Our Staff
Anita Gundanna, PhD
Co-Executive Director
agundanna@cacf.org
Anita Gundanna (she/her) joined CACF as Co-Executive Director in April 2017. She has worked throughout her career to prevent and address violence against women and children, and to promote healthy families, primarily in minority and immigrant communities of New York City. Prior to her return to the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), Anita worked as a consultant with a number of small and growing community-based non-profit organizations mostly serving Asian American and immigrant communities.
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Anita Gundanna (she/her) joined CACF as Co-Executive Director in April 2017. She has worked throughout her career to prevent and address violence against women and children, and to promote healthy families, primarily in minority and immigrant communities of New York City. Prior to her return to the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), Anita worked as a consultant with a number of small and growing community-based non-profit organizations mostly serving Asian American and immigrant communities.
Anita holds a PhD from Columbia University School of Social Work. She conducts research on organizations, social movements, and coalition-building. She teaches program evaluation and advocacy to students in the master’s degree program in the schools of social work and public affairs. She also gives seminars on program design, program evaluation, and theories of change for member organizations of CACF and FPWA in New York City.
From 2007-2010, Anita was Deputy Director at the Fund for Social Change (FSC) where she created and coordinated a number of donor-community collaborations and strategic alliances to affect positive change in New York City’s child welfare system. She was also Program Officer for the Child Welfare Fund and managed the foundation’s portfolio of grantees.
From 2004-2007, Anita served as Director of Client Services at Womankind (formerly the New York Asian Women’s Center), where she managed the agency’s residential and community-based services assisting women and child victims of domestic violence. While there she developed Project Free, a program serving victims of human trafficking.
Anita also worked at CACF from 2001 – 2004 in child welfare policy advocacy for New York City’s Asian American and immigrant communities. Anita holds a BS in Psychology and an Elementary School Teaching Certification from Duke University, and an MS and PhD in Social Work from Columbia University. She lives with her family in South Orange, NJ.
Vanessa Leung
Co-Executive Director
vleung@cacf.org
Vanessa Leung (she/her) joined CACF as Co-Executive Director in April 2017. She has served the education community through her career, advocating on behalf of Asian Pacific American students and English Language Learners in New York City public schools. She was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to the Panel for Educational Policy and served as Chair of the PEP for 8 years from January 2014 to December 2021. She currently also sits on the Advisory Panel for the Brooke Astor Fund for New York City Education.
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Vanessa Leung (she/her) joined CACF as Co-Executive Director in April 2017. She has served the education community through her career, advocating on behalf of Asian Pacific American students and English Language Learners in New York City public schools. She was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to the Panel for Educational Policy and served as Chair of the PEP for 8 years from January 2014 to December 2021. She currently also sits on the Advisory Panel for the Brooke Astor Fund for New York City Education.
Prior to returning to CACF, for three years she was the Director of Member Initiatives at FPWA (formerly, the Federation for Protestant Welfare Agencies), where she was responsible for membership recruitment and engaging 200 community based and faith based member organizations, and worked with a team to provide professional development, grants, and other resources to support and strengthen nonprofits throughout the City.
While Deputy Director for CACF, she was responsible for the development of a pan-Asian children’s advocacy agenda to improve policies, funding, and services for the Asian Pacific American community. As Education Policy and Program Coordinator of CACF, she authored Hidden in Plain View, a report detailing Asian and Pacific American students’ needs, and worked alongside other advocates on the creation of Chancellor’s Regulation A-663, mandating comprehensive interpretation and translation services, as well as the Dignity in All Schools Act which reduces bias-based harassment in schools.
Vanessa spearheaded a high school youth leadership project, the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) that trains a diverse group of high school students to advocate for the needs of Asian Pacific American students. In 2007, she was named a member of the City Council’s Middle School Task Force.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University and a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College. She also completed the Middle Management Program of the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management at the Graduate School of Business of Columbia University, the CORO New York Immigrant Civic Leadership Program, the CRE Leadership Caucus, and the 2017 American Express Leadership Academy 2.0 at the Aspen Institute. Vanessa currently lives with her husband and three sons on Staten Island.
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Miral Abbas
Health Partnerships Coordinator
mabbas@cacf.orgMiral Abbas (she/her) is the Health Partnerships Coordinator at CACF. She is responsible for executing CACF’s health programming and research efforts around building a language-accessible and culturally responsive healthcare system. Through this role, Miral coordinates amongst CACF’s diverse members across the city to strengthen partnerships and provide opportunities for information exchange, peer support, and capacity building.
Miral received her Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. While at Columbia, Miral immersed herself in community-based programming and research, including serving as a Research Scholar at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Miral received her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.
Miral was raised in San Francisco, California, and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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Reona Alam
ASAP Administrative Assistant
ralam@cacf.orgReona Alam (she/her) has been the Administrative Assistant for CACF’s Asian American Student Advocacy Project since September 2025. Prior to joining CACF’s staff, she was our inaugural Public Service intern, working at Councilmember Shekar Krishnan’s office and an ASAP Youth Leader.
Her previous experience as a Youth Leader allowed her to be able to identity issues in her community and analyze their root causes.
Reona is currently majoring in political science on the Pre-Law track at CUNY Hunter College.
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Steven Armendariz
Senior Contracts Coordinator
sarmendariz@cacf.orgSteven Armendariz (he/him) is a Senior Contracts Coordinator at CACF and helps to manage the AAPI Equity Portfolio. Prior to joining CACF, Steven spent various years supporting global programs and teams at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL). During his time at USAID some focus areas he supported include economic growth, capacity building, education, inclusive development and gender equality. He is a recipient of the United States Department of State Fulbright Fellowship and was based in Madrid, Spain. Steven is passionate about supporting marginalized and equity-deserving communities and spent many years volunteering for youth programs and adult English Language Learning services. He is a first-generation college graduate and holds a Bachelor's Degree of Arts from Elon University.
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Francis Asprec
Grants Coordinator
fasprec@cacf.orgFrancis Asprec (he/him) is currently CACF’s Grants Coordinator and first joined CACF as the Grants and Membership Coordinator in March 2022. He is primarily responsible for coordinating CACF’s grant making and subcontracting programs. When he first started at CACF, he was responsible for both coordinating and sustaining CACF's grant making and subcontracting programs along with supporting, stewarding and cultivating CACF membership. Francis is excited about working with CACF’s various stakeholders where he can galvanize and cultivate them further into becoming long-term engaged allies, strategic collaborators and consultants. He is also ecstatic about working with CACF’s staff where he can continue being mentored, coached and inspired on how to be a more effective advocate and ally for the AAPI youth and families in New York and beyond.
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Nikita Boyce
Budget Policy Coordinator
nboyce@cacf.orgNikita Boyce (she/they) is the Budget Policy Coordinator at CACF. As the Budget Policy Coordinator, she is responsible for the 18% and Growing Campaign and co-leads the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition.
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Sherry Chen
Health Policy Coordinator
schen@cacf.orgSherry Chen (she/her) is the Health Policy Coordinator at CACF. As the Health Policy Coordinator, she co-leads health policy and legislative agenda around key areas such as language accessibility and health equity.
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Juan Chen
Contracts and Invoicing Coordinator
jchen@cacf.orgJuan Chen (he/him) joined the CACF team in October 2023 as Contracts and Invoicing Coordinator. In his role, Juan collaborates closely with the CACF staff to execute and implement various City and State government funded programs. His primary focus is on ensuring seamless operations, maintaining compliance, and facilitating the smooth submission of invoices/vouchers to meet contract requirements. He is particularly eager to collaborate with City and/or State government agencies, CACF member agencies, and partners, community leaders, and elected or appointed officials to make the contracting and invoicing processes as smooth as possible.
Before joining CACF, Juan worked in the healthcare industry, where he gained valuable experience in accounting and finance.
Juan holds both B.B.A in Finance and Economics from Baruch College and an M.S in Business Economics with a focus on Global Business and Finance from Brooklyn College.
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Adelynne Ribao Dadivas
Grants and Contracts Associate
adadivas@cacf.orgAdelynne Ribao Dadivas (she/her) joined CACF as a Grants and Contracts Associate in January 2025. She has a history of grassroots organizing and working in the nonprofit sector in areas such as environmental justice, tenant organizing, and student advocacy at CUNY campuses. She gained experience in procurement during her time at a Brooklyn-based community development and anti-violence nonprofit. She is excited to bring her experience in procurement and administrative support to CACF.
She was born and raised in southern California and currently lives in Queens, New York. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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Lloyd Feng
Senior Data Policy Coordinator
lfeng@cacf.orgLloyd Feng (he/him) joined CACF in August 2021. In his current role as Senior Data Policy Coordinator, Lloyd co-leads the Invisible No More Campaign (INM), focusing on effective policy implementation and oversight of ethnicity-based data disaggregation at NYC, NYS, and federal agencies so that AA and NHPI communities and all communities can be fully represented in government demographic data collection. He is interested in ensuring that government data collection can capture the disparities and diversities within and between our communities as well as uplift shared needs across communities. He is a graduate of Princeton University with a Bachelor's degree in Art & Archaeology and a Certificate in East Asian Studies.
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Lakshmi Gandhi
Senior Communications Coordinator
lgandhi@cacf.orgLakshmi Gandhi (she/her) is CACF’s Senior Communications Coordinator. As the leader of CACF’s growing communications team, she manages the organization’s social media and media relations strategy. Lakshmi first joined CACF as the Communications and Outreach Coordinator in December 2021. She is continually inspired by working with CACF's members, partners, and staff to educate the public about CACF's work on behalf of New York City's AAPI families.
Prior to joining CACF, she was a reporter and editor covering literature, identity. and pop culture for outlets that included NBC Asian America, HISTORY, Prism, and Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the Craig Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York.
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Mira Gupta
Program Coordinator
mhgupta@cacf.orgMira Gupta (they/she) joined CACF as a Program Coordinator in November 2024. They are part of the Leadership Development team, which oversees the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) as well as the Social Justice Leadership Institute (SJLI). They are responsible for coordinating CACF’s Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Communities youth fellowship program.
Prior to CACF, Mira graduated with a B.A. in Global Health in 2024 from UC San Diego. There, Mira worked as a Community Assistant in Educational Programming for the Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American (APIMEDA) Programs and Services Office, where they helped coordinate and facilitate professional development and social justice education workshops, empowered student leaders, clubs and folks within the APIMEDA community through cultural and social events.
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Sarah Ha
Senior Director of Strategy
sha@cacf.orgSarah Ha (she/they) is the Senior Director of Strategy at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), where she spearheads the organization’s comprehensive strategy to drive impactful change for marginalized Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across New York. She oversees policy advocacy, membership and coalition-building, and leadership development programs, ensuring they align with CACF’s mission to enhance the health, well-being, and safety of AAPI children and families.
With over 20 years of experience driving strategic transformations in the racial and social justice, nonprofit, education, and social impact sectors, Sarah specializes in strategic partnerships, cross-racial coalition building, organizational strategy, leadership development, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) capacity building. She holds a Master of Education in Student Affairs, Higher Education & Organizational Change from UCLA and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Faith, Peace & Justice from Boston College.
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Ambrosia Kaui
Director of Grants and Contracts
akaui@cacf.orgAmbrosia Kaui (she/they) is currently CACF’s Director of Grants and Contracts and joined CACF as the Director of Contracts in August 2022. She is responsible for overseeing CACF's contracting work, which includes developing streamlined systems, monitoring and maintaining compliance, providing technical assistance (both internally and for external partners), and increasing effectiveness and efficiency across all contracting processes. Prior to CACF, Ambrosia Kaui worked as the Assistant Director for Operations & Evaluation at Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) where she was responsible for agency-wide operations and systems development, including contracting process management, coordination between fiscal and other departments, and developing systems for new programs and initiatives.
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Phoebe Kim
Program Associate
pkim@cacf.orgPhoebe Kim (she/her) joined as the Community Engagement Assistant for its Asian American Student Advocacy Project (or ASAP) in September 2023 and now works as a Program Associate, supporting youth-oriented projects such as the Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Communities Youth Fellowship and the ASAP Community Network. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 with a bachelors in Sociology and Gender Studies. Prior to CACF, she held leadership roles in a variety of organizations like the University of Michigan's CommonGround in the Program of Intergroup Relations, The Michigan Daily, and WDET Radio.
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Kit Lau
Senior Contracts Coordinator
klau@cacf.orgKit Lau (she/her) is currently CACF’s Senior Contracts Coordinator and joined CACF as Contracts Coordinator in December 2022. She supports subcontracting activities, maintains compliance across all contracts and provides assistance to grantees. She is excited to be a part of the CACF team and support CACF’s member agencies and partners.
As a child of immigrant parents and a native from Lower East Side of Manhattan, she believes strongly in helping to support marginalized communities. Her experience includes working at University Settlement’s Families Thriving Program as a Program Assistant to connect underserved children and parents with mental health services. Kit also has volunteered with Chinese Progressive Association teaching ESL and citizenship classes to immigrant adults.
Kit received her MA in Elementary Education from Queens College New York with teaching experience in NYC public schools.
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Ada Lin, LMSW
Senior Manager, Youth & Family Leadership
alin2@cacf.orgAda Lin, LMSW is currently a Senior Manager, Youth & Family Leadership, at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF). She leads CACF’s youth and family leadership programs , including the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP), AYCAN, parent/caregiver initiatives, and CACF’s internship program. In her work, Ada ensures youth and family voices are connected to policy and advocacy priorities. Ada believes and values the importance of one's connection to their own identities,and provides tools and opportunities for youth and families to advocate for themselves, their families, and the wider AAPI community as a whole. Ada received a B.A. in psychology from CUNY and a Master of Social Work from Fordham University, and she is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) of New York State, and received her Seminar in Field Instruction (SIFI) certificate in social work from Columbia University.
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Felicia Singh
Director of Policy and Government Relations
fsingh@cacf.orgFelicia Singh (she/her) joined CACF as the Director of Policy and Government Relations in January 2023. Prior to CACF, Felicia served as the Advocacy and Campaigns Manager for Jahajee Sisters, a grassroots organization focused on gender justice. Felicia represented Jahajee Sisters in the Fund Excluded Works coalition where she collaborates with organizations across NY State to ensure our more essential workers are provided financial security. She is also a trainer for New American Leaders, an organization that supports 1st and 2nd generation Americans running for office. Felicia ran in one of the only Republican districts in the county of Queens, NY and was the Democratic Nominee for New York City Council in District 32, making her the first Indo-Caribbean and Punjabi person to win a Democratic Primary in NYC.
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Camilla Song
Contracts and Invoicing Coordinator
csong@cacf.orgCamilla Song (she/her)currently serves as the Contracts & Invoicing Coordinator at CACF. She joined CACF in December 2022 as a Grants & Contracts Associate. In her role, Camilla collaborates closely with the CACF staff to execute and implement a variety of City and State funded programs. Specifically, she supports CACF’s capacity to administer state funding by ensuring efficient operations, maintaining compliance, and facilitating the timely submission of invoices and vouchers to meet contract requirements. She is particularly excited when she is able to collaborate with CACF member agencies and partners to make the contracting and invoicing processes as smooth as possible.
She was raised in China and immigrated to the United States in December 2017. She earned an associate degree in Business Administration from LaGuardia Community College and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Finance at Baruch College. -
Kristen Sze-Tu
Manager, Leadership Programs & Partnerships
kszetu@cacf.orgKristen Sze-Tu is currently CACF's Manager of Leadership Programs & Partnerships. Since joining the organization as a Program Coordinator in November 2021, Kristen has worked closely with CACF's partners and member organizations to implement racial literacy and leadership development programs for youth and other community members.
Kristen believes in healing rooted in community-grounded relationships and care and has previously led storytimes and school programs as a museum educator, designed and taught an arts-and-narrative-based afterschool program, and worked in retail as a bookseller.
Kristen received a BA in English Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis.
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Kulsoom Tapal
Education Policy Coordinator
ktapal@cacf.orgKulsoom Tapal (she/her) joined CACF as the Education Policy Coordinator in October 2022 after first joining CACF as an Education Policy Fellow in September 2021. Her work is focused on leading the Education Equity Agenda by identifying and pursuing key legislative, budget, and programmatic goals to advance the inclusion of AANHPI voices in education spaces while strengthening intersectional solidarity. She also co-leads the REACH Coalition, a growing intersectional and intergenerational state-wide coalition advocating for the AANHPI history to be integrated into New York State public school curriculum. Kulsoom regularly convenes with key stakeholders including community members, students, educators, parents, partner organizations, government agencies, elected officials, and allies to move this work forward.
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Andrea Wu
Director of Operations
awu@cacf.orgAndrea Wu (she/her) first joined CACF in 2003. As the Director of Operations, Andrea oversees internal functioning of the organization and works on strengthening administrative and operational efficiency. She works closely with the Co-Executive Directors in leading fundraising efforts and in developing relations with key stakeholders.
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Fiona Zhao
Grants Coordinator
fzhao@cacf.orgFiona Zhao (she/her) is the Grants Coordinator at CACF. As Grants Coordinator, she oversees government funding programming supporting AAPI-led and serving community-based organizations to facilitate thoughtful program implementation, capacity building, and the provision of culturally competent, language accessible services to the community. Prior to her current position, she was CACF’s State Budget Policy Coordinator for a year. Before arriving at CACF, she worked at University Settlement, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and MinKwon Center for Community Action primarily focused on advocacy for increased voting rights access and civic engagement for Asian Americans in New York City. She received a Bachelor's Degree of Arts in Philosophy from Emory University.
CACF Interns
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Lyn Abby Bigord
Grants and Contracts Intern
Lyn Abby Bigord (she/her) is CACF’s Grants and Contracts intern. She is an Advanced Standing Student at Columbia' University’s School of Social Work with focus of Leadership, Management and Entrepreneurship (LME).
Prior to Columbia, she completed my BSW at Adelphi University. Where she built a strong foundation in supporting individuals, families, and communities through evidence-based and culturally responsive practices. Her studies have deepened her commitment to working with immigrant and marginalized populations, particularly those navigating systemic barriers to well-being and opportunity. My long-term aspiration is to specialize in working with immigrant and migrant populations, combining leadership skills with policy advocacy to create meaningful, lasting change both domestically and internationally.
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Nadiah Jamaludin
AYCAN Intern
Nadiah Jamaludin (she/her) is a proud Malaysian native and an intern working in the AAPI Youth Community Action Network (AYCAN) program as a facilitator. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Social Work at Columbia University after graduating from New York University in May 2025 with an individualized degree in race, colonialism, and youth development, particularly concerning Asia and its diaspora. Nadiah was passionately involved in NYU’s Asian/Pacific/American BRIDGE program, where her interest in community programming took hold, as she worked with local organizations and community members to encourage political dialogue and mutual aid for New York City’s AAPI population.
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Linna Mou
AYCAN Intern
Linna Mou (she/her) is CACF's AYCAN intern and a second year Master of Social Work student at Columbia University, with a focus on anti-oppressive practice, community engagement, and youth development. Originally from China, Linna draws on her cross-cultural experiences to better understand issues of identity, belonging, and resilience. She values honest and direct communication, and is committed to creating safe, supportive spaces for young people and families.
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Ella Wang
Public Service Intern
Ella Wang (she/her) is CACF’s 2025-26 Public Service Intern. In this position, she supports policy and data research, manages information and data entry, and helps coordinate community-based projects, events, and initiatives for NYC Assemblymember Steven Raga.
Ella first joined CACF as a Youth Leader with the Asian American Student Advocacy Project (ASAP) in 2024. She isvery excited to work with Assemblymember Raga this year to continue her work as an advocate for the community.
Ella is currently a freshman at Columbia University, where she intends to major in Economics.
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Tiffanie Cheng Wu
Program Intern
Tiffanie Cheng Wu (she/her) is a first year Master of Social Work student from Columbia University. She is excited to support both the ASAP and AYCAN program to empower youth to engage with social justice issues and strengthen their communities.
She graduated from Princeton University in 2024 with a degree in Psychology and East Asian Studies. She has extensive experience in mental health advocacy, research, and community engagement, having founded a project through the Active Minds Emerging Scholars Fellowship and co-chaired Princeton’s Undergraduate Student Government Mental Health Committee. Before graduate school, Tiffanie worked at the Chinese American Planning Council and focused on mental health outreach and educational workshops. She is passionate about advancing access to culturally responsive mental health care, building supportive communities, and empowering youth through innovative engagement strategies.