The CAUSE Leadership Institute (CLI) for professionals is a 5-month-long certificate program that prepares and equips mid-career professionals with the tools, skills, and network to lead and advocate for the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community. Co-founded by CAUSE and USC Dornsife’s Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics to ensure a pipeline of political and civic leadership for the API community, CLI Fellows gain a deeper understanding of critical issues affecting the API community, along with the leadership skills and insights necessary to engage in civic leadership opportunities.
At CAUSE, we recognize the importance of building a strong leadership pipeline. Through CLI, we are looking for professionals across all sectors—public, private, and nonprofit—who are ready to take the next step in their civic engagement and advocate for API communities across a variety of issue areas.
2025 LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OVERVIEW
Applications Coming Soon
Time Commitment: 5 in-person sessions
Location: Los Angeles area
Program Duration: 5 months
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
In-person Sessions
Community Engagement
Virtual Check-ins
Optional Happy Hours
PROGRAM GOALS
BY THE END OF THE PROGRAM, CLI FELLOWS WILL HAVE:
Deepened their understanding of API community issues
Honed their leadership skills
Developed political advocacy and organizing skills
Cultivated the confidence to advocate for the API community
Created a plan to impact the API community
Connected to a large and thriving professional network
Gained the skills and knowledge to run for office at all levels of government (i.e., school board, neighborhood council, city, county, state, and federal), or to serve on commissions advocating for and representing the API community.
QUALIFICATIONS
ALL CLI APPLICANTS MUST HAVE:
A desire to advocate for the API community in the public, private, and/or nonprofit sectors
At least 5+ years experience in the workforce
Leadership experience
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Application Requirements Details Will be Updated Mid-May
Applicants must:
Complete the CLI Application (Applications opening soon)
Upload a resume (PDF preferred) as part of their application.
Have at least 1 Recommender.
(OPTIONAL) Upload a 2nd letter of recommendation .
PLEASE NOTE: CLI Applicants are strongly encouraged to include at least 1 recommendation from an:
Elected official at the city, county, state, or federal level
Nonprofit executive director or board member
For full consideration, applicants must ensure both Application and Letter(s) of Recommendation
2022 CLI Speakers and Trainers
Melissa Apuya
District Director, Office of Assemblymember Marc Levine
Rachelle Arizmendi
Council Member (2X former Mayor), City of Sierra Madre and PACE
Richard Chang
Data Analytics Director, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Data Policy Lab
The Honorable Stephanie Chang
State Senator, State of Michigan
Caroline Choi
Senior Vice President, Edison International & Southern California Edison
The Honorable Judy Chu
Congresswoman, State of California
Eurie Chung
Producer, Flash Cuts Productions
Susan Jin Davis
Social Impact Officer, Al Roker Entertainment
Mary Anne Foo
Executive Director, Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA)
Manju Kulkarni
Executive Director, AAPI Equity Alliance
Leila Lee
Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Economic Development
Chanchanit Martorell
Executive Director, Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC)
Janet McIntyre
VP of Programs & Training, Executive Service Corps of Southern California
Chirag Menon
Principal, Third Settlements
Andrew Murphy
Co-Director, Los Angeles Unified School District API Equity Steering Committee
Soukprida Phetmisy
Senior Managing Director, Asian American & Pacific Islander Alliances, Teach For America
Godfrey Plata
Community and Political Organizer, Former Candidate
Tavae Samuelu
Executive Director, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Nira Singh
Director of Behavioral Health, AACI
Raphael Sonenshein
Executive Director, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs
John Tang
Director, Government Relations and Public Affairs, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling
Lance Toma
CEO, San Francisco Community Health Center
Kyle Tsukahira
Co-Director, Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement (APIFM)
‘Alisi Tulua
Project Director, NHPI Data Policy Lab @ UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
Bill Wong
Principal/Consultant, Bill Wong LLC
John Yi
Executive Director, Los Angeles Walks
2023 Fellows
Our program is highly selective and each member of our cohort is selected based on their leadership abilities, public service, and community involvement. Program fellows are identified by leading elected officials, select nonprofit partner organizations, CAUSE Board Members, and CAUSE Alumni. Learn about the 2023 CLI Cohort below:
Annie Chean
Policy and Public Engagement Manager, Long Beach City Council District 6
Kevin Fang
Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Bilal Hammoud
Director of 501(c)(4) Development, APIA Vote Michigan
Peter P. Kim
Program Coordinator, The Smidt Foundation
Ashley Mack
Executive Director, National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP)
Steven A. Nguyen
Admin Services Officer, Riverside County Assessor - County Clerk - Recorder
Neil Park-McClintick
President, Cupertino for All
Emily Ann Ramos
Preservation and Protection Associate, Silicon Valley at Home
Dara Sounthong Smith
Director, Assessor’s Operations, Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office
Alec Tsai
Audit Senior, Ernst & Young
John Wie
National Marketing Director, Project by Project
William Yen
Department of Public Social Services, Eligibility Worker II
Shengxiao "Sole" Yu | 虞圣晓
Founder and Social Justice Educator, Nectar
What Alumni Say
““I feel empowered to impact change…thanks to the lessons of the leaders we worked with in this program.””
The Experience
The 2023 Leadership Institute is Supported by
Asian Women Leadership in Philanthropy Fund
