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Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Gold House Celebrates the Most Impactful Asian Pacific and Multicultural Leaders at the Fourth Annual Gold Gala
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / May 13, 2025 / Gold House, the home of collective power where global leaders unite to change culture, hosted its fourth annual Gold Gala at the historic Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. Convening over 600 of the most influential Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders across industries, the Gold Gala celebrated special honors for indelible cultural change, as well as the 2025 A100 List of the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders over the past year. Program highlights included: Ang Lee, Academy Award-winning director, received the Gold Legend Honor to multiple standing ovations, presented by filmmaker James Sweeney, filmmaker and screenwriters Nisha Ganatra and Andrew Ahn, and Academy Award-winning producer Samantha Quan, recognizing his extraordinary achievements in cinema and his role in elevating Asian Pacific stories to global Grammy Award-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion was honored with the One House Honor, with members of Multi-platinum Music Group, Far East Movement (James Roh and Kevin Nishimura) presenting, for her unwavering support of Asian Pacific culture and creatives through music collaborations, fashion looks, TV/film projects, and anime Ishihara, CEO of the Pokémon Company, alongside Pikachu, was awarded the Gold Legend Honor, presented by Comedian and Actor, Naomi Watanabe, for shaping a multi-generational cultural phenomenon that transcends Jin Lee, New York Times best-selling author of Pachinko, accepted the Gold Legend Honor, presented by Award-winning Actress and Producer, Sandra Oh, and Award-winning Filmmaker, Lee Isaac Chung, celebrating her literary achievements and impact on global commemorate the 25th anniversary of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang Ziyi accepted the Gold Generation Award on behalf of the cast and director, which was presented by Academy President Janet Yang, Chairman and CEO of East West Bank, Dominic Ng, and President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Amy cast and directors of Moana 2, including Auli'i Cravalho, Dana Ledoux Miller, and Dave Derrick Jr., were celebrated with the Gold Ensemble Honor, presented by actress Brenda Song, actress and star of The Wedding Banquet, Kelly Marie Tran, and actress from the upcoming Sony film, Karate Kid: Legends, Ming-Na Wen, for their groundbreaking representation of Pasifika received the Billboard Gold Music Honor from CEO of Billboard, Mike Van, and Award-winning Filmmaker, Kogonada, recognizing her profound artistic impact in contemporary music and anticipation of her forthcoming album. She performed a stunning acoustic set of her newest single from her forthcoming album, Silver .Paak was awarded the Gold Mogul Honor, with rapper and actor Jonnie "Dumbfoundead" Park presenting for his multi-hyphenated success spanning music, film, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy. Also known as DJ Pee .Wee, .Paak DJ'd the Billboard Founders Party with a live trumpet and started the celebrity Karaoke Room with Tayme M. Chu, Gold House co-founder and #GoldOpen movement pioneer, received the A1 in Entertainment and Media for his historic accomplishments directing Wicked and its anticipated sequel, Wicked: For Good, presented by Academy President Janet Yang, two decade-long friend and collaborator actor-dancer Harry Shum Jr., and filmmaker mentee and actor-musician, Hayley Srinivas was recognized with the A1 in Business and Technology, awarded by CEO of Business Insider, Barbara Peng, Managing Partner at Kleiner Perkins, Mamoon Hamid, and General Partner of Gold House Ventures, Eric Feng, for Perplexity's groundbreaking leadership in democratizing access to the world's Mukherjee received the honor for A1 in Fashion, Lifestyle, and Fine Arts for his visionary creativity and commitment to preserving traditional craftsmanship from Prabal USA athletes and gold medalists Suni Lee, Lee Kiefer, Chuck Aoki, and Torri Huske were celebrated with the A1 in Sports and Gaming, presented by Five-time Olympian and Co-Founder of Saysh and Always Alpha, Allyson Felix, and Olympic Gymnast, Jordan Chiles, honoring their historic achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympic LA Wildfire Heroes, represented by Ann Lee of CORE and Natalie Tran of CAA Foundation, were honored with the A1 in Social Impact, with Chrissy Teigen and Television Star and Style Expert, Tan France, acknowledging their bravery, resilience, and dedication to rebuilding Los Angeles after this year's devastating were treated to an exclusive first-look at the upcoming Apple Original series "Chief of War," starring, executive produced and written by Jason Momoa, and premiering globally on Apple TV+ on August 1. The world premiere of the teaser trailer was presented by actor Luciane Buchanan, Executive Producer Doug Jung, and Executive Producer and Co-Creator Thomas Pa'a Atsuko Okatsuka was joined by the cast of "Deli Boys", Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, and Poorna Jagannathan to share an exclusive first-look of Atsuko's new comedy special "Father", which premieres on Hulu on June also saw a sneak peak of Amazon MGM Studios' upcoming documentary "Lee Soo Man: King of K-Pop" which will be streaming globally on Prime Video May Koshy brought guests back from intermission with a hilarious sketch. Additional notable attendees included: Mindy Kaling, Daniel Dae Kim, H.E.R., John Legend, Agnez Mo, Alex and Maia Shibutani, Alysa Liu, Amanda Nguyen, Anjula Acharia, Bryan Greenberg, Carol Lim, Chloe Flower, Chloe Kim, Daniel Martin, E-40, Eileen Gu, Elodie Yung, Eric Nam, Eugene Lee Yang, Humberto Leon, Jamie Chung, Jeannie Mai, Jhené Aiko, Joel Kim Booster, Kelly Marie Tran, Kim Shui, Kimora Lee Simmons, Kelsey Meritt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Laufey, Leah Lewis, Lee Issac Chung, Lilly Singh, Lisa Ling, Liza Soberano, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Megan Suri, Nik Dodani, Nikko Remigio, Priya Krishna, Rahul Mishra, Rowoon, Shay Mitchell, Sherry Cola, Siwon Choi, Sohee Park, Stephanie Suganami, Taecyeon, Tayme Thapthimthong, Tiffany Young, and Utkarsh Ambudkar. Additional notable CEOs in attendance included: Debby Soo (OpenTable), Richard Dickson (Gap), Derek Chang (Liberty Media), Aaron and Albert Yang (Din Tai Fung), Alfred Chang (Everlane), Imran Amed (Business of Fashion), Imran Majid (Island Records), Faye Iosotaluno (Tinder), Jenny Ming (Rothy's), Karthik Rao (Nielsen), Ken Ohashi (Brooks Brother), Mariko Silver (The Lincoln Center), Michael Mente (Revolve), Rahul Purini (Crunchyroll), and Will Lee (Adweek). The theme for this year's evening, First Lights, honored those who provided glimmers of hope in uncertainty and darkness, lighting the path for all to follow. Guests were immersed in a multi-dimensional stage featuring digital designs representative of the birth of humanity from darkness. Gold auras representing the resounding impact and power of the Asian Pacific community embraced guests throughout various portions of the evening, including the grand step and repeat. Wearing "heritage-inspired black tie" from Asian Pacific designers, guests entered the Gold Gala by ascending a stunning gold staircase and elaborate Gold Carpet, with a media room presented by The Walter and Shirley Wang Foundation. Before honorees and presenters graced the stage, they were treated to hair and make-up touch-ups featuring brands from across the L'Oréal Groupe portfolio. During the program, Gold Gala guests dined on a three-course dinner, presented by OpenTable, with a menu highlighting Filipino cuisine created especially for the Gold Gala by James Beard Award-winning chef Lord Maynard Llera and his team at Kuya Lord in Los Angeles. The menu featured dishes showcasing Chef Llera's inventive take on his favorite regional dishes from his childhood, including an Ensalada Talong, Humba (Sweet Adobo) short ribs and tofu, and a Calamansi Mango Cake to end the meal. The dishes were accompanied by hydration provided by Smartwater and wine from Silver Oak. Throughout the night, Hennessy provided bespoke signature cocktails designed by mixologist Ash Miyasaki, such as the "Seoul Sparkler" and "Bangkok Blush" with Hennessy V.S.O.P and the "Night Bloom" with Hennessy X.O. Guests posed at the return of the "GoldBOT" camera, a special video experience with Cole Walliser presented by Genesis Motor America and featuring the new 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe. Guests also took center stage at the Reflections Photo Booth from Maybelline, as an extension of their #FacetheDifference campaign, and the group portrait station by Lounge Booth. As they left, Gold Gala guests received gift bags featuring the Imperial Youth Skin Cream from The Whoo, an Everlane ReNew Transit Backpack, assorted beauty products from the L'Oréal Groupe, a custom "24K" Gap hooded sweatshirt, Prabal Gurung's new memoir Walk Like a Girl provided by GoldenTV, and more. The Gold Gala was immediately followed by the Billboard x Gold House Founders Party that featured a headlining DJ performance by Grammy-nominated artist, DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak). The first-ever presentation of the Hennessy X.O La Carafe in Los Angeles kicked off the evening, and DJ Hu Dat kept the energy going throughout the evening. Guests were thrilled by the new Rakuten Viki arcade corner, featuring specialty claw machines themed to popular K-drama genres., and the return of the Bopomofo boba bar and comforting American Chinese favorites from Panda Express. In a true "Have you eaten yet?" fashion, the Panda Express Aunties served up care and karaoke as they kicked off the crowd-favorite Celebrity Karaoke Room, setting the stage for rousing performances that capped off the evening. The Gold Gala was also made possible with the generous support of East West Bank, HYBE, Invisalign, Nielsen, Pop Culture Collaborative, TikTok, and Visa. The Gold Gala was produced by long-time industry leader Sequoia Productions; the name behind prestigious events including Emmys Governors Gala, Oscars Governors Galal and G'Day USA Gala. Stage creatives were produced by Aura Studios. ABOUT GOLD HOUSE Gold House is the home of collective power where leaders unite to forge culture. We foster spaces where established and emerging makers gather to amplify their impact. We shape public perceptions by consulting on, investing in, and marketing society-defining media properties. We create new economies by backing the boldest entrepreneurs and scaling them internationally. By fueling unity, visibility, and economic mobility, success becomes our shared world. With roots in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Singapore, Gold House operates with the heart of a nonprofit and the scale of a world-class enterprise. We don't just change culture-we make it. SOURCE: Gold House press release
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Gold House And Nasdaq Convene Power Players To Celebrate The 2025 A100
Gold Power Summit 2025 at Nasdaq. Now in its second year, the Gold Power Summit—held in partnership with Nasdaq on April 30 — brought together a diverse group of leaders who rarely share the same stage: unicorn founders, top venture capitalists, global chief marketing officers, award-winning creatives, and emerging investors. The summit, which kicked off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, is both a celebration and a strategic move. It spotlighted some of the most transformative Asian Pacific leaders across culture and commerce with its annual A100 List, reaffirming the rising influence of pan-Asian power in global markets. As the tech and venture capital landscape undergoes a reset, Gold House has been quietly — and powerfully — building a new pipeline. It is focused on connection, creating what it calls an 'ecosystem bell': a symbolic moment in the capital markets where private and public sectors collide to catalyze long-term value. The nonprofit collective is expanding what it means to build, scale, and fund the future by curating intentional ecosystems where capital meets culture. The summit began with a welcome from co-hosts Sehr Thadhani, Chief Growth Officer of Nasdaq, and Bing Chen, Founder and CEO of Gold House. Stephanie Mehta, CEO and Chief Content Officer of Mansueto Ventures, led a fireside chat with Anish Melwani, Chairman and CEO of LVMH North America. Other notable speakers included Christina Wootton (Chief Partnerships Officer, Roblox), Melody Lee (CMO, Mercedes-Benz USA), Nikil Viswanathan (Founder & CEO, Alchemy), Mike Van (CEO, Billboard), Mike Xu (GrubMarket), and Soyoung Kang (eos Products). Topics spanned innovation and AI to global brand storytelling and next-gen creator economies — conversations that signal not just what's trending, but who's driving it. The key themes were: leading with imagination, innovating with intention, and anchoring culture with conviction. Gold House's 20205 Gold Power Summit This year's A100 honorees reflect that ambition and included AI pioneers like Demis Hassabis (CEO, Google DeepMind) and Sridhar Ramaswamy (CEO, Snowflake) to cultural leaders like Jon M. Chu, Laufey, and Drew Afualo. While the list spans industries, it shares one common thread: transformation. Honorees will be celebrated across a series of marquee events from May 9–10, including the A100 Celebratory Reception at the Academy Museum, an exclusive Honorees Dinner presented by OpenTable, and the Gold Gala, North America's most prestigious Asian Pacific American celebration. This year's gala also includes the Billboard x Gold House Founders Party. Meanwhile, landmarks across North America — from the Empire State Building to the CN Tower—will light up in gold as part of Gold Lights, a coordinated tribute echoing Gold House's motto: 'We don't just change culture—we make it.' 'Gold House doesn't just award achievement—it engineers access,' said co-founders Bing Chen and Jeremy Tran, who serve as CEO and COO, respectively. 'By building bridges between culture and capital, we can power tomorrow for all.' Behind the scenes, the room was equally influential. It included VCs from GV (Google Ventures), B Capital, Vesey Ventures, J2 Ventures, Siam Capital, and Wesley Chan, co-founder of Google Analytics and general partner at FPV Ventures, who announced a new $525 million early-stage fund backing founders with conviction. His announcement underscored a growing wave of Asian-founded venture capital firms reshaping early-stage innovation. These investors weren't just present to celebrate — they were there to source and support the next generation of transformative companies. Notable founders in attendance included Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI (named A1 in Business & Technology), and Ankur Jain, founder of Bilt and a 2025 New Gold honoree. 'If the A100 List showcases the what—the visionaries redefining industries — then the summit embodies the how: uniting capital, creativity, and conviction to drive cultural and market transformation.' The data backs up the need. Despite being the fastest-growing domestic demographic and a global majority, the Asian Pacific community remains underrepresented in venture funding. Gold House is working to close that gap through initiatives like Gold House Ventures, which has helped raise over $2.5 billion for 115 companies, half of which are led by female founders. Gold House Ventures Accelerator and the newly launched Gold Bridge strategy aim to foster pan-Pacific growth by connecting early-stage founders with investors, policymakers, and industry-specific operators across the U.S. and Asia. This year's event also underscored Nasdaq's evolving role as more than a stock exchange: a convener of innovation ecosystems. As the home to many of the world's most pioneering companies driving technological innovation, Nasdaq has proven a fitting and strategic partner for Gold House. The partnership signifies a shift: corporations aren't just platforms for capital — they're platforms for cultural relevance and inclusion. In a world marked by increasing fragmentation, Nasdaq is focused on connection. 'Nasdaq brings together ecosystems systematically, with an eye toward convening across lines and around themes, topics, and trends at the intersection of business and culture,' said Sehr Thadhani, Chief Growth Officer at Nasdaq. 'Nasdaq is widely known as an exchange, but we're so much more; we're the trusted fabric of the global financial system, intentionally rethinking the traditional way exchanges have operated to make the capital markets more open, accessible, and dynamic.' Gold House has quietly built one of the most influential ecosystems for Asian Pacific executives, creators, and entrepreneurs. It continues to expand its initiatives across multiple pillars: 'Whether it's shaping narratives in Hollywood or placing diverse board members at major companies, the organization is leveraging every tool at its disposal to create a lasting impact.' Collectively, these efforts seek to reshape perception and power for Asian Pacific communities by mobilizing both capital and culture. While A100 honorees celebrate visibility, the Gold Power Summit delivers infrastructure, linking capital, creativity, and community. At a time when cultural identity and business influence intersect more than ever, this summit served as both a celebration and a call to action: to invest in collective power. Gold House's mission is unmistakable: 'We don't just want seats at the table. We build new tables—together.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nicole Scherzinger, Jon M. Chu and Lisa Among Gold House's 2025 Most Impactful Asian Pacific Leaders
Nicole Scherzinger, Jon M. Chu and Blackpink's Lisa (Lalisa Manobal) are just three luminaries named to Gold House's A100 List, the definitive honor for the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders across industries, including entertainment and media, fashion, business, social impact, sports and more. Chu, 45, is being honored for directing 2024's Wicked, the highest grossing musical adaptation globally. The blockbuster's follow-up, Wicked: For Good, opens on Nov. 21. In addition to Chu, Wicked actors Bowen Yang and Michelle Yeoh are also on the A100 list. Yang was doubly recognized along with cast of The Wedding Banquet, a remake of the Ang Lee queer dramedy. (In another coincidence, Lee was named a 2025 Gold Legend for his contributions to cinema). Scherzinger, 46, is receiving accolades for another Broadway production, Sunset Blvd. The former Pussycat Dolls singer told PEOPLE recently that her career parallels that of her character in the play, a fictional fading film star named Norma Desmond. 'I started at a very young age, and so I can really empathize with Norma; her childhood and her teens and her 20s were taken from her because she was too busy working and too busy being in the industry," Scherzinger said of their similarities. Related: Lucy Liu Recalls It Was 'Lonely' as an Asian Trailblazer in Hollywood, Says She's 'So Proud' of AAPI Entertainment Community Today Another pop star turned multi-hyphenate who made the list is Lisa (Lalisa Manobal). The Thai star, 28, is a member of the top K-pop girl group Blackpink and also starred as Mook in the third season of The White Lotus. Lisa's Blackpink bandmate ROSÉ was also named to the A100, alongside her "APT." collaborator Bruno Mars. Other musicians being honored are Charli XCX, Laufey and Tyla. Small screen honorees include Abdullah Saeed, Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh and Poorna Jagannathan from the comedy Deli Boys, and Lee Byung-Hun, Lee Jung-jae and Hwang Dong-hyuk from Netflix's Squid Game season 2. The honorees will be celebrated at a slate of events throughout May, culminating with the Gold Gala in Los Angeles on May 10. To see the full 2025 A100 list, click here. Gold House's mission is to foster a cultural ecosystem that unites, invests in, and champions Asian Pacific leaders to power tomorrow for all. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jon M. Chu, Michelle Yeoh, Dwayne Johnson, Ang Lee, Bruno Mars and THR's Maer Roshan Among 2025 Gold House A100 Honorees
Wicked's Jon M. Chu, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, White Lotus actress-singer Lisa, singer Bruno Mars, director Bong Joon Ho and The Hollywood Reporter co-editor-in-chief Maer Roshan are among the honorees who have been named to this year's Gold House A100 List. The Gold House A100 List recognizes the 100 most impactful changemakers in culture and society. Other Hollywood luminaries who made this year's list include Moana 2 stars Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson and directors Dave Derrick Jr. and Dana Ledoux Miller; singer Charli xcx; Maybe Happy Ending stars Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen; K-pop group Seventeen; singer Tyla; Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk and stars Lee Byung-hun and Lee Jung-jae; The Wedding Banquet creative team and stars Andrew Ahn, Anita Gou, Bowen Yang, Han Gi-Chan and Kelly Marie Tran; singer Nicole Scherzinger; and Amy Homma, director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. More from The Hollywood Reporter Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers' Las Culturistas Culture Awards to Air on Bravo Dwayne Johnson Takes a Prestige Swing in First 'The Smashing Machine' Trailer Bowen Yang Talks Leaving 'SNL' at "Some Point" Presented annually by Gold House — the leading platform championing Asian Pacific voices in media, business and culture — the A100 List honors leaders who are breaking barriers and redefining industries, curated by top Asian Pacific organizations, creative and business leaders and multicultural allies. The 2025 honorees span entertainment, technology, business and more, with this year's list including legendary creatives and rising stars alike. 'The A100 List illuminates the profound cultural imprint of the Asian Pacific community,' said Bing Chen and Jeremy Tran, CEO and COO of Gold House, respectively. 'With this year's honorees, we celebrate more than achievement— we honor the courage of those who take first steps when no clear solutions exist, becoming the First Lights that guide us all forward.' Gold House also named three individuals as Gold Legends for lifetime achievement, including director Ang Lee, as well as three others to the Hall of Fame, including stand-up comedian and actor Ronny Chieng. In addition, from the A100 list, a select group is chosen as A1s, the most impactful in their respective categories, while 10 rising leaders were named as A100 New Gold honorees. The celebration of this year's A100 honorees will take place across a weekend of exclusive events from May 9-10. Events include:● The A100 Celebratory Reception, co-hosted by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and East West Bank, featuring remarks by A100 Icon and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Janet Yang honoring Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on its 25th anniversary, as well as Gold Legend honoree and director Ang Lee, and the Gold Bridge Legacy Award presented to international icon and Crouching Tiger star Zhang Ziyi. ● An exclusive A100 Honoree Dinner, presented by OpenTable, with support from Hennessy, Smartwater, the Pop Culture Collaborative and the Walter and Shirley Wang Foundation. ● The Gold Gala, including onstage presentations to the most influential A100 honorees (the 'A1s'), followed by the Billboard x Gold House Founders Party featuring a performance by DJ Anderson .Paak. In addition, landmarks across North America will light up in gold lights to celebrate the A100 honorees as well as the the Asian Pacific community, including the Empire State Building in New York, Niagara Falls, the Las Vegas city sign, the Willis Tower in Chicago and the CN Tower in Toronto. Gold House will also debut a special tribute video titled Tiny Hopes, narrated by 2025 A100 honoree Darren Criss. See the full list of 2025 A100 honorees below. The A1 is given to the individual or group who is the most impactful in their category and is selected from A100 Honorees. ● A1 in Business & Technology: Aravind Srinivas (Co-Founder and CEO, Perplexity AI)● A1 in Entertainment & Media: Jon M. Chu (Filmmaker)● A1 in Fashion & Lifestyle: Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Founder and Creative Director,Sabyasachi)● A1 in Social Impact: Los Angeles Wildfire Heroes● A1 in Sports & Gaming: Suni Lee, Lee Kiefer, Torri Huske, and Chuck Aoki (Record-breaking Team USA Athletes of Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games) The A100 recognizes the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders on culture and society over the past year. Business & Technology● Aaron & Albert Yang (Co-CEOs, Din Tai Fung North America)● Andrea Cherng (Chief Brand Officer, Panda Restaurant Group)● Ashok Sinha & Mae Cheng (Chief Communications Officer & EVP and GM of Events and Luxury, Dow Jones)● Barbara Peng (CEO, Business Insider)● Ben Sun (Co-Founder, Primary Venture Partners)● Chris Suh (CFO, Visa)● Demis Hassabis (Co-Founder and CEO, Google DeepMind)● Hiroki Asai (Global Head of Marketing, Airbnb)● Hock Tan (President and CEO, Broadcom)● Jay Puri (EVP of Worldwide Field Operations, NVIDIA)● Karthik Rao (CEO, Nielsen)● Kaz Nejatian (COO, Shopify)● Kevan Parekh (CFO, Apple)● Krishna Rao (CFO, Anthropic)● Mamoon Hamid (Partner, Kleiner Perkins)● Mark Chen (Chief Research Officer, OpenAI)● Matt Madrigal (CTO, Pinterest)● Melody Lee (CMO, Mercedes-Benz USA)● Pali Bhat (Chief Product Officer, Reddit)● Pejman Nozad (Partner, Pear VC)● Shyam Sankar (CTO, Palantir Technologies)● Sridhar Ramaswamy (CEO, Snowflake)● Uvashni Raman (CFO, Walter & Shirley Wang (Chairman and CEO, JM Eagle & Founder and CEO, Plastpro Inc.)● Wang Ning (CEO, Popmart) Entertainment and Media● Abdullah Saeed, Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh & Poorna Jagannathan (Lead Cast & Creators, Deli Boys)● Alex Yee (Co-Creator and Screenwriter of Arcane, Riot Games)● Amy Homma (Director and President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures)● Andrew Ahn, Anita Gou, Bowen Yang, Han Gi-Chan & Kelly Marie Tran (Lead Cast & Creators, The Wedding Banquet)● Anjali Sud (CEO, Tubi)● Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Dave Derrick Jr. & Dana Ledoux Miller (Lead Cast & Directors, Moana 2)● Bong Joon Ho (Director)● Bruno Mars (Music Artist)● Charli xcx (Music Artist)● Darren Criss & Helen J. Shen (Lead Actors, Maybe Happy Ending)● David Henry Hwang & Daniel Dae Kim (Playwright & Lead Actor, Yellow Face)● Derek Chang (President and CEO, Liberty Media)● Han Kang (Author)● Imran Majid (Co-Chairman and CEO, Island Records)● Jon M. Chu, Michelle Yeoh & Bowen Yang (Director & Actors, Wicked)● Junkoo Kim & David J. Lee (Founder and CEO & CFO and COO, WEBTOON Entertainment)● Laufey (Grammy Award-winning Music Artist)● Lee Byung-hun, Lee Jung-jae & Hwang Dong-hyuk (Lead Cast & Creator, Squid Game Season 2)● LISA (Rapper, Singer, Dancer, Actress and member of BLACKPINK)● Maer Roshan (Co-Editor-in-Chief, The Hollywood Reporter)● Mike Van (President, Billboard)● Nicole Scherzinger (Grammy-Nominated, Platinum-Selling Singer, Actress and Dancer)● Nihar Malaviya (CEO, Penguin Random House)● Rahul Purini (President, Crunchyroll)● Ramin Setoodeh (Co-Editor-in-Chief, Variety)● Ravi Ahuja (President and CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment)● ROSÉ (Music Artist)● Samantha Quan (Academy Award-Winning Producer)● Sarlina See (CFO, Penske Media Corporation)● SEVENTEEN (K-pop Group)● Tyla (Music Artist)● Will Lee & Ryan Joe (CEO & Editor-in-Chief, ADWEEK) Fashion & Lifestyle● Anita Dongre (Chairwoman, Founder, and Chief Creative Officer, House of Anita Dongre)● Drew Afualo (Content Creator, Women's Rights Advocate, Podcast Host and NY Times Best-Selling Author)● Earl Ninsom (Chef and Founder)● Imran Amed (Founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief, The Business of Fashion)● Jennifer Wong (CEO, Aritzia)● Jenny Ming (CEO, Rothy's)● Joyce Kim (Chief Product Officer, Rare Beauty)● Michael Mente, Divya Mathur & Raissa Gerona (Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Chief Merchandising Officer and Fashion Director & Chief Brand Officer, REVOLVE Group Inc.)● Michelle Kuo (Chief Curator at Large and Publisher, Museum of Modern Art)● Peggy Roe & Jennifer Hsieh (EVP and Chief Customer Officer & Managing VP and Global Category Leader of Endorsed Brands and Experiences, Marriott International)● Priya Krishna (New York Times Best-Selling Author, Restaurant Critic and New York Times Reporter)● Sandeep Seth & Joon Silverstein (Chief Growth Officer and President, Tapestry International & Chief Marketing Officer, Coach)● Trisha Ayyagari & Amy Whang (Global Brand President, Maybelline New York & President, Maybelline New York, Garnier, essie USA) Social Impact● Andy Kim (United States Senator)● Cathy Cha (President and CEO, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund)● Chris Leong (Chief Sustainability Officer, Schneider Electric)● Don Chen (President, Surdna Foundation)● Dr. Mariko Silver (President and CEO, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts)● Dr. Rajiv J. Shah (President, The Rockefeller Foundation)● Malala Yousafzai (Nobel Laureate)● Meroë Park (Executive Leader and Public Servant)● Neil G. Ruiz (Head of New Research Initiatives, Pew Research Center)● Olivia Munn (Actor, Activist and Mother)● Shyla Raghav (Chief Climate Officer, TIME)● Terumi Tanaka (Co-Chairperson, Nihon Hidankyo)● Vedika Bhandarkar (President and COO, Versha Sharma (Editor-in-Chief, Teen Vogue) Sports & Gaming● Charlie Wen (Chief Creative Officer, Epic Games)● Clara Wu Tsai & Joseph Tsai (Owners of the New York Liberty, 2024 WNBA Champions and the Brooklyn Nets)● Dave Roberts, Shohei Ohtani, Tommy Edman & Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Manager & Players, L.A. Dodgers)● FAKER (T1 Pro-gamer and Co-Owner of T1 Entertainment & Sports)● Jordan Mailata (Offensive Tackle, Philadelphia Eagles)● Lydia Ko (Olympic Golfer)● Maya Yoshida (Defender, LA Galaxy)● Michele Kang (Founder and CEO, Kynisca)● Shams Charania (Senior NBA Insider, ESPN)● Tagu Kato (Chief Design Officer, Roblox)● Uzma Rawn Dowler (CMO and SVP of Global Corporate Partnerships, MLB)● Virat Kohli (Professional Cricket Player) Individuals who have been on prior A100 lists are selected for induction into the Hall of Fame as a tribute to their continued and consistent impact. ● Eric Kim (Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Goodwater Capital)● Melanie Perkins (Co-Founder and CEO, Canva)● Ronny Chieng (Actor and Comedian) The Gold Legend Honor recognizes a lifetime of indelible contributions to the success and representation of the Asian Pacific community. ● Gold Legend in Business & Technology: Tsunekazu Ishihara (CEO, The Pokémon Company)● Gold Legend in Entertainment & Media: Ang Lee (Filmmaker)● Gold Legend in Literary Arts: Min Jin Lee (Author) The New Gold Honor recognizes rising leaders who will redefine canon for the Asian Pacific community. ● aespa (K-pop Group)● Ankur Jain (Founder and CEO, Bilt)● Dominic Fike (Actor and Music Artist)● James Sweeney (Filmmaker)● Jay Graber & Rose Wang (CEO & COO, Bluesky)● Liang Wenfeng (CEO, Deepseek)● Nikko Remigio (Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs)● Sohee Park (Fashion Designer)● Sophia Kianni (Founder, Climate Cardinals and Phia)● Zaria Parvez (Senior Global Social Media Manager, Duolingo) Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Harvey Weinstein's "Jane Doe 1" Victim Reveals Identity: "I'm Tired of Hiding" 'Awards Chatter' Podcast: 'Sopranos' Creator David Chase Finally Reveals What Happened to Tony (Exclusive)
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vedika Bhandarkar Believes We Can Solve the Water Crisis in Our Lifetime
Credit - Noam Galai—Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative On May 1, Gold House unveiled its annual A100 List, recognizing the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders across industries. See the full list here. Of all the problems the world faces, providing enough water for drinking and sanitation is among the most solvable. Everybody agrees that humans need water. Nobody is morally opposed to providing it. The technology exists to bring water to most places. The earth has enough drinkable water, currently, to meet its needs. And yet about half of the world has to work pretty hard to get water, buying it from trucks, drinking from substandard sources, or sending children or women out to lug it back from a distant supply. What's stopping us from ensuring everyone has access to clean water? 'It is a lot about money,' says Vedika Bhandarkar, 57, the president and COO of 'If I don't have safe water at home, I know I need to get connected to the utility, or I need to build a water-storage tank and rainwater-harvesting system. But I lack the upfront capital and an affordable way to get that capital.' Bhandarkar is on the forefront of clear-cutting a path to financing for those who have none. Before she started working at in 2016, Bhandarkar had never heard of the organization and knew very little about how water was provided around the world. But she was pretty adept at working the levers of finance, having worked in the sector for 25 years and headed up Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse's investment-banking divisions in India. Her success and the rise of India as an economic force grew in tandem, but she was aware that the growth had not lifted the fortunes of everyone. 'Irrespective of where you live, you sort of enclose yourself in a bubble,' she says. 'But it's much harder to do that when you see your own country, women and men, the way they live, and how wrong that is and how unfair that is.' When she decided to leave banking, partly because it 'is all about being younger and leaner and hungrier and meaner, so you should move out before somebody moves you out,' she says, she wanted to find a way to make a different kind of impact. She started by volunteering at the Jai Vakeel Foundation, an Indian organization that works with people with developmental disabilities. But pretty soon philanthropy recruiters came sniffing. She got offers from two organizations, and she discussed them with her husband and two children. When she got to the part about how was co-founded by Matt Damon, her kids had heard enough, she says. 'They turned to me and said, 'Mom, why are you even thinking about the other one?'' While her children's advice was heartening, what really motivated her was realizing how the lack of access to water exacerbated many other problems that impoverished communities faced, especially among women and girls, who use up a good portion of their day fetching water. 'They don't have time to spend either looking after their families and/or engaging in other economic activities,' says Bhandarkar, who, with her husband, had focused their philanthropic giving on women and girls even before becoming a professional in the aid world. 'Girls drop out of school because they're helping their moms collect water, or you have health issues because you don't have access to safe water. When we solve this, we'll also make progress on so many other aspects.' Providing water is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Some places have plenty of rain, but it's seasonal. Householders there would benefit from a tank. Others have groundwater but need a treatment plant or a pump. For many, fecal contamination is the main issue. In 2016 the World Bank estimated it would cost about $114 billion annually to meet the globe's basic water needs, and annual expenditure was about $20 billion—and that was before Western countries including the U.S. and the U.K. began to shrink their foreign-aid budgets. way of addressing that shortfall is to help provide funds to kick-start local water programs that the recipients pay for, via loans. has created several avenues to entice people to fund water access. One of these is a group of five funds, known collectively as WaterEquity, from which donors and investors supply capital to local banks and credit providers, who then make loans to people who need water infrastructure, whether for drinking or sanitation. Bhandarkar's expertise and contacts have helped mobilize the whole spectrum of finance from philanthropists to investors to put this capital together. 'In an ideal world you could say, well, this should be funded by the government, but today there is a big funding gap, and it needs everybody to lean in,' she says. The organization also operates WaterConnect, which offers early-stage funding and technical know-how to local developers to build water infrastructure, and WaterCredit, which provides microloans to families in the developing world for safe water and sanitation. Initially, some of local partners resisted facilitating loans as opposed to grants. But Bhandarkar believes loans are a more sustainable model and allow many more people to be helped. declines to dictate the interest rates charged on the loans, although they are careful about their collaborators. 'You need to leave that decision to the financial institution,' she says. 'If you start telling them 'Charge X and not Y,' then you start distorting the market, and they will do water and sanitation lending only as long as you're partnering with them, and when you step away, they will stop.' So far, 179 partners in 16 countries have made 16.9 million loans, and the organization believes it has had an impact on 76 million people. As the developed nations begin to withdraw most of their support for their impoverished neighbors, Bhandarkar feels the responsibility of her work more keenly. 'There are so many great organizations who aren't able to work or whose ability to work is so severely curtailed right now,' she says. 'So the responsibility on us to put our heads down and work harder to achieve impact at scale is even more today than it was a year ago.' But she's optimistic. 'I do have hope that this problem can be solved,' she says. 'And I do have hope that this problem can be solved in our lifetimes." Contact us at letters@
