Vision Statement

Asian Women Empowered ("AWE") is a global network of influential Asian women that envision a world where we realize our full potential and leverage our prominence to invest in future generations while empowering and advancing the global Asian and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community as a whole.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to convene the world's most influential Asian women to inspire and invest in future generations. Our work will be supported by three pillars: sustainable mentorship that fosters close bonds between established and emerging leaders; programming which educates the public on the intersectional challenges faced by Asian women and spotlights success stories in which Asian women have triumphed; and research conducted in collaboration with allied organizations to tangibly measure the impact of AWE's initiatives. Centered on these three pillars of mentorship, programming, and research, AWE is a full-scale investment into the power and potential of Asian women.

Due to cultural misconceptions and stereotypes, Asian women may face a myriad of obstacles in reaching their full potential. However, there are many Asian women who are making profound contributions, both locally and globally, who are not being fully recognized. It is our goal to feature these influential women on our platform. Through creative storytelling and programming, we aim to create an enabling ecosystem whereby Asian women are elevated, and the next generation can be inspired by their example.

Asia Society Southern California (ASSC) will advance this mission by connecting Asian women at all levels to build an inclusive community that can empower them professionally, intellectually, and socially. The AWE community will provide mentorship, networking and social support for emerging Asian women leaders and opportunities for peer-to-peer sharing and camaraderie for established women leaders.

As part of a leading global institution with expertise across the fields of arts, business, culture, education and policy, ASSC will leverage Asia Society’s global resources to establish an initiative with equal focus on each of the following:

• Programming: Quarterly programs featuring sector-specific discussions between prominent women across key industries.

• Mentorship: In recognition of the importance that mentorship plays in personal and career development, AWE’s mentorship program will center on mentor-mentee relationships that foster close bonds between established and emerging leaders.

• Research: Through the collection and analysis of data on women of Asian descent in the workplace, AWE’s original research will provide a portrait of the shared challenges and opportunities that Asian women encounter.

AWE will evolve into the foremost network for Asian women in fields that connect the U.S. and Asia.