Episode 68: Sonal Shah and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)
One of the foremost global leaders on social impact and innovation, Sonal Shah has started and led social impact efforts in academia, government, and the private and philanthropic sectors for over twenty-five years.
She is the President of TAAF-The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), a convener, incubator, and funder committed to accelerating opportunity and prosperity for AAPI communities. TAAF supports advocates and organizations committed to AAPI causes so that together they can more effectively take action against hate and violence, and build the infrastructure needed to improve AAPI advocacy, power, and representation across American society.
We talk about the huge spike of anti-hate crimes against the Asian American community the past few years, the main focus areas for TAAF, and how far back the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders goes in the United States.
We also talk about our own childhood growing up in Houston as a South Asian, how our generation perhaps internalized those feelings of being "the other", and why our own parents may have not had the bandwidth to comprehend racism when they immigrated to this country.
She discusses the importance of the Asian American narrative and certain cultural ideas that need to change, her own journey working with Obama and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, what she ultimately wants to be known for, and why she's ready to start a band.