Embracing Hmong Women Identities Summit
Sessions:
self-reflect
Pa Vue
Facilitator - Creative Writing Pa Vue is a writer, blogger and educator, and she believes in the power of stories. She helps women tell their stories in a cohesive way so they can inspire action. In this workshop, individuals will reflect on their own journeys, re-frames their stories that have been told to us, and take back the power to create their own identities. |
empower
Hmong Innovative Politics
Panelists HIP is a grassroots organization whose mission is to strengthen the political power of Hmong and disenfranchised communities through innovative civic engagement and strategic grassroots mobilization. Hmong Women Panel
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affirm
Embracing Hmong Women Identities Summit Team
Facilitators The Affirm workshop is designed by facilitators: Malena Her, Tracy Vang, and Marie Xiong. By facilitating two different sessions that dive into the participants’ identities as Hmong women, they will incorporate the significance of the dab tsho to the workshop. With high hopes, they aspire to provide a space where participants are comfortable sharing their identities among each other, uplifting all Hmong women to be proud of their identities, and exploring their own journey of encountering other intimate individuality. |
"This was an amazing opportunity to be surrounded by courageous and beautiful Hmong women. This was definitely a blessing to take part of. Thank you all for putting this together!"
Keynote Speaker
Bo Thao - Urabe
Bo Thao-Urabe immigrated as a refugee child with her family post the Secret War in Laos. Her lived experiences of war, poverty, gender discrimination and racism has guided how she build power and creates solution to result in meaningful outcomes and transformative change for those most impacted. Her commitment to improving community conditions so that all people thrive has led to the creation of local, national, and international organizations, a giving circle and several businesses.
Today, Bo serves as the Network & Executive Director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL), which harnesses the collective power of Asian American leaders from across sectors, generations and ethnicity to improve the lives of community. She also serves as Chief Operating Officer of RedGreen Rivers, a social enterprise she co-founded to connect women artisans in Southeast Asia to markets in the US in order to preserve indigenous art forms and increase the economic well-being of women and their families. Previously, Bo was Senior Director at AAPIP, a national philanthropic group, where she led the design and implementation of innovative social justice philanthropy initiatives. She has held a variety of other positions, including serving as executive director of Hmong National Development in Washington, DC and the Women's Association of Hmong and Lao in Saint Paul, MN.
Bo served as a Commissioner on President Obama’s White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Today she sits on the Board of Directors of several nonprofits and The Minneapolis Foundation. She has received numerous awards, and is one of the few people in Minnesota with the honor of having the same day named after her in both the City of Saint Paul and the State of Minnesota.
Today, Bo serves as the Network & Executive Director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL), which harnesses the collective power of Asian American leaders from across sectors, generations and ethnicity to improve the lives of community. She also serves as Chief Operating Officer of RedGreen Rivers, a social enterprise she co-founded to connect women artisans in Southeast Asia to markets in the US in order to preserve indigenous art forms and increase the economic well-being of women and their families. Previously, Bo was Senior Director at AAPIP, a national philanthropic group, where she led the design and implementation of innovative social justice philanthropy initiatives. She has held a variety of other positions, including serving as executive director of Hmong National Development in Washington, DC and the Women's Association of Hmong and Lao in Saint Paul, MN.
Bo served as a Commissioner on President Obama’s White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Today she sits on the Board of Directors of several nonprofits and The Minneapolis Foundation. She has received numerous awards, and is one of the few people in Minnesota with the honor of having the same day named after her in both the City of Saint Paul and the State of Minnesota.