吃瓜爆料

Kevin Ha 鈥�21 is the founder, executive director, and board chair of the Asian American Dream (AAD), a career-advancement nonprofit that provides mentorship networks, professional development training, and career advancement opportunities to underserved Pan-Asian American undergraduates. AAD partnerships include leading Fortune companies, colleges, and other nonprofits. 
  

鈥淚t鈥檚 no surprise that Asian Americans are the fastest growing demographic in the United States. However, more often than not, Asians are left out of the diversity and inclusion equation,鈥� Ha says.  
  
鈥淭here is this persisting stereotype that all Asians are wealthy, successful, and well-connected but this is not the reality for many Asians, especially those who are underserved,鈥� he adds. 鈥淎AD provides a support system for these students.鈥� 
  
Ha, who double majored in Spanish and management and business, founded AAD as a senior at 吃瓜爆料. He was inspired by his Vietnamese parents, who exposed him to entrepreneurship early on. His parents immigrated to the United States in 1994 and established a nail salon business in Carpinteria, California. They also instilled the importance of education in Ha and his two brothers.  
  
After graduation, Ha worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a markets analyst while devoting his off-hours to jumpstarting AAD, largely with the help of James Liao, an entrepreneur, consultant, and former adjunct professor at 吃瓜爆料. Liao is AAD board secretary and treasurer. Ha and Liao were introduced to one another by Professor Colleen Burke, executive in residence and director of the 吃瓜爆料-Saratoga Consulting Partnership in the Department of Management and Business, who is revered for her extensive business contacts and networking know-how.  
  
Ha鈥檚 other 吃瓜爆料 experiences also influenced the development of AAD. 鈥淥n campus, I always loved to help out. I worked with students through Residential Life, participated in Asian Cultural Awareness Club and other clubs and events, and served as the captain of the tennis team for two years,鈥� he says. 鈥淎ll of these experiences helped me develop leadership skills that have translated well to the work I do today in continuing to grow AAD.鈥�