Type Asian is a membership group of influential AsianAmerican businesswomen, offering opportunities to get together, discuss issues of shared importance and support each other in their business a n d c a re e r d e v e l o p m e n t .
Members
Loraine Ballard Morrill Sok H. Be Suzan Chau Imja P. Choi Jenny Chung Meegen Denenburg Michelle Freeman Michelle Gollapalli Heseung Kim Lena Kim Melissa Kim Jennifer Krout Su-Shan Lai Kathryn Lee Jennifer Lin Min Suh Julie Tanpitukpong Stella Tsai Kay Kyungsun Yu Members (not featured) Min Yoo
Loraine Ballard Morrill / Loraine Ballard Morrill is currently news and community affairs director for Clear Channel Radio’s six Philadelphia stations, including Power 99-FM, WDASFM, Radio 104.5-FM and Q102. While news and public affairs director at Power 99-FM, Loraine created numerous award-winning community service campaigns: a series of radio messages encouraging racial harmony won the Mayor’s Award for Excellence; an anti-drug campaign received the White House Award for Private Sector Initiatives and the National Council on Drug Abuse/Entertainment Industry Council Award for Excellence; and the station’s community service campaigns received the National Association of Broadcasters’ Crystal Radio Award five times. During her career, Loraine has also received high recognition for her work in community service, receiving a Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations’ Human Rights Award, the Women’s Alliance for Job Equity’s Certificate of Courage, the NAACP President’s Award, and the “Women Making a Difference” award, sponsored by Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown. Loraine serves on numerous boards, including Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, Philadelphia Safe and Sound and Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth. She is also a frequent panel member on the School District of Philadelphia channel’s Education Roundtable television program. Loraine received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in teaching at Simmons College in Boston. She also has a master’s in applied psychology from the University of Santa Monica.
Clear Channel 111 Presidential Boulevard, Suite 100 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 lorainemorrill@clearchannel.com
Sok H. Be, j.d. / As the associate director of the Mack Center for Technological Innovation at The Wharton School, Sok directs and coordinates operations, works closely with faculty to implement research and partnership strategies, and oversees the development of the Center’s university and student outreach programs. She is also the program director for The India Way and The China Way research projects at The Wharton School. Prior to joining the Mack Center, Sok was a practicing attorney specializing in intellectual property, entertainment and tax law. She has also served as a consultant for Wharton Executive Education, helping design and implement courses for senior executives from Fortune 100 companies, and as director for an international study program in Beijing, China. Sok holds a J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and a bachelor of arts in sociology and public policy from Michigan State University.
the wharton school university of pennsylvania mack center for technological innovation 1050 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall 3620 Locust Walk Philadelphia, PA 19104 sokhbe@wharton.upenn.edu
Suzan Chau, j.d. / Suzan is an attorney for the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania’s Office of Court Administration. In addition to serving the Office of Court Compliance, she handles labor, procurement, and litigation matters for the First Judicial District. Prior to joining the Office of Court Administration, Suzan clerked for the Honorable Joseph I. Papalini in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Civil Division. She also clerked for the Honorable Victor J. DiNubile, Jr., also of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Civil Division. Suzan is co-chair of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, an executive committee member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Philadelphia, and a Youth Leadership Council member for the Red Cross, Southeastern Chapter. Additionally, she currently serves as a Philadelphia Bar Foundation Board Observation Fellow for Philadelphia VIP’s Board of Directors. Suzan earned her law degree at Temple University School of Law and a bachelor of arts degree in history from Cornell University.
sc53@rocketmail.com
Imja P. Choi / Imja is founder and executive director of Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi), an organization that supports the well-being of Asian American seniors disadvantaged by language and cultural barriers. Launched in 2004, PASSi currently serves more than 265 seniors with support from 250 home health aides and 18 administrative support staff, including six RNs. In 2006, Imja also established Penn Asian Vocational Institute (PAVI), which provides vocational training for Asian immigrants in the health care sector. PAVI has already produced 355 certified home health aides and 161 bilingual-certified nurse’s aide candidates. Imja received national recognition of her work in 2011 when the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded her with the Community Health Leader Award. In 2010, she also received the “Women of Distinction” award from the . Imja currently serves as a member of the Board of Visitors of Temple University School of Health Professions and the U.S. Civil Rights Commission’s Pennsylvania Advisory Board. Imja received her master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and is a longtime resident of Montgomery County.
Penn Asian Senior Services 420 York Road Jenkintown, PA 19046 imja.choi@verizon.net
Jenny Chung/ Jenny is the owner and president of the JC Melrose Country Club in Cheltenham, which has a long history as an exclusive private club for members of the community. Since purchasing and renovating the Club in 2005, Jenny has broadened membership and initiated special events to encourage traditionally underrepresented populations such as women, young persons and ethnic minorities to enjoy country club life. Prior to 2005, Jenny enjoyed a career in finance as an investment banker, a financial consultant, and an angel investor—primarily in women-owned businesses. Jenny is an active volunteer for the Make-A-Wish organization in both New York and Philadelphia. She served as co-chair on the Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Community Advisory Council, and is currently a board member at the Multicultural Affairs Congress, a division of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. She also serves on the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Small Business board and the University of Pennsylvania Association of Alumnae board. Jenny graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a teaching assistant. She was also a leader at PACE (Programs for Awareness in Cultural Education), a program run in conjunction with the Graduate School of Education.
JC Melrose Country Club 7600 Tookany Creek Parkway Cheltenham, PA 19012 jchung@jcmelrosecc.com
Meegan Denenburg / Meegan Denenberg is executive vice president of both Little Giant Media, a Philadelphia-based marketing and communications firm, and , an online publication focused on local arts and culture. She was previously marketing director at PhillyCarShare and an account director at a local advertising firm. Meegan is a graduate of The George Washington University and Lower Merion High School.
meegan@215mag.com
Michelle Freeman / Among her other roles, Michelle is currently publisher of the online magazine . With an ongoing love for her native Philadelphia, Michelle has been working in marketing and events since she was in high school. Promoting concerts and handling flyer distribution projects as a teen, she eventually headed to Drexel University and received a degree in corporate communications while simultaneously working to grow the nonprofit organization Campus Philly. She worked in various positions at Campus Philly, where she produced Campus Philly College Day and served as senior manager for events and media programs. More recently, Michelle has been operating her own agency, Michelle A. Freeman Marketing & Events. She has implemented marketing programs and hosted events for the City Representative’s Office, City Food Tours, Campus Philly, and Philly Swap. Michelle is also committed to volunteering and serves as a board member at Young Involved Philadelphia, Girls Rock Philly, and Spiral Q Puppet Theater. Occasionally, you can see her around town DJing under the name DJ Teriyaki.
michelle.a.freeman@gmail.com
Michelle s. Gollapalli / Michelle is the chief development officer at the American Pain Foundation, a national healthcare organization that seeks to educate, support and advocate for people in pain. Previously, she was with the national Alzheimer’s Association, where she worked with three chapters within the Association’s network covering the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Michelle has served nonprofits in the Greater Philadelphia Region for the past 13 years in a variety of fields such as public broadcasting, healthcare, youth services, disabilities and education. As a fundraising professional, she is dedicated to enhancing the growth of her profession, serving on numerous boards and committees within the industry, and mentoring other young development professionals. Michelle currently serves as an officer on the board of directors for the Children’s Village and is chair of the Asian Mosaic Fund Giving Circle. Michelle was also recently honored as one of Philadelphia’s “40 under 40” by the Michelle is a published author with an undergraduate triple major in English literature, psychology and journalism and an M.B.A. in marketing from the Mount Carmel Institute of Management in India. She received her Certified Fund Raising Executive certification in 2004 and in 2010 was awarded the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) certification from the American College in Bryn Mawr.
American Pain Foundation 595 Paoli Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19128 mgollapalli@painfoundation.org
Heseung Kim, Ed.D. / Heseung is the founder and president/CEO of Mighty Engine, an award-winning advertising and interactive agency based in Philadelphia. The largest woman/minorityowned marketing firm in our region, Mighty Engine has clients ranging from community-based groups to Fortune 100 companies, but specializes in serving the unique communications needs of nonprofits, public organizations and other sociallyresponsible enterprises. Prior to starting Mighty Engine, Heseung—a developmental psychologist—earned her stripes through her work with neighborhood organizations and in front of classrooms. She’s a member of LEADERSHIP Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Marketing Executive Council, and a trustee of Children’s Village, the Union Benevolent Association and Mighty Writers. Heseung is also a board director of East Rock Institute, the nation’s oldest Korean American cultural organization. Heseung has been recognized by the as a “40 Under 40” young professional and, more recently, as a Minority Business Leader. She is also the recipient of the Korean American Women’s Conference Outstanding Leadership Award. Heseung holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Yale University, a master’s in education from Harvard University and a doctorate in developmental psychology, also from Harvard. She met her husband in Seoul where they were two of 19 political leaders invited by the Overseas Korean Foundation to represent the Korean diaspora experience. Heseung lives in Manayunk with her husband, a KoreanCanadian journalist, and their three-year-old son.
Mighty Engine
219 Cuthbert Street Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19106 heseung@themightyengine.com
lenA kim / Lena Adams Kim is a communications strategist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where projects focus on engaging communities throughout the mid-Atlantic states in environmental cleanups. She is proud of her efforts as co-chair of EPA’s Asian Pacific American Council’s outreach committee. Also a communications professor at Drexel University, her goal is to empower her students to communicate well-constructed and powerfully-delivered messages in their careers. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s in intercultural communications, and a master’s of organizational dynamics, her passion is the study AND application of communicating important messages with passion and power. Now if only she could apply her knowledge and skills as effectively with her two small children and her husband, Tae.
lenakim70@gmail.com
Melissa Kim, j.d. / Melissa is an urban planner and attorney who specializes in managing community-based revitalization initiatives in urban neighborhoods. As director of the North 5th Street Revitalization Project at the Korean Community Development Services Center, she is working to improve the quality of life for Philadelphia’s Olney neighborhood through urban planning and design, small business development, crime prevention and community collaboration. Melissa is a board member of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, a board member of the Asian American Women’s Coalition and a member of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s Community Engagement Task Force. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Amherst College, a J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, and a master’s of science in community and regional planning from Temple University.
North 5th Street Revitalization Project
5738 N. 5th Street Philadelphia, PA 19120 melissajkim@gmail.com
Jennifer Krout / Jennifer is the operations director at Mighty Engine, the Philadelphia region’s largest women- and minority-owned marketing communications firm. She’s responsible for the day-to-day operations of Mighty Engine, as well as overall project workflow. Prior to joining Mighty Engine, Jennifer spent six years at the Philadelphia Development Partnership (now Entrepreneur Works), the region’s leading nonprofit provider of micro-loans and business support services to low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs. She studied journalism at York College and Temple University.
Mighty Engine
219 Cuthbert Street Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19106 jennifer@themightyengine.com
Su-Shan Lai / Su-Shan is a Pennsylvania native, but also spent three years in Los Angeles where she studied acting and writing at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and ran her own salon. While in L.A., she became a member of the Screen Actors Guild and wrote and recorded the song “Good Citizen�, which is featured on Dream On!, an album produced for social awareness and charity. Prior to moving to L.A., Su-Shan became a licensed cosmetologist and ran her first salon. In addition to being a stylist, she has also worked as a mental health assistant for various companies, a freelance organizer and a performance artist. Since returning to PA, she managed for Six Flags Rollercoaster Cuts and Premier Salons where she was sent to help spas in IL, MD, NY, TX, CT and NJ in addition to increasing profitability at local spas, including Halcyon Days at The Bellevue and Saks Fifth Avenue in Bala Cynwyd. Currently, Su-Shan is the spa director at Le Jardin Day Spa and Salon in Collegeville.
helpyousmile@gmail.com
Kathryn Lee / Kathryn is a strategic marketing professional with 10 years of experience in the food, health and wellness, and sustainable material industries. Since joining DuPont in 2005, Kathryn, in her role as global marketing manager, has delivered results in varied marketing and business development roles. Kathryn graduated with honors from Amherst College where she studied history and Spanish. Prior to completing her M.B.A. at the Yale School of Management, Kathryn gained valuable branding and marketing strategy experience at The Masterson Group in New York City, working with top consumer healthcare companies. Kathryn is a LEED Accredited Professional and Six Sigma Certified. An avid traveler, foodie and novice runner, Kathryn lives in Center City Philadelphia.
kathrynilee@yahoo.com
jennifer lin, j.d. / Jennifer is an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia and president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association. She received the 2010 Lynne Abraham Prosecutor Award from the Philadelphia Coalition of Victim Advocacy, and was named a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” in 2009 by and . She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law and Cornell University.
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Three South Penn Square Philadelphia, PA 19107 jennifer.lin@phila.gov
min suh, j.d. / A partner at Fox Rothschild LLP, Min Suh has more than 16 years of experience specializing in employment and immigration law. In her current capacity, she provides a wide range of legal and management services to start-ups and multi-national established companies in various industries. She has been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Philadelphia Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine, and was recognized as one of 30 statewide “Lawyers on the Fast Track” by The Legal Intelligencer. Min has also been a recipient of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” award, a recognition given to 40 individuals under the age of 40 who made a profound impact in the Philadelphia region. She regularly volunteers at various community-based organizations and serves as a board member for the International Association of Korean Lawyers and a trustee at Widener University’s Board of Trustees. Min earned a J.D. from Widener University School of Law and a bachelor of science degree from Stockton State College. She currently resides in Yardley with her husband and two young boys.
Fox Rothschild LLP 2000 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 msuh@foxrothschild.com
Julie Tanpitukpong / Julie is the founding partner of Connect To Advance, Inc. whose vision is to become the premier venue for professionals of diverse cultures to gather and share ideas, exchange business, and create strategic alliances. To date, Connect to Advance has successfully hosted five events and has been featured in the Philadelphia Tribune, Impacto Latino Newspaper, and on Telemundo. Julie joined Fameco Real Estate, L.P. in 2008, where she represents clients such as Walmart, Lowe’s and Wells Fargo in the disposition of their excess properties. On the retail side, she represents a preferred developer for CVS, along with Colortyme and Kids First Swim. Additionally, she specializes in assisting women- and minority-owned businesses find commercial space. Julie serves on a number of boards and committees, including the Women’s MBA Network, New Heart Ministries Inc., Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress, Asian Subcommittee of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, International Council of Shopping Centers’ Next Generation Program, Asian Mosaic Fund, and Commercial Real Estate for Women. Julie graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and foreign languages & literature (Spanish studies) from the University of Delaware honors program. She also earned an M.B.A. and a master’s in finance from Drexel University.
FAMECO Real Estate 633 W. Germantown Pike, Suite 200 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 jtt718@yahoo.com
Stella Tsai, j.d. / Stella is a commercial litigation partner at the Philadelphia office of Archer & Greiner, P.C. with a practice concentrating in ethics and compliance and government affairs. She was recently appointed to Philadelphia’s Zoning Code Commission to help reshape the City’s ability to facilitate sustainable growth. Stella re-entered private practice after serving as chair of administrative law at the City of Philadelphia Law Department from 2000-2003, where she managed 45 attorneys who represent and counsel several City departments with court and administrative proceedings and transactions. She also acted as the Law Department’s liaison to the City’s social service agencies, and supervised the attorneys who represent the City and its departments in matters arising under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and various other federal statutes. After returning to private practice, Stella served as counsel to The City of Philadelphia Civil Service Commission. A graduate of Penn State University and University of Pennsylvania Law School, Stella is the chair of Women’s Law Project Board of Trustees and a member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania’s Executive Committee and an ex-officio Board member of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia. Stella also devotes time to handling pro bono matters, one of which took 10 years to reach its successful outcome of political asylum for her client. Archer & Greiner, p. c. One Liberty Place Thirty-Second Floor 1650 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 stsai@archerlaw.com
Kay Kyungsun Yu, j.d. / Kay is the first Asian American to serve as chairperson of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations. She was appointed to serve as a commissioner by Mayor Michael A. Nutter in July 2008, and was named chairperson in March 2009. The Commission reached two major milestones in March 2011. First, the Commission released its report, “Widening the
Circle of Our Concern: Public Perceptions of the School District of Philadelphia’s Response to Intergroup Conflicts.” Second, landmark
legislation was passed completely overhauling and expanding the protections of and remedies under the Fair Practices Ordinance, the civil rights law of Philadelphia enforced by the Commission. In 2008, Kay was president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania. The Legal Intelligencer named Kay one of Pennsylvania’s Diversity Attorneys of the Year in 2009 and a Woman of Distinction in 2010. Currently, she serves on the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Born in Seoul, Korea, Kay moved to the States at age three and grew up in Seattle. A graduate of Columbia College and the Georgetown University Law Center, Kay began practicing law in 1993.
Kay is a five-time finisher of Ironman distance triathlons and an avid marathoner, having completed over 25 marathons and qualified for and run the Boston Marathon each year since 2006.
Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations 601 Walnut Street, Suite 300 South Philadelphia, PA 19106 kay.yu@phila.gov
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Sok h. be jenny chung
Loraine Ballard Morrill
michelle freeman
imja p. choi
lena kim
michelle gollapalli
heseung kim
kathryn lee jennifer krout melissa kim
min suh
julie tanpitukpong
su-shan lai
stella tsai
kay kyungsun yu