The Global Talent Symposium + Awards offers a unique platform for culturally expansive leadership development. This one-day conference highlights leaders driving the business case for global talent and brings together professionals from a wide range of businesses and industries.

Join us on May 14 to gain insights from visionary experts, apply key takeaways during interactive workshops, and network with peers from across the country.

The 2025 Symposium will feature: 

• Thought-provoking sessions with leaders advancing global business success through innovation and culturally informed leadership.
• Interactive breakout discussions on mentorship, executive coaching, and wellness.
• Awards ceremony celebrating changemakers advancing Pan-Asian professionals and fostering inclusive workplaces.
• Networking lunch and reception to build connections and community.
• Expanded large-format programming available both in person and via live stream.
• Senior Leadership Roundtable (By invitation only).

Please note that there are two ticket types:

• Symposium + Impact Awards Ticket
• Symposium Networking Reception Ticket

Buy Tickets

Agenda

Access the full digital program and directory of attendees. 

8 - 9 a.m.

Registration and Breakfast [In-Person]

Lobby Level, Garden Court

9 - 9:15 a.m.

Welcome Remarks & Opening Keynote [Hybrid]

A Level, Auditorium

• Dr. Tiffany Moon, Entrepreneur, Anesthesiologist, and TV Personality
• Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, President & Chief Executive Officer, Asia Society
• Victoria R. Liu, Director, Corporate Relations, Asia Society 

9:15 - 10:30 a.m. 

From Invisible to Influential: How to Stay Seen and Succeed in Any Environment [Hybrid]

A Level, Auditorium

Growing your visibility and influence is more important than ever in today’s workplace. This panel explores how to cultivate a strong personal brand, while navigating structural and internal barriers, so you can be seen, heard, and valued in your organization. Join transformative business leader Anne Chow, prominent psychotherapist and author Israa Nasir, and renowned personal branding expert Whitney Johnson as they share actionable, strategic solutions to grow your influence. Learn how to use these methods to advance your career, while also empowering those around you.

• Christina Poon (Moderator), General Manager, W New York - Union Square
• Anne Chow, Business Leader, Former CEO AT&T Business  
• Israa Nasir, Psychotherapist, Founder of WellGuide
• Whitney Johnson, Co-founder and CEO, Disruption Advisors

10:30 - 11 a.m. 

Mid-Morning Break and Networking [In-Person]

Lobby Level, Garden Court

11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. 

Beyond the Noise: Future-Proofing Strategies in a Complex Climate [Hybrid]

A Level, Auditorium

In an era where talent initiatives are becoming increasingly fraught, companies are facing growing pressure to retreat. Yet these efforts remain critical to long-term business success, innovation, and profitability. Join James Rhee (acclaimed impact leader, goodwill strategist and author of red helicopter) and Dr. Janet Ahn (Chief Behavioral Scientist and Researcher), for a dynamic conversation on how leaders can navigate this complexity with courage, clarity, and strategy—ensuring that purpose-driven work not only survives but thrives.

• Dr. Janet Ahn, Chief Behavioral Scientist and Researcher
• James Rhee, Impact Leader, Entrepreneur, Investor, Author of red helicopter

12:15 - 1:30 p.m.

Lunchtime Programs [In-person]

Enjoy lunch along with one of the concurrent events:

Meet the Speakers: Book Signing and Networking Lunch
Lobby Level, Garden Court and A Level

Take a break, grab some lunch, and connect! This casual midday event is your chance to meet speaker and authors Tiffany Moon, Anne Chow, and Israa Nasir. Whether you're looking to get your book signed, chat with fellow attendees, or enjoy a moment to recharge, this is the perfect opportunity to mingle and make meaningful connections. Books will be available for purchase on-site during the event.

Stand Out to Move Up: Build Your Brand at Any Stage Workshop
8th Floor, Rose Hall

Your career story is more than a résumé—it's your brand. This interactive workshop is designed for mid-career to senior professionals who want to elevate their visibility and influence. Learn how to define your personal brand, craft a compelling narrative that reflects both your professional path and personal identity, and communicate it authentically across in-person and digital spaces. Whether you're aiming for your next promotion or positioning yourself for new opportunities, this session will give you the tools to stand out.

• Nisha Desai, Co-Founder and COO, Anise Health
• Alice Zhang, Co-Founder and CEO, Anise Health

Executive Roundtable (Invite only)
6th Floor, Conference Room

In response to the growing uncertainty shaping today’s corporate landscape, we’ve added a new invite-only Executive Roundtable to this year’s agenda. This intimate, off-the-record session will offer a unique space for senior leaders to exchange insights and explore forward-looking strategies. We also encourage Roundtable guests to attend the preceding featured program, “Beyond the Noise: Future-Proofing Strategies in a Complex Climate,” with James Rhee and Janet Ahn, Ph.D.

• Facilitator: Robert Chen, Senior Advisor, Exec-Comm

1:30 - 3 p.m. 

Leading Through Uncertainty: Lessons from Asian CEOs and Founders [Hybrid]

A Level, Auditorium

Uncertainty isn’t just a moment—it’s a constant. While most try to avoid it, entrepreneurs learn to live with it, lead through it, and even thrive in it. In this powerful conversation, we'll hear from Sandro Roco (Founder and CEO Sanzo), Betty Liu (Former NYSE Executive Vice Chairman, Founder and CEO of Radiate, Ex-Bloomberg Anchor), and David Liu (Co-founder XO Group Inc.), as they share hard-earned lessons on navigating the unknown, making bold decisions without perfect information, and cultivating resilience in a rapidly changing world. Whether you're building something new or steering a team through ambiguity, this panel will offer practical wisdom and mindset shifts to help you embrace uncertainty as a strategic advantage.

• Akiko Yamahara (Moderator), General Counsel, Citi Wealth, Citigroup Inc.
• Betty W. Liu, Former NYSE Executive Vice Chairman, Founder and CEO of Radiate, Ex-Bloomberg Anchor
• David Liu, Co-founder XO Group Inc. and CEO of KINJO Group Inc.
• Sandro Roco, Founder and CEO, Sanzo

3 - 5 p.m.

Networking Events [In-person]

There will be two concurrent post-conference receptions taking place. Please check your badge to see which event you’ll be attending.

Global Talent Impact Awards Ceremony
8th Floor, Rose Hall

This event celebrates the outstanding contributions of individuals and companies that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the advancement of Pan-Asian employees.

• Entertainment: Hyuna Park, Award-winning jazz pianist

Networking Reception
Lobby Level, Garden Court

Unwind after the conference with complimentary drinks and bar snacks, connect with fellow attendees to share reflections on the day’s talks, and enjoy music by rising techno DJ, Rao.

• Entertainment: Rao, Up-and-coming techno DJ (Akumandra) 

Sponsors

Lead Sponsors

Series Sponsors

Event Sponsors

Additional Support Generously Provided By 

Speaker Bios

Dr. Janet Ahn is an expert academic researcher, experimental social psychologist, and consultant. Driven by a passion for behavioral science and social change, Dr. Ahn has dedicated her academic career to developing interventions that increase the persistence and retention of underrepresented groups (women and people of color) in STEM fields. Dr. Ahn transitioned into the corporate world as Chief Behavioral Science Officer of a global behavior change training and development company. She successfully translated academic research into scalable, actionable corporate solutions, later serving as President of Americas, where she applied behavioral science to enhance organizational performance for clients. Recognized for her expertise, Dr. Ahn is a sought-after speaker at academic and industry events and has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Forbes, Business Insider, NPR, and Women’s Health Magazine. With a commitment to advancing innovation, Dr. Ahn continues to lead groundbreaking initiatives that bridge academia and industry, empowering individuals and organizations to achieve lasting success.

Robert Chen is a senior advisor at Exec-Comm, where he helps Fortune 100 leaders and teams lead, communicate, and influence with greater impact. In addition to his corporate work, he teaches executive MBA students Leadership Communication at the Wharton School. He is also the founder of Vana Lab, an initiative helping teens develop essential life skills and purpose to thrive in today’s complex world—bridging his executive expertise with a passion for youth empowerment. Robert is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Selling Your Expertise and contributes to outlets such as Fast Company, Business Insider, and Training Magazine. He was named one of the Top 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business and serves as a national lead for the Ascend Executive Network. He also sits on the board of the Wharton Club of NY. He holds an MBA from Wharton and a BA from Cornell.

Anne Chow is a transformative business leader whose trailblazing corporate career spans over three decades in the technology and business sectors. She is currently Lead Director on the Board of Directors of FranklinCovey and also serves on the Board of Directors of 3M and CSX. Anne is a Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Executive Education at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. In her prior role as CEO of AT&T Business, she was the first woman of color CEO in AT&T’s 140+ year history, responsible for leading a $35B global operating unit comprised of over 35,000 people. Widely recognized for her role model inclusive leadership and her impact in driving success at the intersection of people, culture, and technology, Anne was named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business twice, is one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices, and is the national best-selling author of LEAD BIGGER: The Transformative Power of Inclusion.

Nisha Desai is co-founder and COO of Anise Health and is passionate about breaking the stigma around mental health in communities of color. Prior to Anise, Nisha was a Senior Product Manager at Humana, where she led the development of virtual care solutions. She also spent 5 years in healthcare financial services, where she was an investor focused on behavioral health, care delivery innovation, and payor/provider. Nisha has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Economics from University of Pennsylvania.

Whitney Johnson is a leading authority on organizational change, ranked among the top 10 management thinkers worldwide by Thinkers50 in 2021. As CEO and co-founder of Disruption Advisors, she and her team partner with Fortune 500 companies, fast-growing startups, and private equity firms to build high-performing teams through one-on-one executive coaching and large-scale organizational development programs. A former Wall Street equity analyst turned C-suite advisor and board member, Whitney brings rare insight into how organizations and their leaders navigate transformation. She co-founded the Disruptive Innovation Fund with Harvard Business School's Clayton Christensen and has shaped how companies approach growth through her Wall Street Journal bestselling books Smart Growth, Build an A Team, and Disrupt Yourself. Her frameworks have reached millions through Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, LinkedIn, where she has nearly 1.7 million followers, and her "Disrupt Yourself" podcast.

Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, Asia Society President and Chief Executive Officer, is an accomplished diplomat who served as South Korea’s 38th Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017 to 2021) — the first woman appointed to this post in the nation’s history — endeavoring to garner global support for South Korea’s initiative to engage with North Korea towards lasting peace and complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. She previously held key leadership roles at the United Nations, including as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and Senior Advisor on Policy to Secretary-General António Guterres. Before joining the United Nations, Dr. Kang held various positions in South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, specializing in multilateral affairs and intergovernmental organizations. Dr. Kang holds MA and PhD degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in the United States. Her doctorate work was in the field of international and intercultural communication. Dr. Kang served as Distinguished Professor Emeritus from Ewha Womans University and is currently Distinguished Professor at the Institute for Global Engagement & Empowerment, Yonsei University.

Betty Liu is an accomplished board director, entrepreneur, and Fortune 500 executive with a distinguished career spanning media, financial services, and technology. Liu was most recently Executive Vice Chair of the New York Stock Exchange and has served on public boards such as L'Occitane International, NYSE Group and Captivision. In addition, Liu founded D and Z Media Acquisition, raising nearly $300 million, and ed-tech company Radiate, acquired by Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE). A former award-winning journalist and anchor at Bloomberg TV, Liu is author of two books, including Work Smarts: What CEOs Say You Need to Know to Get Ahead. Known for her strategic vision and innovation in legacy industries, Liu brings deep expertise as an operator, founder, and director to her work mentoring C-suite leaders.

David Liu is an internet pioneer who co-founded XO Group, Inc., formerly The Knot Inc., in 1996 with $1.6 M of seed financing from the AOL Greenhouse. David championed both early technologies as well as traditional media extensions, launching an online streaming video channel, cultivating thriving communities before social media platforms existed, as well as publishing 37 regional publications, a national magazine, a cable TV series and over a dozen books, all the while growing the company through two major recessions. As CEO, David made over half a dozen acquisitions and took the company public in 1999. He has raised cumulatively over $275 M in private and public offerings. Ernst & Young named him Entrepreneur of the Year in Media, Entertainment, and Communications in 2008. He serves on several boards and is CEO of KINJO Group Inc.--the first nationwide collection of neighborhood restaurants and bars that deliver delicious Asian cuisine experiences.  

Tiffany Moon, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, mother of twins, and author of the upcoming book, Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection. She is also the founder and CEO of Aromasthesia Candles, Three Moons Wine, and LeadHer Summit. She has published over fifty peer-reviewed publications, is one of D Magazine’s "Best Doctors," and serves as an Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology. Tiffany was the first medical doctor and Chinese American cast member on Bravo’s Real Housewives and her story has been featured in Forbes, Variety, Harper’s Bazaar, USA Today, and more.  

Israa Nasir, MHC-LP, is a New York City-based psychotherapist, writer, and the founder of WellGuide—a digital community for mental health awareness. Israa has been featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Time, NBC, Vox, and other major publications and has been invited to speak at corporations and institutions such as Google, Instagram, Pepsi, Microsoft, Ernst & Young, Columbia University, and Yale University. She has also delivered keynotes and presentations at major events. . She is certified for Cognitive Behavior Therapy at The Beck Institute and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy at The Albert Ellis Institute. She is currently licensed as a limited permit mental health counsellor in New York State. and has spent six years working in the digital mental health field, currently as the Director of Clinical Strategy and Operations at Anise Health. Toxic Productivity is her first book.

Christina Poon brings a distinguished 25-year career in the hospitality sector, spanning both Montreal and New York. As a seasoned executive, she currently spearheads the transformative initiatives at W New York Union Square, showcasing a relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation within the industry. Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Christina is actively involved in community engagement, contributing as a Board Member for the Union Square Partnership, an esteemed Advisory Board Member for STAY Magazine, and as an advocate of NYU SPS Jonathan M Tisch Center of Hospitality. Her multifaceted leadership mirrors a commitment to both corporate success and community impact.

James Rhee designs and funds systems that create value by bridging peoples, disciplines, and ideas. His national bestselling book, red helicopter - a parable for our times, which chronicles the inspiration and operating system behind his transformational tenure as Chairman and CEO of Ashley Stewart, made its April 2024 debut as the #1 non-fiction book across all channels and media. In addition to working with leading CEOs and organizations, he teaches students at MIT Sloan School of Management and Howard University. His family office, FirePine Group, leverages his experience managing billions of dollars of private equity capital and funds stage-agnostic innovation, broadly defined. James is a former honoree of the EY Entrepreneurship Program, as well as a former board member of the National Retail Federation, and has received several other distinctions and awards for his pioneering achievements.

Sandro Roco is the Founder and CEO of Sanzo. He started Sanzo with a mission of bridging cultures by highlighting unique Asian flavors through clean, natural beverages. Sanzo's flagship line is a flavored sparkling water, crafted with real fruit and offering a refreshing experience that honors the authenticity of these bold, beloved flavors. Prior to founding Sanzo, Sandro was chief-of-staff at a twice venture-apparel brand, and he previously worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and as a nuclear power engineer for Exelon.

Akiko Yamahara is the Global General Counsel for Citi Global Wealth and a member of the Legal Management Committee. Based in New York, she oversees approximately 100 lawyers supporting the Wealth business. Previously, she served as a Board member for Citi Japan and held leadership roles at Citigroup in Tokyo and London, expanding her expertise in investment banking and private banking.

Prior to Citi, Akiko was an associate at Shearman & Sterling and Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. She also serves on the Board of Overseers for Temple University in Tokyo where she taught as an adjunct professor. Akiko holds a J.D. from New York University Law School and B.S from New York University, Stern School of Business. Her numerous awards highlight her influence and leadership in the legal and financial sectors including the most inspiring corporate leader award from Asia Society in 2024.

Alice Zhang is the co-founder and CEO of Anise Health. She is passionate about addressing the inequality and lack of cultural relevance in mental health interventions. Before founding Anise, Alice worked across various roles in healthcare including product development at Galileo, a digital primary care startup, investing at Unison Capital, a Japan-focused private equity fund, and management consulting at L.E.K. Consulting. Alice holds a B.S. in neuroscience from the University of British Columbia and MBA from Harvard Business School. She is also a certified health and wellness coach. 

Musician Bios

An award-winning jazz pianist, Hyuna Park’s musical universe is both deeply connected to New York and its vibrant jazz tradition while at the same time embracing her Korean and classical roots. She was the 2018 winner of the International Women in Jazz (IWJ) festival as well as the Jimmy Heath Award.  She has graced the stage with Grammy award-winners such as Linda Oh, Luis Bonilla, Michael Mossman and Vincent Herring and performed at notable venues like the Kennedy Center and the UN. Hyuna formed a  trio that infuses various styles and performs regularly at leading jazz venues in New York City.

Rao is a Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, DJ & Live Act. He has fused his background as a rock guitarist/bassist with his skills as an electronic producer to create a melancholy and cerebral club sound. Rao has had multiple successful releases on world-renown labels, including Denis Horvat's Vokabularium, Jeremy Olander’s Vivarant, Sainte Vie’s Akumandra. Most recently, Rao made his debut at Brooklyn Steel supporting Jan Blomqvist’s live tour.

Learn more about the Global Talent Symposium + Awards below:

2025 Global Talent Symposium + Awards – Buy tickets now!

2024 Recap & Highlights

2024 Program