SEVERAL Filipinos and Filipino Americans in entertainment, sports and business have been named to Gold House’s annual A100 list highlighting the most impactful Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) across industries.
Gold House, a nonprofit collective of API founders, creatives and leaders, announced its yearly list on Monday, May 3 on the heels of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and amidst record-high attacks against the community.
The individuals of Filipino descent include:
- Carlo L. Katigbak — President and CEO of ABS-CBN Corporation
- Erik Spoelstra — Head Coach of the NBA’s Miami Heat, who is the first Asian-American head coach in the history of the four major North American sports leagues, first Asian-American head coach to win an NBA championship, and led his team to the championship finals in 2020
- H.E.R. — An Oscar and four-time Grammy Award-winning R&B artist and songwriter who in 2021, won the Academy Award for Best Original for “Fight For You” and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for “I Can’t Breathe.” H.E.R., whose real name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, was born in Vallejo, California to a Filipina mother and an African American father.
- Manny Maceda — Worldwide managing partner of Bain & Company, a management consultancy
- Melanie Perkins — CEO and co-founder of Canva, a graphic design platform
- Olivia Rodrigo — A breakout actress known for her role on Disney’s “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” and singer/songwriter who’s the first artist to have two singles in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100.
- Patrick Starrr — Beauty guru, YouTube personality, and ONE/SIZE Beauty founder
- Saweetie — Born Diamonté Harper to a Filipina mother, Saweetie is a multi-platinum, chart-topping rapper, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur
- Miriam Warren — Chief Diversity Officer of Yelp
They join a prominent list of API honorees who also include K-pop artists Blackpink; Stop AAPI Hate co-founders Cynthia Choi, Manjusha Kulkarni, Dr. Russell Jeung; Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts; Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng; Asian American Journalists Association president and Washington Post reporter Michelle Ye Hee Lee; and Peter Tsai, creator of the N95 mask.
The A100 List also highlights A1 Honorees, the most impactful APIs per category:
- Activism, Advocacy & Politics: Kamala Harris (U.S. Vice President)
- Business & Finance: Amrita Ahuja (CFO, Square)
- Entertainment: Chloé Zhao (Writer/Director)
- Lifestyle: Padma Lakshmi (Author/Host/Executive Producer)
- Media & Journalism: #StopAsianHate-focused journalists including Benny Luo (Founder/CEO, NextShark), CeFaan Kim (Reporter, ABC7NY), Dion Lim (Anchor/Reporter, ABC7 KGO-TV), Kimmy Yam (Reporter, NBC Asian America), Weijia Jiang (Senior White House Correspondent, CBS News)
- Sports & Health: Naomi Osaka (Professional Tennis Player)
- Technology & Innovation: Eric S. Yuan (Founder/CEO, Zoom)
The honorees were chosen voted on through a rigorous process with a panel of multicultural icons, including actress-singer Lea Salonga, Mastercard Executive Chairman Ajay Banga, Panda Express Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, multi-hyphenate Michael B. Jordan, Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger, and GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, among others, 21 top API nonprofit groups, and hundreds of Gold House members.
In addition to the annual list, Gold House unveiled several programs, including a sale from its founder accelerator Gold Rush from May 17-31, featuring products from API-led small businesses in partnership with Facebook.
It is also launching its Future Network, the premier next-generation API collective to create pathways for representation and success that allow top filmmakers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, and founders to rise.
The organization is working on the “We Can Do This” campaign to raise COVID-19 vaccine awareness through educational campaigns with API communities that have been historically omitted due to language barriers or lack of health care access.
In addition to its GoFundMe collaboration that’s raised more than $5.5 million for local grassroots organizations devoted to restorative justice and millions more directly to attack victims alongside more than 100 cultural leaders, Gold House is continuing its on-the-ground empowerment through a new annual Gold Futures Grants Challenge in collaboration with Asian American Futures, a nonprofit led by philanthropists and community leaders.
“There’s a discrepancy between how APIs are regarded publicly and the power the community has always wielded. We’ve always been here — leading, artifying, investing, and speaking up. And as we continue forging allyship with other communities, we must also remember that we’re only as strong for others as we are, ourselves. On the shoulders of established leaders and activists who we celebrate today, it’s time to send the elevator down to invest in even more socioeconomic opportunities for our communities: from investing in the next generation of cultural leaders to We Can Do This’ vaccination education to local community investments via our GoFundMe collaboration and the Gold Futures Grant Challenge. When things get tough, we get tougher; we’re here — and we’re here to last.” said Bing Chen, president of Gold House.
