Karen Wong

Karen Wong is the founder and Chairman of the sixth-generation private philanthropy Robert Chinn Foundation, and founder and President of the Asian Hall of Fame. Karen Wong is fourth generation of the Chinn family, a 180-year legacy in America that began with the transcontinental railroad. Her father Robert Chinn opened the first Asian-owned bank in the United States to help Asian American families overcome economic racism during a time when banks denied mortgages and small business loans to Asians.

As founder and Chairman of Robert Chinn Foundation, Karen Wong founded the Asian Resource Center and advanced hundreds of programs to empower multicultural arts, culture and equity narratives. To develop inter-racial respect for Asian contributions, Karen Wong founded Asian Hall of Fame in 2004. Its first inductees were former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke, film producer Teddy Zee, Olympian Apolo Ohno, sculptor George Tsutakawa, amongst others. Bruce Lee, Kristi Yamaguchi, Connie Chung, Indra Nooyi, Norm Mineta and other significant leaders are inductees.

In addition to recognizing global leaders, Karen Wong directed Asian Hall of Fame to elevate women executives, inductees and grant recipients. Asian women and girls are the majority of trauma and human trafficking victims. Karen Wong created the Arts for All grant program for survivors of trauma, war and human trafficking to receive medical care and opportunities to tell their story through their book, gallery, movie, music, and other platforms.