The Asian American Forum and

The University of Texas at Arlington

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2003 Leadership Institute October 18, 2003

2003 Leadership Institute Registration

Featured Speakers

Duy-Loan T. Le came to America in 1975. She graduated from Alief Hastings High School at 16 as Valedictorian of her class of 335 students in  1979.  In 1982, Duy-Loan  received her BSEE from University of Texas with High Honor and subsequently obtained her MBA from University of Houston while working full time. She started as a memory design engineer in 1982 at the age of 19 with Texas Instruments. She is currently managing development projects for wireless communication (WBCDMA for 3G Base Station) using leading edge technology. In 2002,  Duy-Loan made TI's history by becoming the first woman and the first Asian to get elected to the rank of TI Senior Fellow, a title held only by 4 other people at Texas Instruments.   Duy-Loan  holds 20 patents and 8 pending applications.  Duy-Loan's contributions to TI on the people front is no less impressive. She chaired TI Houston Women Initiative and helped  initiate several programs supporting career advancement for minorities such as 'Nurturing Minority To The Technical Ladder', 'Succession Planning for Female Fellows', Professional Lecture Series, DSP Boot camp for Managers/Supervisors and TI Houston Vietnamese Initiative.  Duy-Loan's service to the community includes participation in various projects sponsored by United Way.  She was recognized for her involvement for many years in Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas.  She participates in numerous charity and fund raising projects for colleges, orphanages, and charity foundations.   Duy-Loan serves on the Board of two non-profit organizations which promote education and support social economic development projects in the third world.  Duy-Loan Le is married to her husband Tuan N. Dao.   She has two boys, Quy-Dan and Quy-Don.   Duy-Loan also holds a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do and has won several metals and trophies in the State of Texas.

J.D. Hokoyama is the President and CEO of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP), Inc. He is a lead trainer, speaking around the country on leadership, diversity, and Asian Pacific American issues. In nearly two decades of commitment to advancing the leadership potential of Asian Pacific Americans, LEAP has conducted over 1,000 workshops, reaching more than 100,000 people nationwide. In recent years, LEAP has developed collaborative partnerships with several corporations, offering customized leadership and cultural diversity training for such leading companies as IBM, Raytheon, Procter & Gamble, and Merrill Lynch.  www.leap.org 

Workshop Presenters and Facilitators

Linda Akutagawa is the Director of External Relations for Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP).  She develops and implements LEAP's marketing & sales strategy for it's programs and services.  She also manages and maintains relationships with LEAP's diverse constituents ranging from Board members, program alumni, community organizations, corporations, student organizations, universities and employee network groups.    Linda speaks and presents nationally on topics such as leadership, Asian Pacific American issues, employee network groups, diversity and networking and relationship building to a range of audiences such as corporations, student groups and community and professional organizations.  Previous to joining LEAP, Linda was the Marketing Manager for Japan and Orient Tours, a tour operator specializing in Asia and the Pacific.  In her 11th year at LEAP, Linda received her B.S. in International Business with a minor in Economics from California State University at Los Angeles.

Sejal Desai joined STARTech in January 1999. As a Founder & Principal.  she managed STARTech's internal business processes, developed relationships with potential partners and program companies, and evaluated business applicants for admission into STARTech and worked with entrepreneurs to take their startup companies through first-round funding. She is now the Chief Executive Officer of the STARTech Foundation and is responsible for the Foundation's overall strategy related to empowering entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to be successful in this high-tech competitive environment. She also coordinates the PR and marketing efforts within STARTech. Prior to STARTech, Desai served as a manager in the corporate advisory services division for Ernst & Young, Bombay for three years. She conducted business valuations and due diligence studies for multinational companies and assisted international firms interested in investing in India. Desai holds a master of business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas and a bachelor of commerce and accounting degree from Bombay University. She is also certified as a chartered accountant in India.  www.startech.org 

Glenn Kawafuchi is Vice President of Leadership Programs and Services for Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP), Inc., a non-profit leadership training, public policy and community empowerment organization. LEAP offers a range of innovative courses, programs, and services designed to foster the development and full participation of Asian Pacific American leaders in all sectors of society. Mr. Kawafuchi is responsible for overseeing the design, development, implementation and evaluation of all LEAP training and development programs, workshops and consulting services.  Prior to coming to LEAP, Mr. Kawafuchi was the Director of Organization and Leadership Development for The Aerospace Corporation. Previously to that, Mr. Kawafuchi was the Career Development Specialist for Hughes Aircraft Company, Space and Communications Group.  www.leap.org