2022 Annual Gala

Join us on Sunday, May 22 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles for Asia Society Southern California’s Annual Gala. After two years of virtual celebrations, gather with us in person once again for a festive evening honoring leaders across a variety of fields.

Our honorees are leading the way in cultivating cross-cultural understanding between the United States and Asia through their achievements in business, sports, technology, and women’s empowerment. We’re delighted to recognize freeskiing prodigy Eileen Gu for inspiring young people across the globe; snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim for her impact on and off the halfpipe; President of BYD North America Stella Li for leading the way in green energy vehicles and creating jobs here in Southern California; Takeshi Niinami for his sustainability-focused leadership of Japan’s iconic Suntory brand; and the creative talent behind "Pachinko", the landmark new series adapted from Min Jin Lee's bestseller.

For questions regarding the event, please consult our FAQ page here.

Honorees:

Eileen Gu, "Global Ambassador"
Freeskier, Model and two-time Olympic gold medalist                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Chloe Kim, "Sports Visionary"
Snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Stella Li, "Asian Women Empowered Visionary"
President, BYD Motors LLC

Takeshi Niinami, "Business Visionary"
President and CEO, Suntory Holdings

Pachinko, "Cultural Visionaries"
The creative talent behind the acclaimed Apple Original series

Participants:

Kathryn Barger
5th District Supervisor, Los Angeles County

Olivia Cheng
Actor 

Thomas Iino
Founding Chair, U.S.-Japan Council

Lisa Ling
Journalist, Television Host and Author 

Charles Zhang
Entrepreneur and Philanthropist 

Emcee:

Kara Wang 
Actor

Performers:

Jiaoying Summers
Comedian 

Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja
Singer, Actor 

To purchase tables or learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Li Huang, Program Director, at LHuang@asiasociety.org

Partners: