aapi lead foundation

What aapi lead foundation does

AAPI LEAD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #99-4433205) registered in Los Angeles, California, operating as the educational arm of the AAPI LEAD initiative, alongside its companion 501(c)(4) membership organization. It is the first and only national membership-based organization established by and for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) elected and appointed officials, modeled after NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials). The organization serves a network of 1,000+ AAPI government leaders spanning federal (20+), state (250+), and local (700+) levels across all 50 states.

The organization's core offerings are the Annual National Summit (Las Vegas 2024, Atlanta 2025, Los Angeles 2026), an annual membership program priced at $99 for verified current or former elected and appointed officials, and a curated Resource Library covering legislation tracking, funding resources, media training, and policy toolkits. Add-on products include the Executive Leadership Workshop Series, the AAPI LEADership webinar series (featuring panels with AAPI Mayors and Attorneys General), Mentorship Programs, Learning Pods, the AAPI Elected & Appointed Officials Map, and policy forums. The underlying technology stack is lightweight — a Squarespace website integrated with Eventbrite for summit registration and Givebutter for donations — with no proprietary platform or AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

Revenue is generated through three streams: annual membership dues ($99/year), corporate sponsorships tiered from Community to Presidential (sponsors include Waymo, PepsiCo, Comcast, OpenAI, Amazon, TAAF, Instacart, DoorDash, and TikTok), and tax-deductible charitable donations. Distribution is national and primarily community-led, leveraging referrals from partner organizations (NALEO, NAPABA, National ACE, AAJA, Council of Korean Americans), affinity group meetings for seven AAPI sub-communities, and event-based member acquisition. The organization is led by Executive Director Hon. David Ryu (former Los Angeles City Councilmember), Board Chair Susan Jin Davis (former Comcast CSO), and Board President Hon. David Chiu (San Francisco City Attorney), with an Honorary Advisory Board including Congressmembers Judy Chu and Ted Lieu.

Name

aapi lead foundation

Legal name

AAPI LEAD Foundation

Website

https://aapilead.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AAPI LEAD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving as the first national membership-based organization for AAPI elected and appointed officials across federal, state, and local government, providing annual summits, leadership development, mentorship, resource libraries, and corporate-sponsored convenings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Leadership and Public Official Membership Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

SECONDARYTHAHAMAH

Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Corporate Meetings & Summits

Keywords

• AAPI leadership development
• Membership association services
• Civic leadership summits
• Government official networking
• Public policy forums

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: The organization generates revenue through $99 annual membership fees from elected and appointed officials. Membership provides access to the national summit, resource library, mentorship programs, leadership trainings, policy forums, learning pods, and member concierge services.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial and in-kind support for the annual summits. Sponsors include major corporations such as Waymo, PepsiCo, Comcast, OpenAI, Amazon, TAAF, Instacart, DoorDash, and various others at different sponsorship tiers (Presidential, Congressional, Leadership, Community). The 501(c)(3) foundation accepts tax-deductible donations (EIN #99-4433205).
3. Donations: The organization accepts charitable donations through givebutter.com platform. Donations to the AAPI LEAD Foundation (501(c)(3)) are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. The organization received written acknowledgment for single charitable contributions of $250 or more.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AAPI LEAD Foundation operates a national membership-based organization providing leadership development, mentorship, an annual national summit, policy forums, learning pods, and a curated resource library for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) elected and appointed officials across federal, state, and local levels of U.S. government. Membership is $99 annually and includes access to invitation-only summits, webinars, executive leadership workshops, and a member concierge service.

Product overview

AAPI LEAD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates alongside its 501(c)(4) membership arm to serve as the nation's first membership-based organization established by and for AAPI elected and appointed officials. The core offerings include the Annual National Summit (featuring three editions: Las Vegas 2024, Atlanta 2025, and Los Angeles 2026), the Membership Program ($99/year), and the Resource Library. Additional products and services include the Executive Leadership Workshop Series, Webinar Series (State of Our Cities, State of Our Democracy), Mentorship & Professional Development Programs, Learning Pods, AAPI Elected & Appointed Officials Map, and the Taste & See Resource Guide. The organization facilitates leadership development, education, mentorship, collaboration, and mutual support for AAPI leaders across all levels of government.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AAPI LEAD National Summit
• AAPI LEAD Membership Program
• Resource Library
• Executive Leadership Workshop Series
• AAPI LEADership Webinar Series
• Mentorship & Professional Development Programs
• Learning Pods
• AAPI Elected & Appointed Officials Map
• Taste & See: AAPI Southern California Resource Guide
• Policy Forum

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 AAPI elected and appointed officials in network including 20+ federal, 250+ state, and 700+ local officials
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered leadership sponsor, session partner, co-host, resource partner, board partner, presidential sponsor, congressional sponsor, community sponsor, breakout session sponsor, breakout session partner, parent organization and founding mentor.

• Verdantleadership sponsorTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2026Verdant is a Leadership Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. Aidan Ng, Co-Founder & CEO of Verdant, participated in the Civic Innovation and AI panel.
• Council of Korean Americanssession partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025The Council of Korean Americans partnered with AAPI LEAD for the Executive Presence & Power media training session at the 2nd Annual Summit in Atlanta 2025.
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)co-hostStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025NAPABA co-hosted 'The State of Our Democracy' webinar with AAPI LEAD on May 1, 2025. NAPABA Executive Director Priya Purandare co-moderated the panel featuring Attorneys General Rob Bonta, William Tong, and Josh Kaul.
• Open Statesresource partnerTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Open States provides free bill tracking across all 50 states, recommended in AAPI LEAD's Resource Library for members to track legislation and set alerts on issues.
• Grants.govresource partnerTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Grants.gov is recommended in AAPI LEAD's Resource Library as a resource for members to pursue federal grant opportunities for their jurisdictions.
• Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)board partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Susan Jin Davis serves as Chair Emeritus of the Board of APAICS. The organizations share missions of advancing AAPI leadership and have overlapping networks among AAPI government leaders.
• APIAVoteresource partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025APIAVote is featured in AAPI LEAD's Resource Library providing nonpartisan toolkits for engaging AAPI constituents, including in-language outreach materials. Johnnie Giles serves as Board Chair for APIAVote.
• PepsiCopresidential sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2024PepsiCo is a Presenting Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. PepsiCo sponsored the 'Packed with Care' community service activation where attendees assembled care packages for food-insecure communities in Los Angeles.
• Waymopresidential sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2024Waymo is a Presidential Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. Waymo's Head of State Policy & Government Affairs, Annabel Chang, delivered welcome remarks at the Opening Session & Dinner Celebration.
• Comcast NBCUniversalcongressional sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2024Comcast NBCUniversal is a Congressional Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. Representatives from Comcast NBCUniversal participated in the Public-Private Partnerships panel.
• OpenAIcongressional sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2024OpenAI is a Congressional Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. Chan Park, Head of U.S. & Canada Policy & Partnerships at OpenAI, participated in the Civic Innovation and AI panel.
• Amazoncongressional sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2024Amazon is a Congressional Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. Kathy Duong, Public Policy Lead at Amazon, participated in the Civic Innovation and AI panel.
• The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)congressional sponsorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024TAAF is a Congressional Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. TAAF provides funding for AAPI causes and resources including the AAPI History Hub and STAATUS Index. TAAF's President participated in panel discussions.
• Instacartcommunity sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2024Instacart is a Community Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. Steve Chariyasatit, VP of Legal & Deputy General Counsel at Instacart, was a lunch speaker.
• DoorDashcommunity sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2024DoorDash is a Community Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026.
• National ACE (Asian/Pacific American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship)community sponsorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024National ACE is a Community Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. National ACE co-sponsored the Small Business Roundtable session with Dr. Karen Eng and Jan-Ie Low participating.
• TikTokleadership sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2024TikTok is a Leadership Sponsor of the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026. Geneve Villacres, Head of U.S. State Public Policy at TikTok, participated in the Messaging in a Digital World panel.
• California Community Foundationbreakout session sponsorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2024California Community Foundation sponsored the AAJA Media Training 101 breakout session at the 3rd Annual AAPI LEAD National Summit in Los Angeles 2026.
• Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA)breakout session partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024AAJA partnered with AAPI LEAD for the AAJA Media Training 101 breakout session at the 3rd Annual Summit, providing media training workshops to prepare officials for press interactions.
• Asian Pacific American Leadership Foundation (APALF)parent organizationStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023APALF is the parent organization that launched AAPI LEAD. The 9th CALNET retreat in September 2023 led to the establishment of the AAPI LEAD Working Committee. APALF hosted the first AAPI LEAD Summit in Las Vegas 2024.
• National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO)founding mentorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022NALEO provided guidance and mentorship in developing AAPI LEAD as an organization modeled after NALEO's successful framework for supporting Latino elected and appointed officials. Arturo Vargas, NALEO CEO, guided the founding committee.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO): NALEO is the most direct peer - AAPI LEAD was explicitly modeled after NALEO's framework, and NALEO CEO Arturo Vargas mentored the AAPI LEAD founding committee. Both are membership-based organizations serving elected and appointed officials of a specific demographic across all levels of U.S. government, running annual convenings and leadership development programs.
• Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS): APAICS is a direct peer focused on AAPI political leadership, with overlapping networks (AAPI LEAD Board Chair Susan Jin Davis serves as Chair Emeritus of APAICS Board). Both organizations advance AAPI representation in government through leadership development, fellowship, and convening programs.
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA): NAPABA co-hosted AAPI LEAD's 'State of Our Democracy' webinar featuring AAPI Attorneys General. Both serve AAPI professionals in public-facing careers (lawyers and elected officials respectively), operate national networks, and convene members through leadership programming and policy forums.
• APIAVote: APIAVote is a featured resource in AAPI LEAD's library and shares overlapping board leadership (Johnnie Giles served as Board Chair for APIAVote). Both organizations advance AAPI civic engagement and political participation, with APIAVote focused on voter mobilization and AAPI LEAD focused on elected-official support.
• National ACE (Asian/Pacific American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship): National ACE co-sponsored the Small Business Roundtable at AAPI LEAD's LA 2026 summit. Both serve as national convening bodies for the AAPI community, though National ACE focuses on business and entrepreneurship while AAPI LEAD focuses on elected officials.

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League: The National Urban League is a much larger and longer-established civil rights organization with overlapping focus on civic leadership, economic empowerment, and political engagement for communities of color. While it serves a broader demographic than AAPI LEAD, its convening model and leadership development programs are structurally comparable.
• Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF): CBCF is a more established parallel to AAPI LEAD for a different demographic - building leadership pipelines, convening elected officials, and running educational programming. CBCF's annual legislative conference is comparable in form to AAPI LEAD's annual summit.
• National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL): NBCSL serves as a parallel model for a different demographic - state legislators of color convening on policy and leadership development. The structure of supporting elected officials through networking, convening, and policy forums is directly comparable to AAPI LEAD.

Emerging players

• Asian American Federation: Asian American Federation is a pan-ethnic AAPI nonprofit that supports community organizations across the U.S. While it focuses on social services and capacity-building rather than elected-official convening, it shares AAPI community focus and frequently collaborates with AAPI-serving organizations like AAPI LEAD.
• Council of Korean Americans: Council of Korean Americans partnered with AAPI LEAD to deliver the Executive Presence & Power media training session at the Atlanta 2025 summit. Both are AAPI-focused leadership organizations running convening and programming for their communities, with CKA focused on Korean-American engagement specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aapilead
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aapi-lead-foundation/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/aapilead

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 aapi lead foundation