Speakers in Honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so it’s only fitting to highlight the voices of some of the AAPI thought leaders WWSG represents. We are proud to give visibility to the valuable insights these accomplished leaders can offer global audiences!
Shubham Banerjee
Shubham Banerjee’s startup, Braigo Labs, has received an undisclosed investment amount from Intel Capital, which may make him the youngest Silicon Valley-based tech entrepreneur to ever receive funding from a venture capital firm. At the age of thirteen, Shubham Banerjee disrupted an entire industry by playing with Legos. His story has captured the imagination of many people, including industry veterans, and students alike who think Braigo will shake up the market for the visually impaired. He openly shares his story of innovation to inspire both adults and children alike to do better to help people in need.
Elaine Chao
Elaine Chao is a dynamic speaker with a dramatic personal story, an extraordinary resume, and wide-ranging expertise on leadership, innovation, the economy, and much more. Her 37-day journey aboard a cargo ship with her mother and sisters to America foreshadowed a life of possibilities, challenges, and achievements. The first Asian American woman to be in the President’s cabinet, the arc of her experience encompasses cultures of Asia and the West; the public, private, and non-profit sectors; four presidential administrations; and living and working in New York, California, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C. Engaging, informative, and results-oriented, Elaine Chao will leave your audience inspired and ready to conquer the world.
Sanjay Gupta
Millions of loyal viewers follow and know him as Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the multiple Emmy-award-winning Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN and the go-to authority for major developments in medicine, personal health, and health care. He is a dedicated global journalist and is passionate about inspiring Americans to lead healthier, more active lives. Gupta’s most recent book, Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age, was published in early 2021 and was an instant best-seller. His devotion to reporting from war zones and natural disasters, as well as on a range of medical and scientific topics, has distinguished him as an integral reporter for audiences worldwide.
Suneel Gupta
Suneel Gupta teaches Innovation at Harvard University and is the author of Backable (Little Brown, 2020). Backable hit the #1 new release on Amazon overall, and also for Workplace Behavior. The book is rooted in Suneel’s journey from a twice-failed entrepreneur to a leader behind two IPOs, and to being named “The New Face of Innovation” by the New York Stock Exchange. Suneel’s ideas have been backed by firms like Greylock and Google Ventures – and he served as an Entrepreneur in Residence inside Kleiner, Perkins Caufield & Byers. He has personally backed startups including Impossible Foods, AirBnB, 23&Me, Calm, and SpaceX.
Michio Kaku
Charlene Li
Gary Locke
Often considered one of the top speakers for doing business in China, Ambassador Gary Locke has spent more than three decades working with, and in, China. He is recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on U.S.-China relations, global expansion, and business growth. Drawing on his vast experiences as U.S. Ambassador to China, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and two-term Governor of Washington, “the nation’s most trade-dependent state, ” Locke offers a wealth of knowledge on some of the most vital issues confronting America and the international community today.
Jeremiah Owyang
Jeremiah Owyang focuses on how new technologies impact business models and how corporations must innovate. He focuses on disruptive technologies—such as social media, collaborative economy, autonomous world, blockchain, and more—and how they impact the relevance to corporations. He is well-recognized by both the tech industry and the media for his grounded approach to deriving insights through rigorous research.
Anand Shah
Anand Shah, M.D. is a nationally recognized physician leader and health policy expert who most recently served as the Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He provides insights on bringing new technologies to market, redesigning healthcare delivery and payment, and expanding competition and consumer choice. Dr. Shah has held successive senior leadership roles in U.S. health care which span discovery to delivery, centered at the nexus of life sciences and health services. Dr. Shah continues to care for patients as an oncologist and clinical trialist.
Seema Verma
Seema Verma is a national health policy expert known for her meaningful and successful implementation of new programs for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), where she served as Administrator from 2017-2021. Verma’s speeches are punctuated by her admirable intellect and relevant pulse on all things healthcare-related.