Our Team

LEAP Board of Directors

Officers

  • Linda Akutagawa

    Linda Akutagawa

    PRESIDENT & CEO
    Los Angeles, CA

    LEAP

  • Rachel Gabato

    Rachel Gabato

    TREASURER
    San Francisco, CA

    Senior Director, Product Management Merchandising Innovation Technologies at Walmart

  • Patricia “Denise” Lopez

    Patricia “Denise” Lopez

    VICE CHAIR
    Los Angeles, CA

    Professor, Organizational Psychology at Alliant International University

  • Annabel Sheron

    Annabel Sheron

    SECRETARY
    Washington, DC

    Senior Engineering Manager at Arcfield

  • Wen-Fu Wu

    Wen-Fu Wu

    CHAIR
    New York, NY

    Managing Director, Deputy CIO
    and Head of Fixed Income at TIAA

Directors

  • Arti Arora

    Arti Arora

    Atlanta, Georgia

    Vice President of Global Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at The Coca-Cola Company

  • Tmi Bui

    Tami Bui

    San Francisco

    Senior Government Affairs Manager at Turo

  • Kenneth Chung

    Kenneth Chung

    Dallas, Texas

    Former Executive Vice President of Commercial Insurance at Chubb Group

  • Carlo Dela Fuente

    Carlo Dela Fuente

    Folsom, California

    Director of Business Operations at Cisco

  • Sylvia Fulton

    Sylvia Fulton

    Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Vice President of New Stores & Remodels at Target

  • Jeff Hong

    Jeff Hong

    Hartford, CT

    Senior Manager, Business Strategy at Accenture

  • Shu Han Journay

    Shu Han Journay

    Dallas-Forthworth, Texas

    Chief Financial Officer at The People’s Accords

  • Ursula Qwan

    Ursula Quan

    Kaneohe, HI

    Director, Human Resources at Hui O Hana Pono

  • Lillian Teng

    Lillian Teng

    Washington, DC

    Senior Director of Cyber Intelligence at Capital One

  • Tammy Tran

    Tammy Tran

    Rosemead, California

    Senior Manager of Local Public Affairs at Southern California Edison

  • Chris Yu

    Chris Yu

    Seattle, Washington

    Staff Product Designer at Lexion

LEAP Staff

Management Team

Program & Development Team

  • Akemi Mechtel

    Akemi Mechtel

    ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

    (213) 810-8644
    amechtel@leap.org
    Let’s Connect on LinkedIn ⇗

  • Chingcha Vang

    Chingcha Vang

    PROGRAM MANAGER

    (323) 572-5992
    cvang@leap.org
    Let’s Connect on LinkedIn ⇗

  • Celine Hoang

    Celine Hoang

    DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

    (323) 646-0655
    choang@leap.org
    Let’s Connect on LinkedIn ⇗

  • Eledy Vargas Gonzalez

    Eledy Vargas Gonzalez

    OPERATIONS AND PROGRAM SPECIALIST

    (213) 453-7840
    evargas@leap.org
    Let’s Connect on LinkedIn ⇗

  • Phillip Huynh

    Phillip Huynh

    PROGRAM COORDINATOR

    (213) 361-7844
    phuynh@leap.org

  • Lauren Kojima

    Lauren Kojima

    PROGRAM COORDINATOR

    (213) 631-6980
    lkojima@leap.org

2023 LEAP Faculty

Abe Ali
VP, Human Resources
Mt. San Antonio College

Alan Kumamoto
Founding Partner
Kumamoto Associates

Alison De La Cruz
Co-Artistic Director
Outside In Theatre

Audrey Yamagata Noji
VP, Student Services
Mt. San Antonio College

Brian Tsukimura
Professor
California State University, Fresno

Calvin Chen
Founder
Calvin Chen Coaching International

Colleen Yamaguchi
Founder
Colleen Yamaguchi Coaching & Consulting

Erin Yoshimura
Chief Empowerment Officer
Empowerful Changes

Ernest Mark
Principal
Ernest Mark Consulting

Ernelyn Navarro
Principal
PEARL Coaching and Consulting

Farah Bala
Leadership Coach and Trainer
Performance of a Lifetime

Fatima Bustos-Choy
Founder
Gaia Flow Consulting

Frank Chong
President
Santa Rosa Junior College

 

Gerald Napoles
President
Lone Star College – North Harris

Grace Toy
SVP of Administration & CFO
LEAP

Hayden Lee
Executive Leadership Coach
Hayden Lee Coaching

Henry Gee
VP, Student Services
Rio Hondo Community College

Jag Soni
Principal
Results Inc.

Janice Won
Founder
The WON Principles

Kelley Lowe
Director of Member Empowerment
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development

Kyle Reyes
VP of Student Affairs
Utah Valley University

Leroy Morishita
President
California State University, East Bay

Linda Akutagawa
President & CEO
LEAP

Lori Ideta
Interim Vice Chancellor for Students
University of Hawai’i at Manoa

Marilyn Tam
President & CEO
Marilyn Tam & Company

Maria Meier
President & Founder
MariaMeier.us

Mark Nozaki
President & Founder
Odyssey Leadership Consulting

 

 

Mary Ann Takemoto
Associate VP for Student Affairs
California State University, Long Beach

Nancy Wada-Mckee
VP for Student Life
California State University, Los Angeles

Nancy Yap
Executive Director
CAUSE

Patrick Hayashi
Associate President (Retired)
University of California System

Penelope Hsu
Principal
Guiding Clarity

Pratichi Shah
President & CEO
Flourish Talent Management Solutions

Sam Bersola
Assistant Vice Provost for Graduate Education
University of California, Los Angeles

Stacia Kato
Vendor Management Consultant
Toyota Financial Services

Stacy Lee
International Students Program Specialist
Mt. San Antonio College

Stephanie Lowe
Vice President of Leadership Programs
Stephanie Lowe

Steve Lin
Consultant
Steve Lin Consulting

Steve Terusaki
CEO & Certified Business Coach
SEIDO Consulting

Tria Vang
Program Implementation Manager
Minnesota Office of Higher Education

Wyman Fong
Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District

Wynne Chin
Professor
Bauer College of Business
University of Houston

Yengee Lor
Leadership and Team Coach
Faithful Consulting