meet our STAFF!
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Naheed Esar, brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit and governmental sectors. Esar is a dedicated public health advocate with over a decade of experience supporting the health and well-being of vulnerable communities, particularly women and children. Her passion for public health and social justice has led her to work in some of the most challenging environments,
both domestically and internationally. Most recently, Esar served as the Deputy Foreign Minister for Resources and Management for the Government of Afghanistan in Kabul. In this role, Esar led and oversaw the operations of various departments and eight provincial directorates. She oversaw the management of over $100 million annual budget, as well as 1,300 staff both at the Ministry and at overseas embassies. She negotiated with foreign officials to build long-term bilateral relationships to support the ministry’s goals and needs. Esar has worked with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as gender mainstreaming consultant, Department For International Development (DFID) as a gender consultant, and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a researcher, and a John Hopkins University researcher where she conducted a longitudinal research project on the lives of widows in Afghanistan. A Fulbright scholar, Esar combines her professional experience, with the US-immigrant lived experience. Esar's dedication to public health and her commitment to social justice have been recognized by her peers, and she has been honored with numerous awards for her work. |
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CHIEF DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION OFFICER, Eric Braun, is an Impact Entrepreneur, an Innovator and a Product/Services Leader with expertise from decades of hands-on practice. He proactively builds teams and creates successful product and services businesses. His work environments are safe spaces to bring diverse viewpoints together and to accept failure as critical learning on the path to success. Eric actively follows leadership, startup, business and innovation thought leaders and contributes to best practices.
Over the past 25 years, Eric has co-founded 4 tech startups and an incubator. He has been an ecosystem organizer and startup mentor for 13+ years. His experience bridges both technical and business sides of entrepreneurial ventures and growth businesses. He has a strong belief in Design Thinking and Customer Discovery as the first steps to aligning product-market fit. In early 2022, Eric drew on his experiences building teams, developing ecosystems and working in areas of uncertainty to co-found Innovators for Ukraine (www.in4ukraine.com), whose mission is to help displaced Ukrainians regain independence and thrive through work, entrepreneurship and community. Eric holds a Bachelor’s degree in German and English from the University of Minnesota and Master’s studies in Computer Science. He has also studied and lived in Paris, Cologne and Austria. |
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EVENTS & OPERATIONS COORDINATOR, Sofia Li, is passionate about community development and providing resources and access to healthcare for the community. She has worked in different non-profits such as Madison Park Development Corporation, ZUMIX, and ATASK, each tackling a different issue within the community which has driven her enthusiasm to continue working for POC communities. During her time as an undergraduate at Boston University studying health sciences, she understood the lack of accessibility and knowledge of healthcare in POC communities and wanted to find ways to combat this issue. She is excited to be able to be a part of AWFH and work with an amazing team! Off work, you can find her bombarding you with photos and videos of her bunny, Bunbun, watching anime and going on walks with her bunny.
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PROGRAM COORDINATOR, Johnny Nguyen, has a strong background in digital marketing contributing invaluable expertise and a creative flair to the AWFH team. As a Bay State College graduate and valedictorian, his open-mindedness, dedication, and understanding nature keeps him consistently focused on delivering exceptional results. Ever-curious and eager to learn, he thrives on exploring and experimenting with novel approaches. Nguyen's process-oriented mindset drives the team to optimize outputs while fearlessly challenging expectations. Currently, he seeks to bring his passion for value addition and innovation at Asian Women for Health.
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COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, Ameena Qayyum, is passionate about empowering women through health, education, advocacy and raising awareness through media campaigns. She strongly believes the key to empowerment is through financial independence. Her current role involves promoting Asian Women For Health's mission and vision at the forefront of several Asian communities and provide the support women need in order to take more control of their health and their future. Her previous experience includes working in a Microfinance institution in Pakistan aimed at empowering women from impoverished communities. She firmly believes in giving back to the community in small ways that hopefully make a positive difference in making lives easier for those lacking agency, support and opportunity.
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PROGRAM MANAGER, Kristen Killgore (she/her), leads the Community Health Worker Impact Program empowering the underserved populations by offering training to individuals, equipping them to become Community Health Workers. The goal is to create a ripple effect, as these trained individuals return to their communities, extending valuable assistance and support.
Kristen grew up in the vibrant town of Vicksburg, MS, nestled by the Mississippi Delta. Amidst diversity and the challenges faced by her local community, Kristen's upbringing instilled in her a fervent desire to contribute to a better world. After earning her Anthropology degree from the University of Arkansas, Kristen became a Peace Corps volunteer as a Community Health Promoter in the remote Ingenious community of Pakuri Village in Guyana, South America. Immersed in this unique environment, she witnessed the repercussions of remoteness and underdeveloped infrastructure, limiting healthcare access for the community. This experience fueled Kristen's determination to champion sustainable solutions and underscored her unwavering dedication to addressing healthcare disparities. Kristen's professional journey is marked by a diverse array of experiences spanning sustainable energy, healthcare, and archaeology fields. Her unique background, coupled with her dedication to fostering inclusivity, enables Kristen to seamlessly connect with and support the marginalized communities she serves. |
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SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER, CC (Catherine Chung, she/her), is a strategist with extensive experience managing programs, operations, and partnerships at mission-driven organizations and high-growth tech companies. Her passion lies in building healthy, thriving communities centered on inclusion, equity, and sustainability. With a background in organization development, program management, and human-centered design, CC drives impact and success as a collaborative team player and creative problem-solver - always seeking opportunities to help her partners and team succeed.
As a Senior Program Manager, CC leads the ACCESS-PD research and Racial Justice in Health advocacy program. Previously, she managed R&D programs and enablement at Twilio, led economic and community development for the RI design sector at DESIGNxRI, and managed a national network of students & innovators using design for social impact at Design for America. She studied social policy and international studies at Northwestern University. CC serves on the board at Community MusicWorks and has volunteered at RI State Council on the Arts and RI Council for the Humanities. She actively coaches and mentors early career professionals and students. On off days, you can find CC deep-diving in jazz or Korean indie music, watering plants, or testing new recipes. |