MARKETING MANAGER
She/her. Filipino Canadian.

Abigail was born and raised in Toronto but now resides in the outskirts of Toronto, Markham, known for the best Asian restaurants and grocery stores! Growing up, she loved expressing her emotions through art—drawing, photography, cinematography, interior design, you name it.

Learn More

She also always had an affinity for helping people. These two passions together resulted in the dream of becoming an art therapist. But sadly, that dream never became a reality as she wasn't fit for the Canadian University system. It wasn't till she saw Justin Timberlake play an art director for GQ magazine on the movie, Friends with Benefits, and saw how creative marketing impacted humans positively.

So, while she may not have achieved her goal of becoming an art therapist, she started freelancing to act as her clients’ sounding board, support system, and personal strategist, all while creating art through stationery to help people connect with themselves and loved ones with her brand, Oodles of Abi Doodles. And she likes to think all of that is pretty damn close. Aside from her entrepreneur endeavors, Abigail worked full-time at a tech startup focused on data-driven insights into human behavior, helping Fortune 500 companies create more human-centered workplaces. It was a different path, but the same mission: to help people feel seen, valued, and empowered.

Abigail’s favorite way to celebrate her Filipino heritage is to sing whenever like it’s a karaoke session with her family! And always choosing ube as a dessert option. Outside of work, Abigail loves to cuddle up with her dogs, Toby and Teddy, while binging lifestyle or true crime Youtube content. She also enjoys getting creative—whether it’s experimenting with intricate makeup looks or doodling for fun.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR
She/her. Korean American.

When Annabel was in kindergarten, she wanted to be an artist when she grew up, and her heart still holds joy for that creative space. Over the years, she’s had the privilege to see how artistic expression helps people tap into their authentic voice and celebrate imperfection.

Learn More

In her interactions with kids, she carries these values by integrating her trauma-informed, culturally responsive, restorative justice mindset.

Annabel is a first-gen college student and holds a BA in Diversity and Equity in Educational Studies as well as an AA in Elementary Education. Growing up, she felt disconnected from her Asian identity. As an adult, she commits herself to the work of helping kids grow into their whole identities by bringing anti-racism and empathy into spaces that are crucial in child and youth development. To AGI, Annabel brings nearly a decade of experience working with kids in various environments as an art teacher, BASE leader, elementary tutor, and reading teacher with Generation Teach. Annabel wants to leave behind a legacy of creating and protecting spaces for kids to be themselves.

Annabel’s favorite way to celebrate her Korean heritage is in little moments that make long-lasting traditions. These include making homemade mandu with friends and eating tteokguk with her family on New Years. Other cherished foods include buttered popcorn and kimbap. On any given day of the week, you can catch Annabel boxing, reading, and/or ceramic-ing.

COMMUNITY MANAGER
She/her. Chinese American.

Hannah is a trier of new things: hobbies, food, traveling. She was raised in Connecticut by parents who love to road trip. Because of this, Hannah found her appreciation for the outdoors through family trips to national parks and summers at YMCA camp.

Learn More

During her time at the University of Pittsburgh studying Health Information Management, she began working at a climbing gym which furthered her excitement for the outdoors community.

Now, Hannah spends most of her free time riding bikes and climbing. She works part-time at Movement getting people excited about bouldering. She works full-time as an IT Visitor Coordinator at the Colorado Health Foundation.

Hannah’s favorite way to celebrate her Chinese heritage is by hosting dinner parties for Chinese holidays to share the experience through good food.

MARKETING COORDINATOR
She/her. Vietnamese Chinese American.

Ever since Jane was little, she found endless joy in creating. Art became her way of making people feel special, telling stories without words. Born and raised in Staten Island, NY, she spent much of her childhood exploring the vibrant Chinatown, where her connection to her Vietnamese and Chinese roots deepened in a world where she often felt hidden.

Learn More

Attending a STEM-focused high school without formal art classes didn’t stop her passion—she turned essays into art projects, filmed videos instead of writing reports, and sought out every opportunity to bring art into her world. After attending Junior Achievement Business Week, she discovered graphic design and knew she had found her calling. She later earned a BFA in Digital Design with a minor in Studio Arts from CU Denver, where she not only refined her skills but also built community as a graphic designer for Campus Activities, the Asian Student Association, and the Council of Asian Student Leaders.

Since graduating, Jane has been working full-time as a graphic designer in the nonprofit world, blending her love for storytelling with her passion for serving the community.

Jane’s favorite way to celebrate her Vietnamese and Chinese heritage is through food. She cherishes sharing meals with friends and family, but most of all, she treasures the moments spent learning about family traditions from her mom and grandma. Outside of work, you can find Jane hanging out with her dogs, diving into her favorite hobbies, or trying out the newest restaurant in town.

STUDENT COMMUNITY COORDINATOR
She/her. Korean American.

Jenny grew up in Denver before moving to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California (USC). After graduating with a B.A. in Communication with a minor in Cultural Studies, she also earned an M.A. in Occupational Therapy (OT). 


Learn More

When Jenny moved back to Denver in 2022, she realized she was longing for an AAPI community. Thanks to the wonders of social media, she found Asian Girls Ignite and reached out in hopes of forming meaningful connections! Jenny found the meaningful community she was looking for in AGI’s staff, students, and community.

Jenny’s favorite way of celebrating her Korean heritage is by never wearing shoes in the house, and always having scallions chopped in the fridge ready to be put on everything.

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM COORDINATOR
She/her. Korean American

Jihee is an experienced educator who moved to the US at the age of five and grew up in Denver with her mother and younger sister. She holds a BA and MSS in Ethnic Studies and currently is completing her PhD in Multicultural Education, emphasizing Gender and Women’s Studies.

Learn more

Throughout her career, she has taught grades 6-12, undergraduate and graduate students, and international learners. Her passion for education blossomed through her work with non-profits, where she focused on honoring and celebrating youth voices and their social and political activism. She has also worked to build DEI spaces within STEM education at the University of Arizona, creating loving spaces where all students feel valued. She has a plethora of experience consulting from tech firms to universities. Above all, Jihee is dedicated to ensuring that young people feel seen and heard, cherishing the entirety of their full selves.

Jihee's favorite way to celebrate her Korean heritage is by cooking through her mom's recipes that she grew up with. Most importantly, she continues to practice honoring all parts of her cultural heritage by being unapologetic in celebrating and loving her AANHPI identity.

DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING COORDINATOR
She/her. Korean American.

Jinny is a curious student of the world. She was raised in an ethnically diverse part of New Jersey—in a county with the highest population density of Korean-Americans in the U.S. She grew up proud to be Asian and hopes to share that with AANHPI youth in Colorado.

Learn More

Professionally, Jinny is a digital marketer with experience in Big Tech, government, travel, consulting, and nonprofit. In her free time, Jinny takes American Sign Language classes, lifts weights, and enjoys playing with her two small dogs.

Jinny’s favorite way of celebrating her Korean heritage is by loudly loving Korean content — K-pop, variety shows, and reality shows are some of her favorites.

CO-FOUNDER & CEO
She/her. Chinese American.

Joanne is a life-long educator — it’s something she wanted to be as a kid growing up in Boston, MA. This dream motivated her as a first-generation college student studying education.

Learn more

She began her career as a middle school Special Education (SPED) teacher through Teach For America. Since then, she’s spent years as a high school SPED teacher, a middle school Assistant Principal, a Director of Operations for Turing School of Software & Design, and a Program Coordinator at CU Boulder’s McNair Scholars Program. She is an alumna of the Moonshot edVentures Fellowship. She has a BA in English & American Literature and Secondary Education and a MS in Organizational Leadership from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Outside of education, she serves on the Board of Directors of Colorado Asian Pacific United and founded the Mile High Asian Food Week. She enjoys Asian food, BTS, Korean dramas, and spending time with her husband and two kids.

Joanne’s favorite way of celebrating her Chinese heritage is by lion dancing. To her, it represents culture and empowerment.

CO-FOUNDER & COO
She/her. Taiwanese American.

Mehgan is a serial slashie: Social Entrepreneur / Computer Programmer / Self-love Advocate. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA to an undocumented single mother who sparked her love of feminism and Asian cultures.

Learn more

After graduating from college, she moved to Taiwan to dive deeper into her Taiwanese roots and start her career. Her interests guided her to roles in marketing, sustainability, and real estate for Fortune 500 companies and early-stage startups. She has led teams spanning across 7 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, pioneered initiatives resulting in greater AAPI representation in entertainment and media, and managed over $5MM in assets.

Her feminist passions have also given way to serving as an Executive Committee Member of Beyond Our Borders, a donor-advised fund amplifying international opportunities for women and girls to be economically self-sufficient. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania to further explore the intersection of women’s economic empowerment and technology. Nothing brings her more joy than being present with her husband and baby girl.

Mehgan’s favorite way of celebrating her AANHPI identity is to just exist as an AANHPI woman. She believes that our existence is always worthy of celebration.

LOTUS COLLECTIVE REPRESENTATIVE
She/her. Japanese American.

Steph grew up in Long Beach, CA. In her professional life, she is a freelance Talent Development professional and adjunct faculty for Denver University’s Equity Labs Program, a DEI-centered program that helps corporations experience equity transformation.

Learn More

In her free time, she enjoys traveling with friends, dancing, and reading. Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean is her favorite YA book.

Steph’s favorite way to celebrate her Japanese heritage by folding 1,000 paper cranes with her mom for her wedding.

Check out our current jop openings here.

BOARD CHAIR
She/they. Chinese White American.

As Chief Executive Officer, Kat leads the organization and team to actualize Moonshot’s mission and long-term strategic plan, as well as manages fundraising, external partnerships, and new initiatives. Kat joined Moonshot in 2019 as Chief of Staff, later serving as Chief Program Officer where she facilitated the Moonshot Fellowship for Cohorts 3 and 4, including a re-design of the Fellowship into a virtual format in the pandemic. Kat became CEO in November 2021, after serving as Interim CEO.

Learn More

Prior the Moonshot, Kat was the Managing Director of Alumni & Lifelong Leadership Development at Teach For America - Greater Delta, where she led a team responsible for supporting a cross-state 500+ alumni network. Their additional prior experiences include serving as the Manager of Teacher Leadership Development, coaching 50+ educators in southeast Arkansas, and as Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness when she designed and facilitated training on cultural responsiveness, racial equity, and multicultural leadership for 100+ educators and a 15-person staff. She managed the team responsible for district partnerships, licensure, hiring, and placement for new educators in Arkansas. Kat also served as a Leadership Team Member and Board Chair, of the national Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Group and was a founding member and Board Chair for GLSEN Arkansas. 

She graduated Cornell University magna cum laude with a major in English and a minor in Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies. She has a Master’s in Public Service through the University of Arkansas - Clinton School of Public Service. Kat is a member of Leadership Denver Class of 2022 and serves on the Denver Mayor’s LGBTQ Commission and several local school boards.

BOARD TREASURER
She/her. Korean American.

Jina grew up in different locations across the U.S. and South Korea. She graduated from the University of Michigan and has worked in various finance roles across investment banking, private equity, corporate development and corporate finance. She is currently a Managing Director overseeing investments at Gates Capital Partners, a single family office.

Learn More

She lives in Colorado with her husband. She enjoys rock climbing, skiing, camping and hiking with her Basenji pup, Nova.

Jina's favorite way of celebrating her Korean American heritage is through good food. She enjoys introducing local cuisine to her friends and others who have never tried it before.

BOARD SECRETARY
She/her. Chinese American.

Dr. Elaine Yang moved to Colorado with her family in 2012 from North Carolina. She received the Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and held positions with Winston-Salem Health Care and the Duke University Cancer Center. Since arriving in Colorado, she has focused her time on raising her two young daughters, who both attend the International School of Denver in the Mandarin Chinese program.

Learn More

Her primary presence in the AAPI community as been with the Board of Directors of the Colorado Dragon Boat from 2014-2020 and as Co-Chair of the Colorado Dragon Film Festival.

The infinite number of values that frame and support Asian Girls Ignite fuel its potential and presence for our AAPI community. My values of authenticity, connection, and dedication parallel many aspects of AGI including those of the storytellers, founders, and students. We can only share our stories with one another and our communities by truly being ourselves and opening our vulnerabilities to others whom we become connected to through these powerful experiences. I have observed the dedication that those involved with AGI provide to one another. The passion of the members  to share the values of AGI with the community motivates and excites me!

He/him. Chicano Korean American.

Miguel In Suk (인석) Lovato grew up in various neighborhoods throughout the Denver-metro area. However, he has considered Aurora his home since the early 1980s. As a trailblazer in his family, Miguel became the first member to attend college and successfully earned two degrees.

Learn More

He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in secondary education from the University of Colorado Denver, where he received invaluable support and guidance from advisors, counselors, and mentors.

Throughout his professional journey, Miguel has dedicated himself to working directly with young people from marginalized communities, particularly youth of color and those from low-income backgrounds. He has held roles as a teacher, program manager, nonprofit director, and youth mentor. Currently, Miguel works with the Donnell-Kay Foundation, a Colorado-based family foundation where he strives to improve opportunities for children and youth to live, learn, and thrive in Colorado.

Miguel's own personal journey of learning to embrace his Chicano and Korean heritage has deeply influenced his belief in nurturing the development of self and identity among young people. Beyond his professional endeavors, Miguel cherishes his roles as a father, husband, son, and brother. In his spare time, he finds joy in riding and working on his motorcycle; taking leisurely walks with his wife, daughter, and dog Maslin; and “collaborating” with his home office co-worker Waffles the cat.

She/her. Korean American.

UnSuk is the oldest daughter of Korean American immigrants. She is a dedicated social justice advocate and racial equity leader.  She is a proud cisgender, grateful wife and mother, daughter, and sister who loves to cook and spend time with her friends and family.

Learn More

She is a knowledgeable and experienced diversity, equity, and inclusion leader with demonstrated ability in developing programs and organizational best practices in linguistically and culturally diverse settings using an insightful ability to adapt to surroundings and utilize excellent interpersonal skills to promote collaboration and develop equitable practices with a specialty in leadership development. She is an instructional leader and highly skilled in adult facilitation training and coaching, particularly in equity/culturally responsive practices, leadership development, professional support in growth, evaluation, and coaching/feedback.  UnSuk’s racial autobiography is featured in Glenn Singleton’s Courageous Conversations About Race. UnSuk has also presented an equity session about the negative impact of the Model Minority Myth at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education’s Alumni of Color Conference. 

Her extensive experience as a senior DEI  leader, district leader and classroom teacher has led her to become passionate in challenging the established systemic structures to raise the outcomes of all while tackling the predictability and disproportion of people in the highest and lowest achievement categories.  Through the years, she has developed her mission “To instill, to empower, and inspire” all.  It is now her greatest desire to instill the content knowledge through the culturally relevant practices, to empower leaders towards inclusive and equitable outcomes, and to inspire them to continue to foster a life-long love of learning and social justice.

As a former educator and leader, I bring with me the experiences and learning of what it means to be a leader of color within the educational landscape (the price of identity, mental/physical health, and repercussions of speaking up). This has led me to develop a deep and passionate commitment to support this equity work and to be a true disrupter of inequitable practices.

She/her. Taiwanese American.

Teresa loves bikes and snowsports because they help her avoid walking downhill on her funny ankles. When she's not evading tripping over herself, she can be found advocating with local Colorado Front Range mountain bike groups towards making the activity more accessible.

Learn More

For the better part of a decade now, she has also coached mountain biking with a focus on empowering more women to find their potential on and off their bikes.

Prior to this, Teresa grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia as one of the handful of minorities in her school district. She took advantage of multiple study abroad programs and internships during her time at Stanford University to go to Asia and explore her identity as an Asian American. After college, her curiosities led her to startups and big tech companies alike as a software engineer building products people actually enjoy using, with a short one-year deviation as a ski bum.

Teresa celebrates her AAPI identity by studiously learning the dances for the latest Kpop bangers, visiting Taiwan whenever she can, and reminding others that while she is a proud AAPI woman, she is also an individual with eccentricities not representative of the whole, nuanced and diverse demographic.