Team

In 2019, Yvonne Gao started her journey with NAAAP San Diego as the Events Director and has now risen to become the president of the organization. During her tenure as Events Director, Yvonne has successfully coordinated and executed multiple prosperous events for NAAAP San Diego.

Currently, she works as an Associate Director and Business Advisor at the Asian Business Association San Diego (ABASD), where she focuses on supporting the development and growth of minority business enterprises (MBE) of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) descent in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Before joining ABASD, Yvonne worked in the media and events industries in Australia and China. Her passion for events led her to expand her skills to assist businesses in achieving their objectives and building lasting customer relationships. Yvonne holds an MBA from Point Loma Nazarene University and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting and Anchoring from the Communication University of China.

From the island of Oahu, Lauren is ABASD’s Marketing, Outreach and Events Manager. In addition to her role with ABASD, Lauren provides event production throughout San Diego County with a focus on community empowerment. A leader in the API community, she serves as President of the National Association of Asian American Professionals – San Diego and is a recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Asian Pacific American Coalition. Most recently, she served as the Vice President/ Creative Director of Silk Road Productions; one of the leading, award-winning event production companies in Southern California.

Her event production passion and engagements are dedicated to providing platforms and connections for diverse communities and cultures to be highlighted, bridged, and empowered. A few of the signature projects she has worked on include: Filipino Sun Festival, Kinda Kamayan, Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair, Asian Cultural Festival, San Diego Night Market, San Diego Ramen Festival, Asian Pacific Islander Festival Day at the San Diego County Fair, San Diego Padres Filipino Heritage Night, Seaworld Lunar New Year, and Convoy Nights.

John Chiu joined NAAAP in 2018 as the Academic & Business Outreach Director. His main role is to build relationships with Asian groups at local colleges & universities as well as local business partners. Professionally, John is a Systems Engineer in the Telecommunications industry, but has extensive experience in the computer networking and aerospace industries. He received a BS Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, MS Network Engineering from USC, and a MS in Systems Engineering from UCSD. When not working, his hobbies including travel, reading, sailing, and finding good food.

Lindsey Lue is a GTM (Go-to-Market) Strategy Analyst in the Software / Technology Sector who uses data and research to create effective scalable programs to help companies build sustainable teams. She is a strong believer in the power of servant leadership and strives to make a positive impact in her community. She has a keen interest in cognitive behaviors and is constantly seeking ways to improve her own self-awareness and personal growth.

When she’s not at work, you can often find Lindsey indulging in her love for food - whether it's trying out new brunch spots or experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen. She enjoys exploring the outdoors, whether it's hiking through scenic trails or going on a relaxing picnic with friends. She's also an avid crochet enthusiast and loves to create handmade items in her spare time.

Nancy Ly is a Mindset Coach & Cross-Cultural Diversity Consultant. She works with leaders, entrepreneurs and growth-minded individuals to heal & elevate their mindsets in order to live and lead from a place of Wholeness, Authenticity, and Deep Alignment. As a Coach, she works with the subconscious mind and breathwork to heal generational trauma and guide people on their journey toward Being, Becoming & Belonging. As a Consultant, her work is focused on creating organizational alignment, cultural awareness, and inclusive spaces via leadership, team, and systematic processes.

Nancy’s work is centered around holistic healing, community care, leadership and bridge-building. As someone who has struggled with her own journey of mental health, Nancy is passionate about reclaiming shame as part of the beauty and cultural identity of the AAPI diaspora & BIPOC community, and calling people toward greatness by loving all parts of themselves in order to share their gifts and legacy to the world.

Jessica is a growing expert in Business Development, where she is currently using her former business ownership experience and studies in Business Information Systems towards Business Advising with the Alliance Small Business Development Center. She has obtained her Bachelors at San Diego State University and is a Certified Business Advisor by Kent University. In addition, she actively volunteers her time as the Leadership Program Director for the Student Chapter of the Asian Business Association at SDSU, VITA Program and as an educator at Museum School introducing financial literacy and entrepreneurial concepts to 5th grade students.

In her role as a Program Director, she plans to support the community of professionals with a purpose-driven approach. Jessica is passionate in building a strong foundation for young professional leaders in underserved communities. She is committed to doing so by her involvement with NAAAP, ABA and SDSU.

Peter Hsueh is a dynamic professional with a diverse range of experience in both scientific research and program development. As a program director at NAAAP San Diego, he is focused on connecting young professionals from a variety of industries, including technology, biopharma, and healthcare, to provide outreach and support for career advancement. With his strong communication skills and experience in leadership and management, Peter is well-equipped to develop and implement programs that help young professionals achieve their goals.

In his scientific work, Peter is an accomplished and forward-thinking scientist in cell biology and oncology, with extensive experience leading pre-clinical R&D projects focused on identifying novel blood biomarkers for pancreatic cancer in multidisciplinary teams. Additionally, he is an effective and confident science communicator, able to convey complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences. Currently, Peter works as a Field Application Scientist at Olink Proteomics, a company that specializes in high-multiplex techniques for identifying actionable biomarkers, with a strong focus on the human plasma proteome.