Executive Committee
Frank Lu
Chair
Vancouver’s Chinatown is a result of the gentrification and dislocation of Chinese immigrants during the early 1900s. However, these injustices fostered cultural growth and a community that flourished and had grown to become a humble abode that minorities called home.
Frank Lu, a Chinese-Canadian local of Vancouver attending Mulgrave School has been disheartened to see the diminishing conditions and vanishing glow of Chinatown due to the present changes in urban development. Determined to revitalize these areas, Frank works passionately with leaders from the Chinatown Foundation to create these systemic changes.
Through his actions in YFAR, Frank has been successful in leading a Dim Sum Luncheon in conjunction with The Chinatown Storytelling Centre and GoGivers Foundation bringing over 130 youth to Historic Chinatown to inspire, and ignite conversations about the revitalization of Chinatown. To add emphasis to the cause, a scavenger hunt was organized to further engage youth with the significance and cultural importance of Chinatown. Through representation and initiative, Frank is inspired to create a voice and platform for the Asian community and to influence youth to join this cause.
GW Henderson
Events Director
Our Events Director, GW Henderson, is a student athlete who first discovered the lack of minorities’ representation through sports. As an avid hockey player since age 5, GW has continually believed that Asian representation especially in athletics is a prominent issue. In his role as Events Director, he looks forward to facilitating dialogue in an organized and lively forum.
Lauren Breakell
HR Director
Our Human Resources Director, Lauren Breakell, is zealous to take part in this initiative. Her grandmother, a founder of a local food production company, is a Chinese Canadian female that has fought countless cultural barriers in her rise to success. From witnessing her grandmother’s hard work, Lauren is excited to explore these barriers and work diligently alongside her community to break them down.
Mika Shimmura
Marketing Director
Our Marketing Director, Mika Shimmura, is passionate about Chinese Canadian culture and strives to increase Asian representation through social media. She plans to study fashion in New York next fall, where she will be immersed in an industry lacking Asian female presence. Mika’s strengths in design and media will propel our initiative to be widely recognized, promoted, and sustained.
GW Henderson
Events Director
Our Events Director, GW Henderson, is a student athlete who first discovered the lack of minorities’ representation through sports. As an avid hockey player since age 5, GW has continually believed that Asian representation especially in athletics is a prominent issue. In his role as Events Director, he looks forward to facilitating dialogue in an organized and lively forum.
Lauren Breakell
HR Director
Our Human Resources Director, Lauren Breakell, is zealous to take part in this initiative. Her grandmother, a founder of a local food production company, is a Chinese Canadian female that has fought countless cultural barriers in her rise to success. From witnessing her grandmother’s hard work, Lauren is excited to explore these barriers and work diligently alongside her community to break them down.
Kadyn Eng
Operations Director
Our Operations Director, Kadyn Eng, is excited to play a part in the growth of this forum. Growing up learning Cantonese, watching her grandmother practice tai chi in the backyard, and visiting family in Guangzhou biannually, her family has ensured that her roots are never forgotten. As Kadyn works with this initiative, she looks forward to stimulating conversations on Asian representation across diverse areas.
National Committee
Akarty Dhesi
Akarty Dhesi is in her senior year at Crofton House, and currently serving as Head Girl. Having been involved in her school’s theatre program, as well as being an avid reader from a young age, Akarty grew up noticing the lack of asian representation in both these industries. She is passionate about uplifting the voices of asian creatives and is excited to see and hear the talents they have to share.
Michelle To
For more than 10 years, Michelle has been a contributing member to the Chinese community, starting young from volunteering, to coordinating and building strategies to achieve and focus on topics such as chinatown revitalization and transformation.
Having seen her family face discrimination and bullying in the workplace, it was a catalyst and a journey for Michelle to explore more of her roots and culture to understand what she could do to play her part in bringing change to society and in the workplace. Since a young age, Michelle has traveled and constantly pushed limits to better understand cultural differences and perspectives. She continues to help groups grow and understand the differences between East and West, how to meet in the middle, and how to collaborate in such a setting. It’s time to bridge that gap!
Nathan Parian
Nathan Parian is a third-year music and business student at the University of Western Ontario. He is one of the incoming co-presidents of Western’s Chinese Students’ Association (CSA) and joined CSA in his first year as a way to obtain genuine connections with others. To Nathan, Asian representation means being unapologetically proud of your heritage, roots, and culture. It is a means to provide a platform and uplift voices in our community. In this current climate, strength relies on numbers and momentum. And there is no better time than now, to empower this current generation of Asian Canadians while providing the next generation with the proper foundation to become successful leaders.
Jessica Look
Jessica Look is a third-year political science and French studies student at the University of Western Ontario. She is one of the incoming co-presidents of Western’s Chinese Students’ Association (CSA), and first got involved because she was looking to make new friends and find fulfilling opportunities while celebrating her culture. Asian representation in the media and positions of leadership is a topic close to her heart; passionate about equitable opportunities and diverse representation, she is excited to see how this generation of Asian Canadians can empower and support each other in breaking down traditional barriers and advocate for their communities.
Advisory Board
Franco Ng
Chair
Franco remains rooted in his culture and is fluent in his native language of Cantonese as well as Mandarin, despite having immigrated from Hong Kong with his family before the age of two.
Growing up in Richmond, Franco has benefitted from its vibrant community, acknowledging his privilege of living in a country that not only accept differences but celebrates the strength it derives from its diversity.
Franco is the Founder of YouthTalkNation and Live Unlimited.
Jonathan Kong
Director
Jonathan Kong has been an active member of the Vancouver community ever since a young age. He grew up fascinated with politics and passionate about community service.
Time spent working on community and political projects made Jonathan appreciate the importance of youth participation in Canadian politics. He has been involved in organizations such as Forum for Young Canadians, Queen’s Model Parliament and Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots.
Currently, as advisor to educational institutions, Jonathan stresses the need for educators to promote civic engagement.
John Tse
Director
As a seasoned corporate executive, John Tse has been conducting international business for over twenty years. He was born in Hong Kong and moved to Canada at a very young age. Although Canada is the only home known to him, he has maintained his knowledge and connection to his heritage and culture. John speaks fluent Cantonese and understands the unique cultural differences between western and Asian consumers.
John is actively involved with several community organizations championing their causes for the betterment of society. Moreover, as an alumni volunteer with his alma mater, UBC, he is passionate about mentoring the next generation of citizens and leaders.
Matthew Li
Director
Matthew Li, a first-year student at the University of British Columbia was born and raised in Richmond BC. He speaks in full fluency in Cantonese in addition to Mandarin and has been deeply invested in understanding the past, present, and future of Chinese immigrants and wrongs that have been inflicted upon the Chinese community.
His motivation to give without expectation of return has allowed him to engage and mobilize youth within his community through club presidency experiences with Student Council, Humanitarian-Missions, and Food-Insecurity.
Matthew is currently a Board of Director at GoGivers Foundation.