MEEt our performers and speakers
Keynote Speaker: Dennis Chin
Dennis Chin is the former Co-Chair of the Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY). Previously, Dennis served as Chair of DowneTime, GAPIMNY's young adult group. Since joining GAPIMNY in 2007, Dennis has focused on building community and developing leadership among Asian Pacific Islander (API) LGBTQ folks for support, visibility and political action. He counts as his achievements with GAPIMNY his work from 2007 to 2009 coordinating support spaces for DowneTime; coordinating multiple API LGBTQ contingents for Pride, Trans Day of Action, Manhattan and Flushing Lunar New Year parades; GAPIMNY's campaign in 2010 challenging racial discrimination at a mainstream gay club; GAPIMNY's "shower-in" in 2011 challenging ex-gay conversion therapy in Hong Kong; and his work in 2013 helping to launch the Asian Pride Project website. He is most proud of his work, alongside many other leaders, pulling GAPIMNY toward racial justice and gender justice.
Currently, Dennis serves as Director of Communications at the Center for Social Inclusion (CSI), a national policy strategy organization working to dismantle structural racism. Dennis also serves on the Board of Directors of CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, a community-based organization that works to build the power of low-income Asian immigrants in NYC to impact the policies and institutions that impact their lives and participate in a broader movement for racial and economic justice. Within the past few months, Dennis worked with CAAAV on actions to support #BlackLivesMatter.
Dennis has keynoted the New York Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC) and Gathering the Grassroots conference at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). He has conducted workshops and appeared on panels for the Chinatown Youth Initiatives (CYI), the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU), Young People 4 and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. Dennis also has made several media appearances, including on NY1, Al Jazeera America, Asia Pacific Forum, Out.FM, SingTao, World Journal and Daniel Magazine. In his spare time, Dennis loves to dance and travel the world!
Dennis Chin is the former Co-Chair of the Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY). Previously, Dennis served as Chair of DowneTime, GAPIMNY's young adult group. Since joining GAPIMNY in 2007, Dennis has focused on building community and developing leadership among Asian Pacific Islander (API) LGBTQ folks for support, visibility and political action. He counts as his achievements with GAPIMNY his work from 2007 to 2009 coordinating support spaces for DowneTime; coordinating multiple API LGBTQ contingents for Pride, Trans Day of Action, Manhattan and Flushing Lunar New Year parades; GAPIMNY's campaign in 2010 challenging racial discrimination at a mainstream gay club; GAPIMNY's "shower-in" in 2011 challenging ex-gay conversion therapy in Hong Kong; and his work in 2013 helping to launch the Asian Pride Project website. He is most proud of his work, alongside many other leaders, pulling GAPIMNY toward racial justice and gender justice.
Currently, Dennis serves as Director of Communications at the Center for Social Inclusion (CSI), a national policy strategy organization working to dismantle structural racism. Dennis also serves on the Board of Directors of CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, a community-based organization that works to build the power of low-income Asian immigrants in NYC to impact the policies and institutions that impact their lives and participate in a broader movement for racial and economic justice. Within the past few months, Dennis worked with CAAAV on actions to support #BlackLivesMatter.
Dennis has keynoted the New York Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC) and Gathering the Grassroots conference at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). He has conducted workshops and appeared on panels for the Chinatown Youth Initiatives (CYI), the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU), Young People 4 and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. Dennis also has made several media appearances, including on NY1, Al Jazeera America, Asia Pacific Forum, Out.FM, SingTao, World Journal and Daniel Magazine. In his spare time, Dennis loves to dance and travel the world!
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: NABEEL ALI
Nabeel is a medical student in the “M.D. with Distinction in Research” program at Albany Medical College. For his medical research and technology inventions, he has gained recognition as "rising entrepreneur" in healthcare - invited to advise tech start-ups and speak at industry venues such as Google.
For his work in the Muslim-American community, Nabeel received the “Rensselaer Leadership Award” four years consecutive, and was presented the “M. Naziruddin Ali Award for Excellence” by MSA National and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Nabeel is a medical student in the “M.D. with Distinction in Research” program at Albany Medical College. For his medical research and technology inventions, he has gained recognition as "rising entrepreneur" in healthcare - invited to advise tech start-ups and speak at industry venues such as Google.
For his work in the Muslim-American community, Nabeel received the “Rensselaer Leadership Award” four years consecutive, and was presented the “M. Naziruddin Ali Award for Excellence” by MSA National and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
CLOSING KEYNOTE SPEAKER: JAE JIN
http://www.jaejinmusic.com/
Jae Jin is a motivational speaker, artist, and musician with a unique life story to boot. He still serves as consultant across various industries on issues such as healthcare management, social justice, strategy, leadership development, and the arts. He has a passion for connecting people, connecting WITH people, and cultivating collaboration across various industries. Jae is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University where he was elected by his classmates as President of the student government for two years and appointed to numerous leadership positions within the institution. Jae worked in Healthcare Management for 4 years and continued his education at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health focusing his graduate coursework in Health Policy & Management. He also spent over 3 years in corporate development within the non-profit and social work sector working for social justice in the heart of Baltimore City. He had plans to matriculate into an MD/MBA program but decided instead to relocate to New York to further pursue his creative passions for music and the arts.
Jae has been featured as a principal actor as a musician on the original Netflix TV show, House of Cards and has also been featured in The Huffington Post, WorldStarHipHop, and interviewed for Angry Asian Man and Fasinasians. Furthermore, his passion has been honed by his experiences as a 13-year oncology patient and two-time survivor. Over the past couple years, Jae has been a speaker at over 25 universities, conferences, and events on a variety of topics ranging from identity to art to leadership and much more.
He is currently preparing to release his first debut album and sharing his music and art all over the country.
He is excited to speak at this year’s Asian Pacific American Conference in Albany and hopes to speak and serve as a “spark” to inspire, challenge, and cultivate self-reflection to encourage redefining one’s identity and what it means to live passionately and pursue excellence.
http://www.jaejinmusic.com/
Jae Jin is a motivational speaker, artist, and musician with a unique life story to boot. He still serves as consultant across various industries on issues such as healthcare management, social justice, strategy, leadership development, and the arts. He has a passion for connecting people, connecting WITH people, and cultivating collaboration across various industries. Jae is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University where he was elected by his classmates as President of the student government for two years and appointed to numerous leadership positions within the institution. Jae worked in Healthcare Management for 4 years and continued his education at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health focusing his graduate coursework in Health Policy & Management. He also spent over 3 years in corporate development within the non-profit and social work sector working for social justice in the heart of Baltimore City. He had plans to matriculate into an MD/MBA program but decided instead to relocate to New York to further pursue his creative passions for music and the arts.
Jae has been featured as a principal actor as a musician on the original Netflix TV show, House of Cards and has also been featured in The Huffington Post, WorldStarHipHop, and interviewed for Angry Asian Man and Fasinasians. Furthermore, his passion has been honed by his experiences as a 13-year oncology patient and two-time survivor. Over the past couple years, Jae has been a speaker at over 25 universities, conferences, and events on a variety of topics ranging from identity to art to leadership and much more.
He is currently preparing to release his first debut album and sharing his music and art all over the country.
He is excited to speak at this year’s Asian Pacific American Conference in Albany and hopes to speak and serve as a “spark” to inspire, challenge, and cultivate self-reflection to encourage redefining one’s identity and what it means to live passionately and pursue excellence.
Guest performer: IZZY performing April 10th at SEFCU Arena
Trained in the art of slam poetry and spoken word, IZZY's childhood journey through NY allowed him to sample the best that hip-hop culture had to offer; picking up rhythm from the Organize Chaos Step Team of Brooklyn Tech HS and Terps Dance Company at SUNY Oneonta, to spitting poetry at a national level with the Intangible Collective in NYC. Using less world star hip hop and more love and hip hop, he and his band won Kollaboration NY 2013, sharing the stage with Asian American performers like Mitchell Grey and Bea Go. He was hand picked by Talib Kweli to be featured on his 2010 Blacksmith Community Mixtape, has performed at the first annual McDonald's BBoy Royale 2014, The Roots Picnic 2013 warming up the crowd for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and Naughty By Nature, opened up for Dumbfoundead, Awkwafina, Clara C, and Aijia, and is currently performing regular hip-hop sets all over NYC including Arlene's Grocery, Toshi's Living Room and Penthouse, BB Kings, Circle Nightclub, Muchmore's, and Stage48.
Trained in the art of slam poetry and spoken word, IZZY's childhood journey through NY allowed him to sample the best that hip-hop culture had to offer; picking up rhythm from the Organize Chaos Step Team of Brooklyn Tech HS and Terps Dance Company at SUNY Oneonta, to spitting poetry at a national level with the Intangible Collective in NYC. Using less world star hip hop and more love and hip hop, he and his band won Kollaboration NY 2013, sharing the stage with Asian American performers like Mitchell Grey and Bea Go. He was hand picked by Talib Kweli to be featured on his 2010 Blacksmith Community Mixtape, has performed at the first annual McDonald's BBoy Royale 2014, The Roots Picnic 2013 warming up the crowd for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and Naughty By Nature, opened up for Dumbfoundead, Awkwafina, Clara C, and Aijia, and is currently performing regular hip-hop sets all over NYC including Arlene's Grocery, Toshi's Living Room and Penthouse, BB Kings, Circle Nightclub, Muchmore's, and Stage48.