Speakers and Presenters

Session: Morning Plenary

Natalia Drelichman (she/her), Co-Director of Programs and Operations, has been with American Gateways since 2009. Her practice primarily focuses on serving immigrant survivors of violence. Before practicing law in Austin, she earned her J.D. at Catholic University, The Columbus School of Law (J.D. 2009), and her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. At American Gateways, in addition to provide direct legal representation, Natalia conducts training sessions for law enforcement officials and social service providers throughout Central Texas. Natalia dedicates her time at work and as a volunteer to representing and advocating for the rights of the immigrant community. She serves on the Casa Marianella board of directors and is a member the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Session: Afternoon Plenary

Nari Choi is a second-generation Korean-American. She is in her junior year of high school and has plans to pursue Government or Political Communications in college. Nari is on her school's varsity debate team and is the president of the Korean Culture Club at her school. She has interned at other AAPI-interest organizations such as AACHI (Austin Asian Community Health Initiative) and AsAmNews. She has also volunteered for Asian Texans for Justice. She is taking the Asian American Studies course at her school and has co-facilitated the Asian American Studies Convention at the University of Texas at Austin. Nari is certified in SA abuse awareness via MinistrySafe and was a camp counselor at Camp Nikos, serving underprivileged youth in the Austin area. She is passionate about advocating for digital safety, in response to the fetishization of young AAPI women perpetrated by social media and will be speaking on this topic during the summit, contributing to a learning experience supported by necessary resources.

Session: Afternoon Plenary

Hi there! I'm Sunny, and I'm a current Government major at UT Austin. Originally from Taiwan, I moved to Houston when I was a child and then to Austin for college. In high school, I was a Workshop Facilitator and Curriculum Creator for nonprofit Efforts in Youth Development of Bangladesh where I created a 50+ page, in-depth ELA curriculum for 2nd grade youth without access to formal education in Bangladesh. Recently, as Co-Director of UT Austin's WRA, I helped spearhead UT's pilot menstrual equity program where we're in the works of providing free menstrual products to every building on campus.

Session: Afternoon Plenary

Sameeha Rizvi is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, earning degrees in Public Health and Social Work. She has a sincere dedication to public policy, education reform, and survivor justice, actively involved in advocacy and organizing efforts. During her internship at Asian Family Support Services, she gained valuable experience supporting survivors and advocating for their well-being. Currently, Sameeha serves as an organizer for Texas Students for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), playing a pivotal role in advocating for DEI during the 2023 Texas legislative session. Outside of her activism, Sameeha finds comfort in the company of her cats, Toph and Matilda, and enjoys exploring history podcasts and indulging in ice cream during her free time.

Session: Afternoon Plenary

Tlazoltiani Jessica Zamarripa is co-director & co-founder of the Institute of Chicana/o/x Psychology. Tlazoltiani is a Cultural Educator, Mental Health Advocate, & Keeper of our ancestral wisdom. She is a long time Austin, TX mami activist and community organizer working toward social justice within the Chicanx and Latinx community. She was an organizer for the collective, Latina Mami, for more than 15 years. Her community home is Kalpulli Teokalli Teoyolotl. The preservation of her culture and community is a driving force in her life. Jessica is a founding member of Academia Cuauhtli, a local Austin language and cultural revitalization school program for Spanish speaking Mexican American elementary students. She is also a past council member of Alma de Mujer Center for Social Change and a Danzante de La Luna and danzante with Danza Mexica Xochipilli. Her writing, dancing and community work is medicine toward the liberation, healing, and flourishing of her children and her people.

Track: Policy Advocacy

Bhumika Purohit (she/her) is a dedicated professional serving as the Systems Advocacy & Training Advocate at Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA). With a passion for creating positive change, she focuses on advocating for and training individuals within the systems framework. In her role, Bhumika collaborates with various stakeholders to implement effective advocacy strategies, ensuring the needs of the community are heard and addressed. She is committed to promoting cultural competence and social justice. Beyond her work at AFSSA, Bhumika actively engages as a mental health advocate, contributing to the broader discourse on well-being. Additionally, she plays a role in building cultural community in her personal life, further exemplifying her dedication to creating inclusive spaces and fostering understanding.

Track: Policy Advocacy

Denise Rose has been working in and around the Texas Capitol for nearly two decades, and her strength is a deep knowledge of the legislative process and the people involved. She has cultivated relationships throughout the Texas Capitol and in state agencies. Denise provides effective strategic counsel to clients on a wide variety of issues, including but not limited to Medicaid and hospital finance, special utility districts, occupational licensing, health care quality, and agency rulemaking processes and requests for proposals. Denise is adept in the legislative drafting process. She represents non-profit organizations, nationally ranked hospitals, and Fortune 500 companies at the Capitol.

Track: Policy Advocacy

Molly Voyles is the Director of Public Policy for the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) and has worked in the movement to end violence for over 30 years. In her position at TCFV, she is focused on public policy efforts that center the needs of survivors and advance system change.

Track: Policy Advocacy

Vanya Nanda (she/her) has been working in the gender-based violence movement for over 7 years. She obtained her master's in social work and public administration from the University of Washington, Seattle. Vanya is committed to ending gender-based violence in South Asian, Immigrant and all communities. She is currently the Manager of Systems Advocacy and Training at Asian Family Support Services of Austin.

Track: Policy Advocacy

Mallika Khullar, an MSW student at Columbia University and UT Austin alumna, combines her passion for social justice with a background in Austin politics. Currently working as a therapist specializing in adults with autism, Mallika brings firsthand understanding as an Indian American immigrant and a recovering addict to her practice.

Track: Policy Advocacy

Clarice Cross is a Public Policy Fellow for AFSSA, based in Austin, TX. Clarice is originally from Honolulu, HI, although eventually moved to Indiana with her family. She received her Master of Arts in International Relations in Tokyo, Japan after completing her undergraduate studies at Indiana University. Throughout her professional journey, she has worked for a number of non-profits and non-governmental organizations focusing on education outcomes, cultural intersections and economic development. Clarice brings her knowledge in policy and culture to the anti-violence movement with a focus on mental health and breaking barriers and stigma in Asian communities.

Track: Policy Advocacy

Quynh-Huong Nguyen (She, They, Chi, Chanh) earned a degree in Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology from Dominican University and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) focused on Student Affairs in Higher Education from Texas State University. Their professional and academic focus is on identity development and the mental health experiences within the Asian, im/migrants, and LGBTQIA+ communities. They aim to provide intersectional and intentional educational opportunities for everyone to make spaces more affirming for people of color, queer people, people with disabilities, and other marginalized identities. Additionally, they intentionally use intersectional research, compassion, and storytelling to foster and develop best practices to center, uplift, and liberate the voices of most marginalized communities. Side note, they are Taurus and love using dry humor, sharing memes, boba tea, and food to build solidarity and connect with others.

Track: Policy Advocacy

Arati Singh is a proven community leader who has served from the classroom and beyond throughout her 25-year career. An equity champion, she started her career as a bilingual fourth grade teacher in the Rio Grande Valley, and for 20 years has designed and evaluated college access and STEM program for clients such as Texas A&M University and Foundation Communities. As a relentless advocate, Arati helped stop vouchers by testifying several times at the Texas legislature on behalf of Texas PTA's half a million members while serving as the PTA President of a Title I school. Arati, an outside the box thinker, has four technology-related patents to her name. As a mom to an AISD graduate and a current AISD student (including one who has started a social movement fighting online sexual harassment), Arati understands that kids should love learning and feel safe in schools.

Track: Policy Advocacy

Sean Hassan was elected to the Austin Community College Board of Trustees in 2016, the first Muslim American elected in Austin, Travis County, and potentially all of Central Texas. Last month, the Board approved the opening of a Childcare Facility at the ACC Highland campus, so that ACC students who have young children and no childcare can drop their children off for a couple of hours, on campus, while they study, get tutoring, or take an exam. This was one of Sean's key campaign issues, though he is the first to say that this is only a start to addressing the needs of parents who are attending ACC to improve their future. Sean spent much of his professional life in the non-profit sector including as a Vice-President with the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Track: Youth Leadership

Christine "Langa" (she/her) is Community Access Manager at Asian Family Support Services of Austin. Her team focuses on higher education spaces, faith communities, engaging with public libraries and any community partner interested in working with reducing barriers for Asian and immigrant survivors of violence in rural communities and beyond. Langa has worked in the field of gender-based violence prevention for 25 years and is constantly inspired by the activism and innovation of those doing the work each and every day to make the world safer, stronger and more equitable.

Track: Youth Leadership

Ariana Cruz is the Community Access Advocate at AFSSA, based in Austin, TX. Her advocacy work focuses on community outreach in rural areas, predominantly public libraries and higher education. Growing up in rural eastern Washington State, she has a passion for ensuring accessibility to mental health services for all community members. She attended the University of Washington in Seattle where she collaborated with students as an officer for the Filipino American Student Association.

Track: Youth Leadership

collective heights a collaboration between Casie Luong and Sandy Lam to create spaces for the AAPI community to connect and reflect. They do this through events, community gatherings, and workshops. Casie Luong (she/they) is a queer second generation Vietnamese American musician, actress, writer, and music educator. She is currently promoting her music project as Vietnamese pop rap artist, promqueen. Sandy Lam (she/they) is a queer Asian American storyteller. They are particularly passionate about creating and amplifying stories that explore Asian American identity, culture, belonging, and healing.

Track: Youth Leadership

Lilli Hime (they/them) is a local community builder, writer, educator, and advocate for LGBTQIA+ communities of color in all their intersections. They work to amplify stories, foster relationships, educate, and perpetually learn how to fight for these communities better. They've contributed to building spaces such as the Lotus Project and Fulbright Prism Taiwan and telling stories with AAPI Stories Within and the Austin Chronicle's Qmmunity.

Track: Youth Leadership

Parisa Mahmud (she/her) is a Community Outreach and Education Advocate with the Prevention team at AFSSA. Before her time at AFSSA Parisa was involved in local electoral organizing, with her most recent role being the Communications and Digital Director of a mayoral campaign in Austin. Her previous experiences in political organizing and mental health advocacy have fueled her passion and commitment to serving marginalized communities through a transformative justice lens. Parisa is also proudly Bangladeshi-American, and her South Asian identity heavily influences her work.

Track: Youth Leadership, Survivor Healing

Meghna Bhat, Ph.D. (she/her) is an independent gender and social justice consultant, prevention educator, interdisciplinary scholar, cultural practitioner, and storyteller based in California. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, and having lived in the US, Dr. Bhat's experiences encountering and witnessing recurring unpleasant cycles of gender violence and street harassment deeply motivated her to be an outspoken advocate and prevention educator. She has 19+ years of extensive work experience including but not limited to feminist research, training, and technical assistance in the anti-gender violence field, community education, and culture change. As a first-generation South Asian immigrant woman and survivor, Dr. Bhat strongly believes in the power of true and personal stories in creating community dialogue, shifting culture, and fostering ongoing decolonized narrative change. She has successfully presented and facilitated workshops and plenary sessions at statewide and national anti-gender violence conferences, hosted by the National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC), Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV), and the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (NCEDSV). As one of the 45 recipients of the 2022 Seeding Creativity Individual Artist Grant by the Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture, Dr. Bhat created Gulabi Stories: A South Asian Healing Initiative, an interdisciplinary storytelling project that centers the voices and stories of the larger South Asian diaspora in the US. Her project has been featured by ABC local news, Solving Sacramento, and the Deccan Herald (India).

Track: Youth Leadership

Jae Lin is the executive director of ReSpec, an accountability support project, which guides people who have caused harm towards understanding, responsibility, and change. They are also an artist and community organizer in Austin, TX.

Track: Survivor Healing

Aakriti Koirala serves as a Sexual Violence Advocate at AFSSA. As an immigrant from Nepal, Aakriti brings a firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by survivors, rooted in her dedication to making a difference in marginalized communities. With a master's degree in public health, Aakriti is committed to empowering survivors through awareness, policy change, and direct support. Her goal is to create a more equitable society where everyone, especially women, marginalized communities, and people of color, have access to safety, dignity, and justice. Outside of her advocacy work, Aakriti enjoys hiking, gardening, and watching K-dramas.

Track: Survivor Healing

Ai (she/her) a Domestic Violence survivor and advocate at AFSSA, understands the challenges faced by survivors in marginalized communities firsthand. Growing up as a first-generation Asian American in a homogenous community, she experienced a lack of mental health support within her family and surroundings. Leveraging her background in psychology, intercultural studies (MS), and ongoing master's in clinical mental counseling, Ai empowers clients to break cycles of abuse. She assists them in finding safety, understanding their rights, and achieving holistic healing through mental health access. Outside of AFSSA, Ai enjoys traveling, flower arranging, and exploring new cuisines with friends.

Track: Survivor Healing

Roz Pillay identifies as an immigrant survivor of domestic violence. She has chosen to advocate for other survivors since 2014. She draws on her unique heritage as a South Asian born and raised in South Africa, to fuel her passion for contextualizing the survivor experience within mainstream USA. Roz leads the domestic violence team of five advocates at AFSSA. She is motivated by playing a small role in helping survivors break free from the power and control of abusers. She finds joy in hearing survivors take on creating new lives filled with hope and purpose.

Track: Survivor Healing

Sabrina is a dedicated art educator and resource designer committed to fostering cultural capacity, equity, and healing through art experiences. With a rich background in art education, she has notably contributed her expertise as a Senior educator at the Art Institute of Chicago. In this role, she co-chaired the equity steering committee and spearheaded initiatives to curate art objects that speak to expanding cultural capacity. Her approach grew during her tenure at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas, where she led the school programs. Here, Sabrina developed "Doing Social Justice," a pioneering program for teens that intertwined art with vital conversations on race, identity, and social equity. Sabrina is pursuing her doctoral studies with a focus on 'developing a culturally proficient educator training through art-based critical thinking.'

Track: Survivor Healing

Jenn Xia (she/her) graduated from the University of Texas at Austin Moody Honors Program with a journalism degree. She is currently the digital outreach advocate at Asian Family Support Services of Austin, a nonprofit providing culturally grounded care to Asian and immigrant survivors of violence. In her role, she creates prevention-focused, educational content on boundaries, consent, and intergenerational communication and supports the community education team with outreach programming, such as workshops on healthy masculinity and how to talk about boundaries in Asian, immigrant, households. Jenn is passionate about storytelling as a bridge for cross-coalition building in marginalized communities and as a touchpoint for connection in a world where we're all trying to feel heard. Chili oil is her forever condiment of choice and she is an insufferable Austinite who got into bouldering 1.5 years ago.

Track: Survivor Healing

Jessica Restaino is Professor and Chair of Writing Studies at Montclair State University and Co-Founder of Text Power Telling.

Track: Survivor Healing

Anita Lakshman, M.A., Editor-in-Chief of Text Power Telling Magazine, saw firsthand the disparities in care for sexual assault victims and oppression of the already oppressed. Her time working as a crisis hotline volunteer for WOAR Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence was pivotal in deepening her desire to advocate for some of the most unseen people in our society. She is passionate about education, utilizing art for social justice, and supporting the marginalized and underrepresented. She is a founding member of Eanes for Equity (E4E), a parent-led nonprofit within her school district that supports students by creating a learning environment that prioritizes equity and inclusion. As a previous member of the Board of Asian Family Support Services (AFSSA), which aids Asian and other immigrant families dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking, she has seen the incredible impact of helping mothers escape from unimaginable circumstances. Formerly, she managed youth arts programs and taught writing workshops for teen girls at the Asian Arts Initiative, a nonprofit that connects cultural expression with social change.