2024 APM Leadership Awards Dinner

We the People

October 18, 2024

The Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans is excited to present the 2024 Asian Pacific Minnesotans Leadership Awards Dinner.

At this year’s Leadership Awards Dinner, the Council will honor and celebrate those among us who have contributed to our state and our nation in ways that have moved us forward in immeasurable ways. In 2024, as we stand on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Council’s founding and the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, we will tell the stories of Asian Pacific Minnesotans who have helped shape Minnesota and America as we know it, and whose impression on our lives we will feel for generations to come. Our shared experiences bind our past in commonality and shape the trajectory of our futures. When we stand together, We the People showcase how We are, in fact, the very fabric of American democracy.

The dinner will take place on Friday, October 18, 2024 from 6–8:30 pm at the Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center, 6155 Earle Brown Dr., Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. Please note, registration has now closed for the Dinner. Only registered guests may attend; walk-in attendance is not allowed. Please contact Mai Tong Vang with questions. 

Sponsor the 2024 Dinner

Bronze Sponsorship—$600 Includes 1 table (8 seats)	Company logo on Dinner program
Silver Sponsorship—$1,000 Includes 1 table (8 seats)	Company logo on Dinner program Company logo on poster boards
Gold Sponsorship—$3,000 Includes 2 tables (16 seats)	Company logo on Dinner program Company logo on poster boards Company logo on Dinner slideshow Recognition during Dinner program Attendance at VIP Reception
Platinum Sponsorship—$5,000 Includes 2 tables (16 seats)	Company logo on Dinner program Company logo on poster boards Company logo on Dinner slideshow Recognition during Dinner program Attendance at VIP Reception Submit company video to be played during slideshow and during program

Keynote speaker: Col. Yee Hang

Colonel Yee Chang Hang, retired, was born in Laos and arrived in the United States in 1976. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1991, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.

 

Colonel Hang served at the Lima Army Tank Plant in Lima, OH where the M1 Abrams combat tanks are made, with the Army Corps of Engineers in New York City, at the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle production facility in York, PA, and as a Director of Contracting in the Washington, D.C. area. He concluded his 27-year Army career as a Colonel and served as the Director of Land Supplier Operations for the Defense Logistics Agency – Land and Maritime in Columbus, Ohio. During his career, the Colonel was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Afghanistan, and Kuwait, and twice to Iraq.

 

Colonel Hang's awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and Defense Meritorious Service Medal (5 awards). He was a recipient of the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Best in Service (Army) and the Overall Junior Officer of the Year Award for 2002. The colonel is also a recipient of the Armor Association’s Order of Saint George Award (Bronze and Silver Medallion) and the 2012 Army Acquisition Director of the Year at the Lieutenant Colonel level. In 2015, Col. Hang was selected as one of the top 100 candidates for the John C. Maxwell Leadership Award.

 

Colonel Hang has a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy and a master’s degree in Acquisition Administration from Central Michigan University. 

 

Currently, Col. Hang serves on the board of the Starfish Assignment, a nonprofit organization in Columbus, Ohio that partners local volunteers and businesses with the Columbus Police Department to better their communities. Colonel Hang is also a co-founding member of the MN AAPI Veterans Organization, a nonprofit dedicated to serving and honoring AAPI veterans in Minnesota.

 

 

 

Emcee Shajive Jeganathan

Shajive Jeganathan is the president of the Hindu Society of Minnesota (HSMN) where he oversees the third-largest temple in North America, serving over 50,000 members of Asian-Indian origin. Since his election in January 2024, Shajive has led efforts to double investments in youth and technology initiatives. He has spearheaded several initiatives to foster the next generation, and his visionary leadership has revitalized the temple and significantly enhanced community engagement by uniting diverse groups.

 

Shajive has built strategic partnerships with the White House, state governments, and various state agencies, bringing communities together and advocating for key issues affecting the community. His efforts have strengthened HSMN's influence and the broader API community's influence through strategic partnerships, ensuring that the needs and voices of the community are heard at the highest levels.

 

In addition to his role as president, Shajive is an accomplished technology leader who excels in guiding organizations from concept to production across industries such as medtech, retail, finance, banking, and marketing. He has led high-impact programs at Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies like Medtronic, Best Buy, and Wolters Kluwer, consistently delivering results through strategic leadership and advanced technical expertise.

Emcee Bana Soumetho

Bana Soumetho is the founder of Privia & Co., a consulting agency offering management consulting services to mission-focused businesses and organizations. Bana’s work ranges from enhancing small business development programs for marginalized communities to crafting strategies for global financial leaders and driving health equity initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Her career began with influential roles at large financial institutions including Wells Fargo, Ameriprise Financial, and Charles Schwab. As Vice President, Senior Financial Consultant, she managed a portfolio of over 400 clients with combined investable assets exceeding $500 million. Recognized as a Five Star Wealth Manager in Los Angeles Magazine in 2016, Bana’s strategic insight and dedication set the foundation for her future in social entrepreneurship.

 

Bana’s commitment to collective growth and building thriving communities remains at the core of her initiatives, making Bana a trusted advocate for positive social change and a transformative force in community engagement, economic development, and social justice.