Hey ALISTers,

This is Derek (@derekmong), and I’m ridiculously stoked to joining the ALIST team with my column—the ALIST 100 Power List. My column will highlight 100 leaders making waves in the AAPI community, their work, and how you can connect to them.

A little bit on myself: as a social justice activist, I have worked for non-profit organizations, political campaigns, the federal government, and national civil rights organizations to address issues of social justice, economic disparity, and civic engagement. I currently work in Washington, D.C. as a project manager for a federal government management/IT consulting firm. During my time at my alma mater Duke University, I served president of the Asian Students Association and co-founder of the Asian American Alliance. I also served as the National Chair of the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU), directed the 2012 ECAASU conference at Duke University, and served on the Youth Advisory Council for the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC). As a political science major, I have also worked for Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), the U.S. House of Representatives, the Maryland State Senate, and the Obama campaign. I grew up in Washington, D.C., and I received my B.A. from Duke University in 2012.

If you would like to nominate anyone to be on the ALIST 100 Power List, feel free to ping me at derekmong@me.com.

-Derek