Tickets, Sponsorships & Donate
Cultural Voices
Seeds of Impact
Thursday, May 28, 2026
mHUB
1623 W. Fulton St., Chicago, IL 60612
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Doors open at 11:00 am. Lunch provided.
Dress code: Business casual
Tickets
Regular Admission: $150
Education/Nonprofit Admission: $75
Livestream Access Only: $35
Entrepreneurship has long been a catalyst for opportunity within Asian American communities-driving economic mobility, generational wealth, and cultural leadership. Cultural Voices 2026: Seeds of Impact brings together Asian American entrepreneurs, business leaders, funders, and community partners to explore how innovation, resilience, and identity shape lasting impact across Chicago.
Hosted by the Chinese American Service League (CASL) - the largest and most comprehensive Asian American social service organization in the Midwest - Cultural Voices honors AANHPI Heritage Month by honoring the legacy of those who came before us, celebrating the leaders and builders among us today, and investing in the next generation who will carry this work forward.
Why Cultural Voices Matters
Seeds of Impact is built around three interconnected ideas:
- Honoring Our Legacy - Asian American entrepreneurs and community builders have shaped Chicago for generations. Their resilience, sacrifice, and vision created the foundation we stand on today.
- Celebrating Our Present - Today's leaders are expanding what's possible - driving innovation, building businesses, and strengthening neighborhoods across the city.
- Building Our Future - The next generation of Asian American leaders is already here. Seeds of Impact creates space to invest in them - through mentorship, resources, and community.
Sponsorship opportunities available. Contact [email protected] to find out more!
Keynote
Threads of Resilience: Entrepreneurship and Community in Chicago's Asian American Story
Delivered by
Alison Chung, Founder & President of TeamWerks
Ms. Chung is the founder and President of TeamWerks, a Chicago-based technology firm specializing in computer forensics. Prior to establishing TeamWerks, Ms. Chung served as Chief Information Officer at one of Chicago's top five law firms. Through her practices the law firm was one of the early pioneers of integrated technology. Ms. Chung began her career as an Assembler language programmer and then a Systems Engineer at IBM Corporation. After IBM, Ms. Chung moved to the Chicago office of PWC.
Ms. Chung has lived in the United States since she began her studies at Wellesley College. After completing her B.A. degree from Wellesley, she earned an M.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. She attended Executive programs at Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School. Ms. Chung has built her career in the Chicago area. She is active in numerous professional and community associations and is committed to organizations that promote education and cultural growth. Ms. Chung has been featured in Chicago Tonight, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago and The Wall Street Journal. The New York Times came to Chicago to film a segment on Ms. Chung and TeamWerks.
She sits on the board of the Women's Business Development Center and Rush University Medical Center.
Panel
Founder & CEO | Founder and President | CEO and Founder | Co-founder | Managing Partner, Clover Capital Partners |
|---|
CASL Community Leadership Award
The CASL Community Leadership Award recognizes community members for their roles as community leaders, mobilizers, engagers, and active volunteers serving for the betterment of the Chinese and immigrant communities in Chicago
2026 Honoree
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
Growing the Next Generation
CASL STEM Scholarship Recognition
Every seed needs tending. This year, we're proud to recognize CASL's 2026 STEM Scholarship recipients - young people whose curiosity, drive, and potential are already shaping the future. Beyond financial support, each recipient gains access to mentorship through our partnership with TERN Mentoring, connecting them with guides who know that showing up changes everything.
Quantum Giving™ - The Power of Mentorship Tina Ho Fox, Founder & CEO, TERN Mentoring
What if the moments we almost didn't show up were the ones that mattered most? Tina Ho Fox invites us to reframe the quiet acts of sacrifice and presence we offer one another - and to see them for what they truly are: a force she calls Quantum Giving. In this session, Tina explores the extraordinary ripple effect set in motion when we choose to be present, and what it means to mentor not just with expertise, but with our whole selves.
Program Agenda
11 AM
Check-in opens and lunch service begins
11:30 AM
Welcome
Community Leader Award Presentation - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
Growing the Next Generation - STEM Scholarship Presentation | Quantum Giving - The Power of Mentorship
Keynote - "Threads of Resilience: Entrepreneurship and Community in Chicago's Asian American Story"
Cultural Voices Panel
1:00 PM
Networking
Getting to mHUB
Parking is limited; Public transit strongly recommended.
By transit: Take the CTA Pink or Green Line to the Ashland stop, then walk north on Ashland to Fulton St. and head east - about a 5-minute walk. The 9 Ashland bus also stops nearby.
Parking: Street parking is available in the surrounding Fulton Market area. Plan extra time during business hours - the neighborhood gets busy midday. You can also reserve a parking spot at a nearby garage through SpotHero or your preferred parking app.
Upon Arrival
Please register with mHUB's front desk upon arrival. All building visitors are required to sign a waiver form. Once you complete the form, you may check-in for the event at CASL's registration table in the lobby. After checking in, please proceed to the second floor, where CASL's Cultural Voices will be held.
FOUNDING PARTNER
GROWTH PARTNER
COMMUNITY BUILDER
Bonnie Fong & Robert Levin
IN-KIND
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