AAPI Nonprofit Lunar Accel Names First Board Director & Launches Second Cohort
Lunar Accel, an AAPI leadership development nonprofit, named startup veteran Jason Shen as its first external Board Director and kicked off its second cohort.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, October 31, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — Lunar Accel, the premier leadership development nonprofit and career accelerator for ambitious early-career East/Southeast Asian professionals, today announced the appointment of serial founder and executive coach Jason Shen as its first external member of its Board of Directors.
“Jason Shen brings a wealth of venture-backed startup experience to Lunar Accel, having founded 3 startups across his 15+ year career in tech, including an AI gaming tools company acquired by Meta in 2020,” said Jasper Huang, Co-President and Co-Founder of Lunar Accel. “We are confident that Jason’s experience will only accelerate that growth as we seek to aggressively expand capacity and expand programming to serve young professionals in New York City.”
“In my personal experience, and in working with Asian American clients, I’ve seen how critical mentorship and community can be to one’s career success,” said Jason Shen, CEO and Head Coach of Refactor Labs. “It’s a privilege to serve as the first external board member of Lunar Accel. I have been continually impressed by their ambitious vision and relentless execution in leveling the playing field for the next generation of AAPI professionals.”
On Sunday October 21st, Lunar Accel kicked off its second annual accelerator, a three week program featuring keynote speakers Amy Zhou, Partner at COTE Korean Steakhouse, Christine Chang, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Glow Recipe, and Eric Chan, CFO of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Following the three-week accelerator programming, Lunar Accel will hold a Closing Reception with keynote guest Eric Chan, Chief Financial Officer of the Los Angeles Clippers in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday November 11th. Event will feature catered dinner, sponsored giveaways from AAPI-led brands, and Asian-inspired cocktails with tickets available for purchase by the general public on Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/LunarClosing2023
“In just our second year running the program, we sold out our opening keynote with over 100 attendees in the room. The energy and excitement was incredible – a testament to the importance of the work we are doing,” said Amanda Xu, Co-President and Co-Founder of Lunar Accel. “Amy [Zhou] and Tiffany [Daniele] set the tone for what will undoubtedly be a program even more extraordinary than the last, and I know our Board will be instrumental in amplifying our impact.”
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ABOUT JASON SHEN
Jason Shen is an executive coach, serial founder, and author of The Path to Pivot, a playbook for startups looking to reboot their business without the blowback. Born in Suzhou, he grew up in New England and earned BS and MS degrees at Stanford University, where he won a national title with the mens gymnastics team. He has founded three venture-backed startups including a long-distance ridesharing platform funded by Y Combinator, a ground-breaking tech hiring platform, and an AI gaming tools company acquired by Meta in 2020.
Jason is a TED speaker, an Interintellect host, and a presidential innovation fellow under the Obama administration. A lifelong athlete, Jason was 3-time US championships mens gymnastics competitor, broke 2 Guinness World Records in calisthenics, and was recognized as one of the fittest people in tech by Mashable, Men’s Journal, and Outside Magazine. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, a renowned multidisciplinary artist.
Learn more: https://www.jasonshen.com
ABOUT LUNAR ACCEL
Lunar Accel is the premier career accelerator for ambitious, early-career East/Southeast Asian professionals. The organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, runs an annual flagship program featuring speaker events with Asian American founders and business leaders, executive coaching workshops, and mentorship programming for early-career professionals to hone key leadership skills, expand their professional network, and advance their career past the “bamboo ceiling.”
Past speakers include Patrick Lee (Rotten Tomatoes), Charles Huang (Guitar Hero), Sandro Roco (Sanzo Sparkling Water), Chieh Huang (Boxed, NYSE: BOXD), Sarah Miyazawa LaFleur (M.M.LaFleur), Sean Ro (Lunar Hard Seltzer), Amelie Kang (MaLa Project), and more. Lunar Accel was founded in 2022 by Co-Presidents Amanda Xu and Jasper Huang in their senior year at the University of Pennsylvania, and is run by an all volunteer staff.
Learn more: https://www.lunaraccel.org/
Jasper Huang
Lunar Accel
Lunaraccel@gmail.com
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