The Asian American Journalists Association is pleased to announce the 30th cohort of the 2025 U.S. Executive Leadership Program (ELP). This year, 24 participants will take part in virtual and in-person training sessions, focused on strengthening their leadership and management skills. The program will conclude with a final session at the #AAJA25 convention in Seattle, Washington.
The 2025 U.S. ELP cohort will be led by Ashley Alvarado, President and CEO of Texas Public Radio; Sharon Chan, Deputy for the Strategic Culture Initiatives team at The New York Times; Paul Cheung, Strategic Advisor and AI Initiative Lead for Hacks/Hackers and Will Schick, Director of Programs and Partnerships at the Asian American Journalists Association.
To expand access to ELP, AAJA launched several new opportunities: the Simon and June Li Leadership Transformation Fellowship, the AAJA Founders’ Fellowship (spearheaded by Dickson Louie), a partnership with the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA), and the Yasutsune “Tony” Hirashiki Scholarship Fund, established in his honor by his family.
AAJA is grateful to ELP Founder Dinah Eng, Dickson Louie, Simon and June Li, the South Asian Journalists Association, and Tony Hirashiki’s family for their generous support of this year’s program. We thank Northwestern Medill for their generosity in hosting us at their D.C. campus.
INTRODUCING THE 2025 U.S. ELP COHORT
Aditi Sangal, Breaking News Writer at CNN, SAJA Fellowship
Adrianna Zhang, Multimedia Journalist/Editor at Voice of America, Yasutsune “Tony” Hirashiki Scholarship Fund
Adrienne Zulueta, Digital Producer at ESPN
Andrew Han, Director, Digital Production and Podcasts at ESPN
Asia Fields, Engagement Reporter at ProPublica
Ben Pu, Producer at NBC News, Simon and June Li Leadership Transformation Fellowship
Carissa Quiambao, Social Video Producer at ProPublica
Chris Nguyen, Anchor at Northwest Newsradio, Simon and June Li Leadership Transformation Fellowship
Danny Chi, Senior Director, Communications at ESPN
Diamond Naga Siu, Newsletter Editor at The Boston Globe
Emily Kwong, Host at NPR, AAJA Founders’ Fellowship
Esha Ray, Night Editor, National at The New York Times
Ghazala Irshad, Style and Standards Editor at The Marshall Project, SAJA Fellowship
Jasmine Amjad, Manager, Strategic Content and Communications at the Pillars Fund
Jeffrey Miranda, Senior Manager, Off Platform Partnerships and Program Management at The New York Times
Josh Jones, Design Director at The Minnesota Star Tribune
Jun Stinson Yamagishi, Supervising Producer at ITVS
Karena Phan, Audience Engagement Editor at the Associated Press
Margaret Ho, Assistant Editor at The New York Times
Mia Warren, Managing Director at Feet in 2 Worlds
Nikhilesh De, Managing Editor, Global Policy & Regulation at CoinDesk
Rekha Shanmugam, Planning Producer at AJ+; Al Jazeera Media Network
Robin Kawakami, Assistant Editor, Digital at The New York Times
Shirley Qiu, News Analytics & Insights Editor at The Washington Post
ABOUT ELP
The Executive Leadership Program (ELP) is a challenging, practical and life-changing experience for mid- to senior-level individuals working in the journalism and media industry interested in advancing their career and developing the skills to achieve their professional and personal goals. It is not a business-as-usual program about how to become a better manager; it is a transformational experience program aimed at developing the next generation of diverse leaders who can lead in uncertain times and build a sustainable future for journalism and media.
The program explores the responsibilities and challenges of a media workplace, how to lead in the changing landscape and how cultural values come into play. Experienced career coaches and senior news executives lead participants as they explore a variety of topics in a small, nurturing environment. Learn more about ELP here.
ABOUT AAJA’S PROGRAMS
AAJA’s programs and initiatives are central to our efforts to educate, connect and support our members. Through early education, mentorship, professional development and visibility we promote greater inclusion and opportunity for our community. With strong alumni activity, our industry standard setting programs forge life-long relationships and our initiatives highlight the best of the best.
