SAM Talks: Asia Society Seattle Speaker Series is designed and dedicated to promoting understanding of Asia and the Asia diaspora. It will showcase and feature Asian and Asian American artists, writers, business and community leaders and others engaged with Asia, and hear them share their work, ideas, experiences, and impact. 

On October 29, 2024 the first speaker of our three-part series is Olympian and bestselling author, Apolo Anton Ohno! Ohno will share his insights about his personal life and accomplishments, his childhood in Seattle, his "hard pivot" into authorship, business, and entrepreneurship, and reflections on mental health, sports, and Asian American representation. Ohno will be joined by special guest, Paralympic athlete and 2024 Paralympic medalist, Taylor Swanson. 

This speaker series is a collaboration between Asia Society Seattle and Seattle Asian Art Museum. 

Keynote Speaker

Apolo Anton Ohno is the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian, a New York Times bestselling author, and a passionate advocate for mental health and human performance. With eight Olympic medals in speed skating and a deep understanding of sport psychology, Apolo has inspired millions through his resilience and ability to transform adversity into triumph. Beyond his athletic career, Apolo has become a dynamic investor and entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry, served as a trusted figure in global philanthropy as an ambassador for the Special Olympics, and has become a respected voice in the world of business and sports. He is also the author of Hard Pivot: Embrace Change. Find Purpose. Show Up Fully, which empowers individuals to unlock their full potential. 

Special Guest

Taylor Swanson is a Paralympic athlete in the sport of track and field. She grew up in Seattle, WA before moving to Spokane, WA to train with Parasport Spokane. She was adopted from South Korea when she was a baby to an American family in Seattle, WA. She started track in high school at Roosevelt High School in Seattle, WA where she immediately fell in love with the sport. She currently holds the American Record in the 100M, and 200M in T37 classification for para athletics. T37 is a classification for track athletes with hemiplegia cerebral palsy (affecting one side of the body). She is also a silver medalist in the 2024 world championships in both the 100M and 200M. She just returned from competing at the 2024 Paris Paralympics where she won a silver medal in the 100M and a bronze medal in the 4x100 Universal Relay (the universal relay consists of male and female athlete with a variety of different disabilities from vision impaired, amputees, cerebral palsy, and wheelchair racers).

She currently lives in Spokane, WA and trains with Parasport Spokane. She appreciated the resources available to para athletes through Parasport Spokane, and looks forward to increasing awareness of para athletic opportunities for young athletes, as well as bringing more resources for para athletics and disability awareness to the Seattle area in the hope of helping others.

Photo Credit: Team USA

Moderator

Gary Rieschel, Chair of Asia Society Seattle and Northern California, has over 30 years of successful operating and investing experience as a senior executive, entrepreneur, investor, and global business strategist. He held executive positions at Intel, Sequent, and Cisco, and was the Founder of the Softbank Venture Capital group. He is Founding Managing Partner of Qiming, a firm with over $8B USD under management focused on early stage investments in China and one of China’s premier VC firms. Mr. Rieschel’s investment areas are Healthcare and Cleantech. He advised the China Greentech Initiative, and the Rocky Mountain Institute in its introduction to China. He actively supports the US China Clean Energy Forum, PERC (Property and Environmental Research), The Nature Conservancy, the Climate Leadership Council, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Atlantic Council, and the U.S. Olympic Foundation where he and his wife Yucca serve as Sports Ambassadors for mental health for the U.S. Olympic team.  He served on the joint venture boards of Blackrock/Bank of China and Silicon Valley Bank/Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. Gary holds a BA in Biology from Reed College in Portland, OR, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He lived in Japan for five years in the late 1980s and lived in Shanghai from 2005 through 2016. He now lives in Seattle, WA. He is the Chairman of the Asia Society Northern California Advisory Board and a Global Trustee.

Agenda:

Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Location: Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E Prospect St, Seattle, WA 98112

• 5:30-6:00 p.m. - Registration & Guest Seating in Auditorium

• 6:00-7:00 p.m. - Apolo Ohno Fireside Chat, Special Guest Visit with Taylor Swanson, and Audience Q&A

• 7:00-7:45 p.m. - Seattle Asian Art Museum Gallery Access

Tickets available now! 

Tickets are $25 for nonmembers/$15 for members. Prepurchase a bundle to attend all 3 programs in the Speaker Series for $70 for nonmembers/$42 for members. Asia Society Seattle members get 40% off ticketing. Become a member today!

Each ticket includes complimentary, after-hours access to the Seattle Asian Art Museum galleries!

Press must email [email protected] for registration. Tickets should be purchased in advance of the program; walk-in ticketing will be limited. 

SPECIAL THANKS TO