Amplifying AAPI Voices
A Community Conversation hosted by Caress • IFundWomen of Color
FEATURING: CYNTHIA PONG, SAILAJA N. JOSHI, BEE SHAPIRO, & OLIVIA OWENS
About this event
In 2019, IFundWomen of Color and Caress teamed up to fund, support, and elevate diverse founders who have been disproportionately impacted by systemic racism and social injustice —but we know there’s more to be done to move the needle for women of color-owned businesses.
IFundWomen of Color, and the community we’ve grown, understand that women of color are not monolithic, and we are dedicated to providing platforms where we can tell our own stories. The need for solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander community is more important than ever, with Anti-Asian hate crimes at a high in the United States—many of those attacks occurring at AAPI-owned small businesses.
In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, join us for a fireside chat on Thursday May 20 at 6PM Eastern to hear from AAPI entrepreneurs from both inside and outside of the IFundWomen of Color community, as they discuss the challenges and successes they’ve seen this year.
We’ll be joined by Sailaja N. Joshi (Mango and Marigold Press), Cynthia Pong (Embrace Change NYC) and the conversation will be moderated by Bee Shapiro, New York Times Beauty Columnist and Founder of Ellis Brooklyn. This will be a safe space to listen, learn, and be heard and seen.
About our panelist
Cynthia Pong, J.D. is an NYU-trained lawyer turned career coach whose passion is helping women of color realize their ambitious career goals. Cynthia is the Founder of Embrace Change, an organization offering coaching for women of color on leadership, negotiation, and small business development – so that women of color can get the money, power, and respect that they deserve. She especially loves strategizing with mid-career women of color professionals who are pursuing unconventional paths.
About our panelist
Sailaja N. Joshi is a design thinker, intersectional feminist, mother to two, a bibliophile, an entrepreneur, lover of bold, modern design, diversity activist, and an aspiring dog owner. Sailaja is the CEO and Founder of Mango and Marigold Press (formally Bharat Babies), an award-winning independent publishing house that shares the sweet and savory stories of the South Asian experience.
About our moderator
Bee Shapiro is the longtime New York Times beauty columnist and founder of Ellis Brooklyn, a clean luxury fragrance brand currently carried at Sephora, Ulta, Credo, Revolve and more. She is also the author of "Skin Deep: Women on Skin Care, Makeup, and Looking Their Best," a compilation of her best-read columns.