Pioneer with the Year of the Snake!
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Event Details
Date: Monday, February 10, 2025
Time: 5:15 PM - 8:30 PM ET
Venue: Drexel LeBow College of Business, Gerri C. LeBow Hall, 3220 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Admission: Members (Professionals & Students): Complimentary I Non-Members: Professionals: $25 I Students: $10
Agenda
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM:
Registration, Networking and “Red Envelope” Giveaway
6:00 PM - 6:10 PM:
Welcome & Lunar New Year Message by Senior Vice President of Drexel University’s Office of Institutional Advancement, David Unruh and Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter President, Elaine Cheong
6:10 PM - 6:15 PM:
Welcome Lunar New Year Remarks by National President of Ascend, Anna Mok. Speaker introduction by Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter Secretary, Sheng Hong
6:15 PM - 6:20 PM:
Opening Remarks by Dow Senior Global Business Director, David Speece
6:20 PM - 6:25 PM:
Dance “唐宫夜宴 - Playful Tang Dynasty Maidens”, Choreography by Dorothy Li
6:25 PM - 6:40 PM:
Featured Panel “Leading World Class Education Inside Out” with Vice Provost for Drexel University & Community Partnerships, Youngmoo Kim, PhD and Associate Dean for Program Administration at Drexel LeBow College of Business, Brian Ellis, PhD. Panel moderated by Founder of Blue Story LLC, Joanna Kan and Dow Senior Site Manufacturing Director, Weber Ng
6:45 PM - 7:00 PM:
Fireside Chat "Game Changer with Dr. Stephen Tang" PhD, Chairman of NOWDiagnostics. Speaker introduction by Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter Co-VP Professional Development, Rui Fan; moderated by Sun Lee, Tax Partner at KPMG
7:00 PM - 7:15 PM:
Pioneer Panel “Setting Vision with Young Pioneers” with Andy Lee, Drexel Ascend Student Chapter President, Kelly Do, Drexel Asian Students Association President, Christine Nguyen, Drexel Vietnamese Student Association President, Tiffany Khuu, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE)-Drexel University Chapter President. Panel moderated by Ashley Jiang, Ascend Greater Philadelphia VP of Membership, and Senior Consultant at Deloitte, Thuan Huynh. Panel introduction by Ascend Greater Philadelphia Student Affair VP, Simon Wong
7:15 PM - 7:25 PM:
Cultural Performances by Penn-Asian Dance Troupe and Chinese Zither Arts. Performance Introduction by Ascend Greater Philadelphia VP of Membership, Ashley Jiang
7:25 PM - 7:30 PM:
Closing Remarks by Drexel University Senior Vice President for Student Success, Subir Sahu, PhD
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM:
8-Course New Year Reception
Speakers
Welcome & Lunar New Year Message
David Unruh
Senior Vice President of Drexel University’s Office
of Institutional Advancement
David L. Unruh began his tenure as Senior Vice President of Drexel University’s Office of Institutional Advancement on November 1, 2014. With over two decades of executive experience in higher education, David brings a collaborative, transparent and inclusive approach to engaging alumni and donors in the life of the institution. Prior to his time at Drexel University, David served as senior vice president with Grenzebach Glier and Associates, an international full-service philanthropic management consulting firm serving non-profits. There, he served as co-lead of GG+A’s education practice area and led the training practice. David’s professional experiences at institutions of higher learning have included serving as director of major gifts for Carnegie Mellon University, director of regional major gifts for The University of Pennsylvania, associate vice president of alumni relations and development at The University of Chicago, and, most recently, senior vice president for institutional advancement at Temple University. At Drexel, David has overseen the success of the University’s most ambitious campaign to date, The Future is a Place We Make. With support from alumni, students, families, Drexel employees, organizations and others, the Campaign for Drexel has surpassed both its $750 million fundraising and 40,000 engaged alumni goals ahead of schedule and established critical investments in Drexel’s student success, academic programs, research, and civic engagement priorities.
Elaine Cheong
President, Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter
& SVP Transformative Technology Group Lead, PA, DE and Southern Jersey
& Chair of Asian Leadership Network Greater Philadelphia, Bank of America
Elaine is a team leader driving new business origination and portfolio relationship management focused on delivering global banking solutions to U.S. based multinational clients in the areas of Corporate Finance, Liquidity Management, Global Supply Chain, Financial Risk Management and Investment Banking. Her strong relationship building skills and ability to work across cultures within diverse business environments makes her an effective team player and trusted advisor to her clients. Elaine has been with Bank of America for over 20 years and is currently the SVP Transformative Technology Group Lead, PA, DE and Southern Jersey at Bank of America. She was the SVP Global Commercial Banking for over 8 years. Elaine worked at various large banks in Australia and Singapore before joining BOA. Elaine received a Bachelor of Economics from Monash University in Australia and a Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate finance, banking, corporate, finance, and securities law from RMIT University. Elaine is the President of Ascend Greater Philadelphia and the Chair of Asian Leadership Network Greater Philadelphia at BOA.
Welcome Lunar New Year Remarks
Speaker
Anna Mok
Co-Founder, National President & Executive Chairperson, Ascend
& Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Anna Mok is the President, Executive Chairperson & Co-Founder of Ascend, North America’s membership network of Pan-Asian business professionals and the Co-Founder of Ascend Pinnacle, the network of Pan-Asian corporate directors and a senior partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP and. Known as a collaborator and connector, Anna has a deep commitment for building a civil and equitable society. She creates economic and educational access and strives for diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and society. She inspires her team and organizations to make positive sustained societal impacts and has demonstrated commitments to the development and advancement of emerging leaders, women and minorities into senior executive and corporate board director roles. Anna is a recognized supporter of strong corporate governance and a recipient of the 2023 NACD Directorship 100™ Award. As a changemaker, Anna has led governance transformation efforts as the board chairperson for numerous organizations. Boards she currently serves on include The Conference Board, Commonwealth Club of California, and The Thirty Percent Coalition. Anna also serves on the advisory councils of The Coca-Cola Company, L’Oréal North America, MetLife and other organizations. During her 30+ year career at Deloitte, she has held various leadership roles and has served some of its largest and most respected clients in various industries including technology, payments, financial services, and healthcare and life sciences. She currently has Private Equity, Technology, Asia Pacific and US-China leadership responsibilities and also serves as a Global Lead Client Service Partner. Her global business experiences include business strategy, digital transformations, corporate governance and risk management, finance and accounting, mergers and acquisitions, and market expansion services. Anna was the first female of Chinese American descent to be admitted to the partnership. An immensely curious and creative individual, Anna loves creating supportive networks, designing and building public art, cooking and entertaining, renovating her Victorian-era home, and exploring nature and the world with her family and friends.
Introducer
Sheng Hong
Secretary, Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter
& Senior Manager, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Sheng is a Senior Manager at Deloitte, where he leads the Emerging Tech Solutions Incubation and Low Code No Code practices as a COO and Innovation Lead. With over 12 years digital transformation and business incubation leadership, Sheng has successfully built and scaled three different businesses from the ground up, each reaching valuations between $30 million and $100 million. He achieved this by combining deep industry expertise with the latest technological innovations. Sheng has led numerous large-scale technology transformation programs for clients across Financial Services, Energy, Resources and Industrials (ER&I), and start-up. His efforts have consistently resulted in superior customer experiences, improved business efficiency, and reduced enterprise risk. Recognized as an innovator and thought leader, Sheng specializes in innovative design, model-driven architecture, predictive analytics, program management, and emerging tech solutions. He has also published multiple articles including “Low-code and no-code development platforms”. Prior to Deloitte, Sheng has 3 years’ wall street experience in New York specializing in M&A strategy consulting and buy/sell side equity research covering Technology sector. He completed his Master’s Degree in Mathematical Finance at Rutgers University. Sheng is a people and culture leader who currently serves as the Board Secretary for the Ascend Chapter in Greater Philadelphia.
Opening Remarks
David Speece
Senior Global Business Director
Dow Inc.
Dave is the Global Business Director for Performance Monomers and Plastics Additives. He is accountable for the business strategy, profitability, and growth initiatives for the global Performance Monomers and Plastics Additives business portfolio. Dave began his career at Rohm & Haas in 2007 as a Finance Rotational Program Candidate. After spending eight years in the finance function, performing various roles in the controller’s organization and business finance, Dave then moved into product management where he held regional and global product director roles. Dave also led special projects as a PMO director role before moving into sales leadership as the Asia Pacific Commercial Director for DCM. During his time in Asia, Dave was the Executive Sponsor of WIN APAC. Dave holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from West Chester University in Pennsylvania.
Featured Panel "Leading World Class Education Inside Out"
Speakers
Dr. Brian Ellis
Associate Dean for Program Administration at LeBow,
Executive Director for Goodwin College of Professional Studies, Drexel University
Brian Ellis has over twenty years of administrative experience in higher education and has held several roles in administration and leadership at his alma mater Drexel University, and Rutgers University. In his current role, as Associate Dean for Program Administration at LeBow, Brian is responsible for oversight of all administrative functions related to undergraduate programs. In addition to his role at LeBow, Dr. Ellis is the Executive Director for Drexel University’s, Goodwin College of Professional Studies. In this role, Brian leads the strategic mission to ensure equitable access to a high-quality, career-focused education informed by Drexel’s long tradition of experiential learning, preparing organizations and students of all backgrounds to find success and fulfillment in the workforce. In 2012, Brian created LeBow BRIDGE, an academic enrichment program for underrepresented minority student in LeBow college. The award-winning program has yielded excellent results including a 90% graduation rate for its first cohort and student career landings at the likes of Google, Amazon, and LinkedIn. LeBow BRIDGE has been recognized nationally as the recipient of the 2023 and 2024 Inspiring Programs in Business Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.
Dr. Youngmoo Kim
Vice Provost, University & Community Partnerships
& Founding Director, ExCITe Center, Drexel University
Youngmoo Kim is Vice Provost for University & Community Partnerships and founding director of the ExCITe Center at Drexel University, where he has been an engineering faculty member since 2005. He presents frequently on topics at the intersections of technology, performing arts, and digital equity. HIs 2019 TEDxPhiladelphia talk addressed the persistent digital divide and the lack of equity & inclusion in tech education and industry. He has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed research publications spanning AI for music, creative robotics, and integrated STEAM learning. He served as an invited committee member for “Branches from the Same Tree”, a National Academies report on the integration of the Humanities & Arts with Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in Higher Education. Dr. Kim is the recipient of Drexel's Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and a member of the Apple Distinguished Educator class of 2013, and his work is featured on Apple’s higher education website. Youngmoo received his Ph.D. from the MIT Media Lab and holds Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Music from Stanford and undergraduate degrees from Swarthmore. He has extensive experience in music performance and currently sings with The Tonics, an a cappella ensemble in Philadelphia.
Moderators
Joanna Kan
Founder of Blue Story LLC
Advisor for Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter
Joanna Kan is the founder of Blue Story LLC, a Philadelphia-based company designing wine collections for individual and corporate clients. Joanna leads in indexing wine market trends and she custom-designs wine collections for specific events and purposes. She is also responsible for setting indexing strategies along the wine distribution chain to promote industry growth, especially in new and untapped markets. Joanna’s “Lady in Red” wine collection was featured in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Art-ish event in 2023. Joanna is a Certified Public Accountant with over 20 years of tax planning and compliance experience in public accounting and private industries. In Joanna’s most recent role at Trinseo, she oversaw all tax-related initiatives and activities for the Latin America region and served as a business solution advisor directly to the C-Suite. Her distinguished portfolio of work includes the transformation of tax solutions to business solutions to strengthen Trinseo’s cash positions and the redesign of cross-functional business processes inside Trinseo for seamless integration with Dow Chemical’s processes and infrastructure. Joanna also served as an influential member in the selection committee of Trinseo’s global infrastructure transformation project. Joanna is a Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter advisory board member. She has a B.S. degree in Accounting from Drexel University. She is an active member of The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Association for Corporate Growth, and The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In honor of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia recognized Joanna’s leadership and contributions to the Greater Philadelphia region.
Weber Ng
Senior Site Manufacturing Director, Asian Diversity Network Leader
Dow Inc.
Weber Ng is the Senior Site Manufacturing Director for Bristol Croydon Operations, PA. He has responsibility over the emulsion and non-emulsion plants, wastewater treatment and utilities as well as i-Park responsibilities. Prior to this role, he was a Production Director for the High-Pressure Polyethylene plant in Plaquemine, LA where he was a member of the LDPE Polyethylene plants Operations Team and part of the Performance Plastics portfolio. He also leads Dow’s Asian Diversity Network (A.D.N.) which has 6,000 participants globally. Weber joined Dow in Freeport, Texas, in 2007 as a Process Control Engineer in Epoxy Intermediates supporting the Chlorohydrin plants. He implemented Advanced Control and Optimization Projects for the business and was involved as the Lead Process Control Engineer on several capital projects in the business. He then moved to various manufacturing roles as a Production Engineer (Allyl1 and PDC Hydro) and B68 Unit Leader. He was then named Operations Leader for the new Polyethylene plants in 2014 and was responsible for the staffing, operating discipline and commissioning and startup of the new facility. He was also responsible for developing and implementation of Advanced Operations tools such as Mobile Devices and Electronic Database management (ADEPT) for the Gulfstream Plastic Plants. In 2019, he took on the Technology Liaison role with the Mitsui Dow Polychemicals in Tokyo, Japan supporting the integration of the joint venture. He was subsequently named representative director and been involved with the high pressure copolymer technology and supported the process safety and reliability improvements for the Japanese plants. Weber holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, a Masters degree in chemical engineering from the University of Houston and a MBA from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign.
Fireside Chat "Game Changer with Dr. Stephen Tang"
Speaker
Dr. Stephen Tang
Chairman NowDiagnostics Inc & Member, Board of Directors
Lehigh University & William & Mary Foundation
Dr. Stephen Tang is a renowned "renaissance man" dedicated to shaping the future of leadership and innovation. With over three decades of experience as Chairman or CEO of various for-profit, nonprofit, and government advisory boards, he brings a unique perspective rooted in his immigrant family's journey to America. In addition to his current role as Chairman of NowDiagnostics Inc., Dr. Tang is also a valued member of the Board of Directors for several prestigious institutions, including Lehigh University and the William & Mary Foundation. Beyond higher education, he is also passionate about better global public health, advancing democracy, and novel public-private partnerships. His distinguished leadership has been recognized with numerous awards. As a best-selling author, Dr. Tang's book "A Test for Our Time: Crisis Leadership in the Next Normal" has received widespread acclaim, elevating his status as a highly sought-after keynote speaker. His dynamic and forward-thinking approach has captivated audiences worldwide, inspiring leaders to embrace continuous growth and risk-taking. Dr. Tang has become a driving force in shaping the global leadership landscape through his bold ideas and infectious enthusiasm. His message of courage, vulnerability, and resilience strikes a chord with leaders facing today's chaotic world, making him a key influencer for change. Whether through his book, podcasts, or media outlets, Dr. Tang's insights continue to shape the future of leadership worldwide. Whether you are a seasoned leader or an aspiring one, Dr. Tang's insights will undoubtedly guide you toward further success. Take the opportunity to learn from a true trailblazer--follow Dr. Tang's journey and be part of shaping the future of leadership for generations to come. Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenstang/
Moderator
Sun Lee
Partner-in-Charge Tax
KPMG’s Philadelphia Business Tax Services Practice
Sun is the Partner-in-Charge of Tax in KPMG’s Philadelphia Business Tax Services practice. He has more than 25 years of experience with extensive background in tax compliance, income tax provision preparation and review, and planning for public and privately held clients. Sun is the Pennsylvania Compliance Management Services Leader specializing in tax outsourcing/co-sourcing services and works expensively with companies on both accounting and tax issues associated with ASC 740 Accounting for Income Taxes including purchase accounting, international taxation, stock based compensation, uncertain tax positions and Sarbanes-Oxley. Sun is actively contributing to the Philadelphia community. He is on the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Select Advisory Board, is a member of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) Board of Directors, American Cancer Society (East Central) Board.
Introducer
Rui Fan
VP, Professional Programming
Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter & Principal, KPMG
Rui is a principal at KPMG, where she leads the transfer pricing team in PA and China inbound investment initiative at KPMG. With over 23 years of experience in advising multinational companies on transfer pricing, valuations, business restructuring, intellectual property planning in the United States and Asia-Pacific region. In recent years, she has dedicated her effort in helping Chinese companies navigate the complexity of investing in the U.S. including but not limited to site selection, credits and incentives, financing, restructuring, and compliance. Rui is actively involved in community outreach. She initiated the Chinese American Finance Association and currently serves on the Board as VP of Event for the Ascend Chapter in Greater Philadelphia.
Pioneer Panel “Setting Vision with Young Pioneers”
Speakers
Kelly Do
President
Drexel Asian Students Association
I joined Asian Students Association to gain a sense of community as a new student at Drexel. Furthermore, I wanted to pursue leadership in order to obtain organizational, professional, and communication skills. I also wanted to broaden my network within Drexel and other colleges.
Tiffany Khuu
President
Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers: Drexel Chapter (SASE)
Growing up, I didn’t have many Asian friends or strong connections to my cultural background. When I arrived at Drexel, joining SASE allowed me to meet people who shared similar experiences and backgrounds while developing my professional skills as a student in STEM. Through this organization, I’ve gained invaluable friendships and a sense of belonging. I wanted to continue my leadership with SASE to inspire others and contribute to the success of students in our campus community.
Andy Lee
President
Ascend Drexel Student Chapter
I joined Ascend Drexel Student Chapter through one of my friends that I met at Drexel in my freshman year. Since joining, I was inspired by the leaders in the community and wanted to learn as much as I could from them. Through the years, I rose through Ascend, starting from an intern to the current president. My goals have been to inspire and help students the same way that I was helped.
Christine Nguyen
President
Drexel Vietnamese Student Association
I joined to be a part of VSA because I wanted to connect with my roots and build relationships with peers who shared a similar cultural background. Growing up in NE Philly, I had few Vietnamese friends, but attending Drexel allowed me to meet others with whom I could share my heritage. Through VSA, I was able to practice and learn more about my native language, despite my limited proficiency, by engaging with friends and peers who encouraged my growth. From organizing the annual ACE Mentorship Program to putting on the Culture Show, my team and I proudly shared our culture with the Drexel community through art and performances. Beyond fostering cultural pride, my involvement with VSA helped me develop leadership skills and build lasting connections, ultimately inspiring me to take on the role of President.
Moderators
Thuan Huynh
Senior Consultant
Deloitte Tax LLP
Thuan is a Senior Consultant in Deloitte’s Greater Philadelphia area tax practice. Thuan works with multinational enterprises on a broad range of international tax matters, including transfer pricing, strategic planning of intellectual property valuation and cost sharing arrangements, dispute resolutions, and operational transfer pricing. Prior to his role at Deloitte, Thuan worked as a Financial Analyst at Goldman Sachs where he was exposed to different areas of wealth planning and investment management. Thuan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with Analytics.
Ashley Jiang, CPA, CIPM
VP Membership, Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter
& Manager, Investment Industry Group, Kreischer Miller
Ashley Jiang, CPA, CIPM, is a distinguished professional in the investment industry, currently serving as a Manager in the Investment Industry Group at Kreischer Miller. Her expertise spans fund audits, performance verification, and operational due diligence practices. She also holds a leadership role as Vice President of the Ascend Philadelphia Chapter, reflecting her commitment to fostering professional growth and diversity. In recognition of her achievements, Ashley was honored with the prestigious PICPA Young Leader/Member to Watch award for 2024. Academically, she holds a master’s degree from the College of William & Mary and dual bachelor’s degrees from Zhongnan University of Economics & Law in China and Curtin University in Australia. Her global educational background and professional accolades position her as a leader in her field.
Simon Wong
VP, Student Affairs Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter
Senior Consulting Manager, EY
Bio
Closing Remarks
Dr. Subir Sahu
Drexel University Senior Vice President
for Student Success
Subir serves as the senior vice president for Student Success at Drexel. In this role, Subir oversees multiple areas related to student engagement on campus including: Athletics, Business Services, Student Counseling and Health, Student Life, and the Steinbright Career Development Center. Prior to this position, Subir served in multiple roles at Drexel, initially joining the Residential Living Office in 2006. Subir ultimately moved into the director of Residential Living role, before becoming an associate dean of students, where he assisted with major division-wide initiatives and projects within Student Life. Subir's last role was as vice president & dean of Student Life, where he served as the chief student life officer (he continues to hold the role of chief student life officer for the university in his SVP position). Subir holds a bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University. After spending several years working as an engineer, Subir decided to follow his passion for working with and counseling college students. He left the field of engineering and obtained a Master of Education degree in Student Life practice in higher education from the University of Delaware. In 2012, Subir obtained his PhD in Urban Education from Temple University. His dissertation topic centered on the engagement and involvement of Asian students at American colleges and universities. His research background gives him a unique understanding of how Philadelphia's urban environment uniquely impacts and affects the Drexel community and student body. Subir also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Drexel University College of Education and Pennoni Honors College.
Presenting Sponsors
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Partner Sponsors
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Safety of our guests is paramount to Ascend. Attendees are responsible for monitoring their own condition and agree to comply with the safety, hygiene and CDC identified pandemic level communicable illnesses (including COVID-19) guidelines established by relevant health authorities. We request that attendees not attend an event should they test positive or if they experience COVID symptoms prior to the event.