To Know with the young people in our community. These are the young leaders and hard workers, who have shown their diligence and commitment to themselves and to the world around them. They are destined to leave a mark. Remember these names as this is only the beginning for them!
Allyson Masunaga Goto, 25
Elizabeth (she/her) is the Principal Certified Mediator at Humanz Mediate. As a mediator, she has been supporting people in their most impactful conversations for the past 10 years. She is the Director of the Professionals of Color Network, and she serves on the Cemetery Committee of Broomfield County and Society for Menstrual Cycle Research Board. Elizabeth facilitates restorative justice cases through The Conflict Center and holds space for healing circles in the AAPI community. She is grateful to the Filipino American Community of Colorado for the privilege to learn traditional Filipino dances. She is also an alumnae of the Colorado Dragon Boat’s Emerging Leadership Program. Connect with Elizabeth at: humanzmediate.com or @Professionals ofColorNetwork (Facebook).
Stephen (he/him) is a junior at Cherry Creek High School, who loves technology and business adventures. Moreover, he loves his community, which is why he founded Youth Creates, as a way for students to get involved in their community. The organization has led projects to promote cancer research, fight PPE (personal protective equipment) deficiency during the peak of the pandemic, and support Colorado senior residents. This summer, Stephen will lead his team to host another Gala for a Cure event to fundraise for cancer research. Connect with Stephen at: Stephen.Zhang@ youthcreates.com or youth Chinese, creates.com. Englewood
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Allyson (she/her) is a proud fourth-generation Japanese American, food and racial justice activist, and a mental health advocate. A graduate of Brown University with a degree in Environmental Studies and Policy, Allyson currently works Japanese, for Jefferson County Public Health Westminster on food justice projects. As a mental health advocate, she is a founding member of Asians*inFocus, an artistic mental health initiative developed in response to the growing Asian hate amidst the pandemic. Allyson is also an alumnae of the Mirai Generations Leadership Program, in which she applied her passion for environmental sustainability to bringing sustainable options to the Cherry Blossom Festival. Connect with Allyson at: asiansinfocus.com, @allysongo2, or @asiansinfocus.
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100 Asians To Know | Asian Avenue Magazine
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