TAAF’s 2026 Heritage Month Summit To Honor Ke Huy Quan, Neal Mohan And More

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 21: Sheila Lirio Marcelo speaks onstage during the TAAF Heritage Month Summit and Celebration on May 21, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for The Asian American Foundation (TAAF))

Getty Images for The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)

The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) have announced its 2026 Heritage Month Summit and Awards Dinner on May 14-15 in New York City, with plans to honor several AAPI changemakers in the U.S., including Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube and TIME’s 2025 CEO of the Year; Academy Award-winning actor and author Ke Huy Quan; NBA champion Jeremy Lin; and Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Founder and CEO of Ohai.ai, Founder of Care.com, and Co-founder and Board Emeritus of TAAF.

Since 2021, the national non-profit organization, whose goals include advancing safety, prosperity, and belonging for the AAPI community, has worked with the most influential figures in America and placed a spotlight on the AAPI community to address issues, honor visionaries, and foster the next generation of game-changers. Every year, the organization holds its Summit, gathering over 1,000 leaders to celebrate key AAPI milestones.

With the theme “Together We Are the Asian+American Dream,” TAAF’s Heritage Month Summit explores how AAPI communities have shaped American life across generations and what they can expect for the future to continue that dream.

It will include conversations with several leaders in their industry, including bestselling author Min Jin Lee and a first look at her upcoming novel “American Hagwon;” Olympic athletes Suni Lee, Chuck Aoki, and James Williams; storytellers Daniel Dae Kim, Tan France, Auli’i Cravalho, Isa Briones, Chriselle Lim, Ty Sanga, Harry Shum Jr, and Lāiana Kanoa-Wong; beauty and style trailblazers Daniel Martin, Jason Wu, Jeanne Yang, and Vera Wang; and more.

There will also be panels to discuss TAAF’s impact since its launch in 2021, the current state of AAPI communities, and deep dives on AAPI’s impact in food, entertainment, technology, sports, fashion, business, and military service. Speakers include: Paraag Marathe, President of 49ers Enterprises & EVP of Football Operations; Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty; Phil Wang of Wong Fu Productions and Bopomofo Cafe (BPMF); and Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and Air Force Pilot, and many others. During the event, there will be live performances by composer and classical pianist Chloe Flower and singer Paul Ieti.

The Summit will conclude with their annual tradition, the AAPI All-Star Basketball Game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, featuring AAPI athletes, creators, and community members celebrating AAPI in sports. It feels especially special this year since Lin is being honored at the place he once played for, the Brooklyn Nets.

Recently, TAAF, alongside the Social Justice Fund, Renaissance Economic Development Corporation, and the State of New York, announced the NYC Elevating Business Loan Program, a $5.5 million initiative to assist New York City small businesses in expanding and positioning themselves for long-term growth. TAAF has generated reports on AAPI businesses and pressing issues (STAATUS Index), uncovering what AAPIs need most in the country. This past month, they also donated $359,000 to San Francisco Nonprofits as part of their Asian American Voices Initiative. ​During the Summit, they plan on discussing on what more they can do to help AAPI communities nationwide.

For more information on The Asian American Foundation and the TAAF’s 2026 Heritage Month Summit, please visit www.taaf.org.