Meet the TEAM
Led by a multi-generational team and board of directors and dedicated volunteers, CAPU is comprised of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders, educators, creatives, and allies.
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Board Chair
Dr. Soon Beng Yeap is a dynamic brand marketer, skilled community organizer, and respected scholar with more than 20 years of global leadership experience in retail, higher education, journalism, and global health.
In addition to his branding, communications, and reputation management roles at Starbucks and Microsoft, he has held senior academic and administrative positions at leading universities in Singapore, Australia, and the United States. As a scholar, his expertise lies in identity politics, the ethnic diaspora of Asian immigrant communities, and the representation of Asian cultures in media. A former journalist, Dr. Yeap honed his storytelling and analytical skills working with an international news agency and major local newspapers. Born and raised in Penang, Malaysia, he identifies as Straits Chinese and has lived, studied, and worked across multiple countries. This diverse global experience fuels his unwavering commitment to advancing social equity, racial justice, and human dignity in both professional and community settings.
Dr. Yeap holds a doctorate in political science, along with master’s degrees in communications, political science, and international journalism, and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications.
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Executive Director
As the child of refugees, Joie Ha has always endeavored to do more good for more people. She has been an organizer for minority communities in Colorado for over 15 years. She has a B.A. in Anthropology and a Masters in Development Practice with a focus on holistic methods of treating mental health for Vietnamese refugees. Joie is the founder of CORE, a DEI consulting firm that doubles as a community organizing agency. She often engages in initiatives with focus on anti-racist work, collective liberation, civic engagement, and the intersection of art and activism.
Meet the boarD
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Board Treasurer
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Board Secretary
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Board Member
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Marketing and Operations Coordinator
As a proud Taiwanese American, Catharine brings a wealth of expertise in science, wellness, and community development. With an M.A. in Biochemistry and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture, she seamlessly integrates mindfulness and wellness practices into community initiatives. Passionately advocating for racial equity, Catharine’s holistic approach empowers underrepresented communities, focusing on their resilience and the preservation of their cultural heritage. Catharine excels in managing operational processes, ensuring efficient and effective execution of projects and programs.
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Board Member
Gil Asakawa is a cultural consultant, journalist, author and blogger who covers Japan, Japanese American and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) culture and identity in blogs, articles and social media. His blog is at www.nikkeiview.com. He is a nationally-known speaker, panelist and expert on Japanese American and Asian American history and identity. He’s the author of “Being Japanese American” (Stone Bridge Press), a history of Japanese in America originally published in 2004 and revised in 2014, and co-author of “The Toy Book” (Alfred Knopf, 1991), a history of the toys of the Baby Boom generation. His latest book is “Tabemasho! Let’s Eat!” (Stone Bridge Press), a history of Japanese food in America.
He is a member of the board of CAPU, and the current Chair of the Denver-Takayama Sister City Committee. Asakawa served twice as president of the Mile High chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), and has written a column called “Nikkei Voice” for the JACL’s national “Pacific Citizen” newspaper since the early 2000s. He served as chair of the editorial board for the “Pacific Citizen” and was a national board member of the JACL. He has just been named a board member of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation in Washington D.C.
He is also a longtime member of the Japan America Society of Colorado, Nikkeijin Kai of Colorado, and the US-Japan Council. He was founder of and president for the Asian American Journalists Association’s Denver chapter. Asakawa was appointed in 2014 by Mayor Hancock to Denver’s Asian American Pacific Islander Commission.
He has given presentations to many organizations and libraries across the country about the history of Japanese Americans, including Japanese Americans in Colorado, and to Denver’s Sakura Foundation for its Mirai Generation groups of young local leaders. He has also presented on the history of Asian American in American pop culture.
In 2023 he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays from the Japanese government for his longtime efforts to build bridges between Japan and the United States.
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Board Member
Work with us
We’re looking for folks to help us on our mission! Please see below for openings.
Want to volunteer?
If you are interested in volunteering with CAPU, we welcome your support!