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- Serica Initiative
- Apr 17
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 9
🌟 Meet the 2025 Rising Star Award Winners
Celebrating AAPI Women Leading the Future of Business, Creativity, and Community
On April 16, The Serica Initiative hosted its annual Rising Star Awards Ceremony—a celebration of exceptional AAPI women under 40 who are shaping the future of their industries and communities. Chosen from a stellar pool of nominees (at the bottom), this year’s three winners stood out not only for their achievements, but for the authenticity and heart they brought to their journeys.
They reminded us: Leadership is not just about where you go—it’s about who you bring with you.
We’re thrilled to introduce you to our 2025 Rising Star Award Winners:
🏆 Corporate Rising Star Winner: Tiffany Zhou
Co-founder & Creative Director, OLEADA
Tiffany Zhou is the visionary behind OLEADA, a design-forward luxury handbag brand empowering professional women through timeless pieces that blend functionality and style. She’s not only elevating women’s fashion—she’s redefining what it means to be seen and supported in corporate spaces.
You can get her bags or learn more about her at https://oleadanyc.com/
In her heartfelt speech, Tiffany shared:
"I didn't come from a fashion background at all. I come from the corporate world... Back then, sitting in the courtroom closing multi-million dollar deals and yet, I never feel like myself. I was constantly trying to fit into a mode that doesn't really fit me, that wasn't build for someone like me. And even though I was a winner back then too, I felt so powerless. That's when I realized we are so much more than our job titles, and the ability to show up as your true self in the workspace- that is where the power really come in, and that's why Oleana exists."
🏆 Entrepreneur Rising Star Winner: Yanyi Li
Founder & CEO, Nuwa Marketing
A three-time nominee and now a Rising Star Award recipient, Yanyi Li is the powerhouse behind Nuwa Marketing, a premier agency that helps brands bridge the U.S.-China cultural gap through storytelling, influencer strategy, and brand amplification. Her work helps companies expand globally with integrity and cultural fluency.
You can get in touch with her at https://www.nuwamarketing.com/info or through https://www.instagram.com/yanyi_nuwa/
In her speech, Yanyi reflected on how the award has impacted her:
"This award deeply inspired me to keep moving forward and to keep giving back. I'm committed to uplifting the greater API community, telling our beautiful stories with pride and building bridges across cultures."
🏆 Nonprofit Rising Star Winner: Ngoc-Tran Vu
Lead Artist & Project Director, 1975: A Vietnamese Diaspora Commemoration Initiative
An interdisciplinary artist and community leader, Ngoc-Tran Vu of TranVu Arts uses art as a vehicle for healing, storytelling, and justice. Through her project 1975, she uplifts stories of the Vietnamese diaspora, reclaims collective memory, and facilitates intergenerational dialogue.
You can learn more about her at https://www.tranvuarts.com/
Her acceptance speech lead to a beautiful moment, in which she recounted
“This award is not just for me—it’s for every elder who trusted me with their stories, every youth who showed up to learn their history, and every collaborator who believe in the arts and the culture as we wrestle for truth, justice, & belonging."
💬 From Our Judges
Our esteemed panel of judges—Shau Zhang (EY), Sheryl WuDunn (Pulitzer-winning journalist), and Amy Chua (Yale Law professor)—remarked on the exceptional talent and leadership displayed by this year’s nominees.
“You’re not just rising stars. You’re shaping the sky for all of us.” — Sheryl WuDunn
We’re proud to honor these women, and we can’t wait to continue celebrating their journeys at the 2025 Trailblazers Conference & Gala. If you missed the ceremony, stay tuned—we’ll be sharing highlights soon.
To our winners—congratulations. And to all our nominees—thank you for being part of this rising movement. 💫
✨ What’s Next?
These remarkable women will be celebrated in person at the 2025 Trailblazers Conference & Gala on Thursday, May 22, 2025 in New York City. Each will receive their physical awards on stage, alongside honorees Maria Ressa, Kathy Hirata Chin, Woraphanit "Please" Ruayrungruang, and the Chao Family.
Tickets and details: www.sericainitiative.org/wcg2025
🌟 Meet the 2025 Rising Star Nominees
Corporate Category
Summer Hua – Investor, Aramco Ventures
Jane Wu – CEO/Founder
Maggie Zhou – Marketing Communications Lead, Global Business Marketing, TikTok
Tiffany Zhou – Co-founder & Creative Director, OLEADA
Entrepreneur Category
Gina Chen – Founder & Managing Attorney, One Ally
Rebecca Hui – CEO & Co-Founder, Roots Studio
Yanyi Li – Founder & CEO, Nuwa Marketing
Susan Lieu – Author, activist, and performer
Serena Lin – Committee of 100 Next Generation Leader; Founder, Alpha Dimension Communications
Victoria Mei – Founder, Asian Creatives Club
Kelly Miao – Owner/Chef, Kemi Dessert Bar
Rachel Shi – CEO & Chief Producer, CrazyLaugh Comedy
Vivan Tu – CEO, Your Rich BFF
Jenny Wang – CEO/Founder, Alta AI Styling
Jane Wu – President, CEO & Founder, Panorama Holdings
Sherry Xu – Founder, Protein Superamen; CEO of a CPG Brand
Zhou Yu – CEO, Arklex.AI & Associate Professor of Computer Science, Columbia University
Non-Profit Category
Maryam Chishti – Co-Executive Director, Nonprofit Sector
Milawen Ding – Secretary General, Youth Bridge Foundation / Movers Envoy, UNDP / Fellow, Global Women Asia
Laura Dudu – Kintsugi Artist, CAO Collective
Jennifer Laurantius – Fashion Designer, Human Rights Advocate, Content Creator
Terri Le – Major Gifts Manager, Stop AAPI Hate
Bonnie Lei – Principal, Climate Intelligence at RMI (formerly Head of Environmental Justice at Microsoft)
Jennifer (Jenni) Rudolph – Co-Executive Director, Nonprofit Organization
Diana Teoh – Head of Growth, She Loves Tech
Ngoc-Tran Vu – Lead Artist & Project Director, 1975: A Vietnamese Diaspora Commemoration Initiative and Tran Vu Arts
Xintian Tina Wang – Journalist / President, AAJA New York
Angela Zhou – Associate, Private Equity
Lilian Zhou – Founder & Secretary, Life Story Club
