Asian Leadership Collective

What Asian Leadership Collective does

Asian Leadership Collective (ALC) is a UK-based social enterprise founded in December 2020 by Anna Chan and Georgie Ma (Chinese Chippy Girl) to increase East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) representation in UK leadership, particularly at executive and C-suite levels. The organisation originated from the #ESEAEats campaign (launched 30 November 2020) and was formally incorporated as a social enterprise on 23 December 2020 in direct response to the surge in ESEA hate crimes during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is privately held, founder-owned, and bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding.

ALC's core offerings are professional services rather than a technology platform: Speaking & Events (keynotes, panels, interviews), DEI Support (workshops, safe spaces, Employee Resource Group advisory), Cultural Consulting (representation reviews and sensitivity guidance for media and corporates), Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy, and Press Junkets and Interviews (past interviewees include Lee Jung-Jae, Jason Tobin, and Andrew Koji). The flagship #ESEAEats brand functions as a social media campaign and an annual event series — ESEAEats Conversations — which has run multi-year editions including the 2025 'Leaders in Sports & Wellbeing' panel hosted by Frankie Vu.

The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with services sold directly to UK organisations through website inquiry forms and community events ticketed via Eventbrite. Marketing relies primarily on organic social (the #ESEAEats hashtag with 16,500+ uses), email newsletter, earned media (The Guardian, Vice, Waitrose Food Magazine, Gal-dem, The Bookseller, The Leopard), and the annual flagship gathering. ALC is a ~10-person team operating solely in the United Kingdom, has 55+ collaborations and 10 formal partnerships to date, and holds the UK Government's Points of Light Award.

Name

Asian Leadership Collective

Legal name

Asian Leadership Collective

Website

https://asianleadership.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Asian Leadership Collective is a UK-based, founder-led social enterprise offering DEI workshops, cultural consulting, speaking, and press junkets to amplify East and Southeast Asian representation in leadership, anchored by its annual #ESEAEats Conversations event series.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Consulting

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inclusive Leadership & Leading Diverse Teams (EDABAAAM), Reputation Management & Executive Thought Leadership (MPAAADAK), Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Diversity inclusion consulting
• DEI workshop facilitation
• Cultural consulting services
• Keynote speaking events
• Leadership advocacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Speaking & Events: Keynotes, panels, and interviews highlighting East and Southeast Asian voices and stories. Revenue generated through speaking fees for events and panel appearances.
2. DEI Support Services: Workshops, safe spaces facilitation, and consultancy for ESEA-focused inclusion initiatives. Advisory services for launching Employee Resource Groups and DEI initiatives.
3. Cultural Consulting: Representation reviews and sensitivity guidance to ensure authentic ESEA portrayals in media and corporate settings.
4. Press Junkets and Interviews: Facilitation of East and Southeast Asian safe spaces for interviews and media appearances.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Asian Leadership Collective is a UK-based social enterprise that provides professional services focused on amplifying East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) representation in leadership. The company sells speaking engagements, panel hosting, DEI workshops, cultural consulting (representation reviews and sensitivity guidance), and press junket facilitation to corporate clients and media organizations. It also operates the #ESEAEats community campaign and annual ESEAEats Conversations event series that bring together ESEA professionals and allies.

Product overview

Asian Leadership Collective is a UK-based social enterprise offering a portfolio of DEI-focused services centered on amplifying East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) representation in leadership. The core offerings include Speaking & Events (keynotes, panels, interviews), DEI Support (workshops, safe spaces, consultancy), Cultural Consulting (representation reviews, sensitivity guidance), Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy, and Press Junkets and Interviews. The flagship programs include the #ESEAEats campaign (founded November 2020) and its annual ESEAEats Conversations event series featuring panel discussions with ESEA leaders on topics like entrepreneurship, media, and sports. The portfolio also includes consultancy services for organizations seeking ESEA-focused inclusion initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• #ESEAEats: Flagship annual event series and social media campaign celebrating East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) culture and heritage through food, panel conversations, and community gatherings. Founded in November 2020 by Anna Chan and Georgie Ma.

Products and services

• Speaking & Events Keynotes, panel discussions, and interviews highlighting East and Southeast Asian voices and stories. Includes support in hosting and creating events based on ESEA topics for organizational clients and event organizers.
• DEI Support Workshops, facilitation of safe spaces, and consultancy services for ESEA-focused inclusion initiatives. Includes advice and assistance on launching Employee Resource Groups and other DEI programs with an ESEA lens, targeted at HR and DEI leads at corporate organizations.
• Cultural Consulting Representation reviews and sensitivity guidance services to ensure authentic ESEA portrayals in media, culture, and corporate settings. Aimed at media organizations, publishers, and corporate communications teams.
• Press Junkets and Interviews Facilitation of East and Southeast Asian safe spaces for open discussion, interviews, and media appearances. Past interviewees have included Lee Jung-Jae (Star Wars: The Acolyte), Jason Tobin (A Thousand Blows), and Andrew Koji (Gangs of London). Aimed at media and publicity teams seeking authentic ESEA voices.
• #ESEAEats Campaign A social media campaign and ongoing community program celebrating East and Southeast Asian culture and heritage through food. Has gained over 16,500 uses on social media and serves as the umbrella brand for ESEA-focused community engagement.
• ESEAEats Conversations Annual flagship event series bringing people together for panel discussions about inclusive representation in leadership. Features ESEA leaders from industries such as entrepreneurship, media, and sports, alongside food vendors and networking opportunities. Ticketed through Eventbrite.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,500+ social media hashtag uses for #ESEAEats campaign
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Frankie Vu (Host)minorOthers · 1 November 2025Award-winning British-Vietnamese TV presenter and football freestyler hosting ESEAEats Conversations 2025: Leaders in Sports and Wellbeing event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Colorintech: UK-based, community-led non-profit accelerating the careers of underrepresented people in technology through flagship events, mentorship and corporate partnerships — the closest UK analogue to ALC's community-to-consultancy model.
• WeAreTheCity: UK-based organisation focused on the progression of women in the workplace via awards, events, content, and corporate partnerships. Operates a structurally similar model to ALC — community building + flagship awards/events + corporate services.
• Black Girls in Tech: UK-based community and platform advancing Black women in technology through events, mentorship, and corporate partnerships. Directly comparable to ALC's community-led approach for an underrepresented ethnic group.
• INvolve: UK-based organisation promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion in business through awards, events, and consultancy. Closely comparable to ALC in combining a flagship recognition/event series with B2B DEI advisory work for a specific underrepresented community.

Broad incumbents

• The Asian American Foundation (TAAF): US-based foundation advancing Asian American and Pacific Islander representation and opportunity through grantmaking, research, and partnerships — comparable mission (AAPI advancement) with broader geographic and financial scale.
• Ascend: Pan-Asian organisation dedicated to developing Asian business leaders across industries through events, mentoring, and corporate programmes — directly comparable mission (Pan-Asian leadership) at broader scale and US-led.
• EW Group: Established UK diversity, equity and inclusion consultancy serving FTSE-level enterprises — a more mature commercial incumbent that competes for the same corporate DEI budget that funds ALC's enterprise work.
• National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP): Long-standing Pan-Asian American professional association with chapters, leadership programmes, and corporate partnerships — a more established incumbent in the same Asian professional leadership space, albeit US-centric.

Emerging players

• Resource Ethnic Diversity: UK-based non-profit advancing ethnic diversity in business through research, events and programmes. Overlaps with ALC's advocacy work for underrepresented ethnic communities in UK workplaces.

Regional players

• Asian Media Awards: UK-based awards and events programme celebrating Asian representation in media. Overlaps with ALC's media-facing cultural consulting and press junket work, though operates primarily as an awards body rather than a consultancy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asian-leadership-collective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asian Leadership Collective