Annual Gala 2023

October 20, 2023

Annual Gala 2023 Playlist

Andrew Ahn

Trailblazer Honoree

Schuyler Bailar

Educator, Author, & Advocate

Joel Kim Booster

Trailblazer Honoree

Andrew Ahn

Thank you for attending our 13th Annual Gala!

We want to thank you all for your unwavering support and for making this night one for the books. We exceeded our donation goal in less than 15 minutes, a record time! We couldn’t have done it without our amazing community. Thank you for making generous donations that will help us continue our work of creating an inclusive Korean American space where all of our stories matter, where all of us can be fully celebrated.

We want to especially thank our trailblazer honorees Andrew Ahn, Joel Kim Booster, and Schuyler Bailar for sharing their Korean American story with us. It was an honor to celebrate them, thank you for creating space for our future generations.

Finally, a huge thank you to our Emcee Vivian Lee, Live Ask Host Kathleen Kim, and Musical Guest SuperKnova!

View All Photos: Portraits // Event

Creative Team:
Portrait Photographer – Janice Chung
Photo Assistant – Joy Kim
Event Photographer – Poupay Jutharat
Camera Op + Animations – AJ Valente
Camera Op + Editor – Kimberly Young Sun
Camera Op – Julian Kim
Event Design – Celine Son
Graphic Designer – Yuliya Kim

Brand Sponsors:
Guilders Gin
Norie

Gala nyc

About

Andrew Ahn

Trailblazer Honoree

Andrew Ahn is a queer Korean American filmmaker born and raised in Los Angeles. Ahn’s latest feature Fire Island (Searchlight Pictures) won the Ensemble Tribute at the 2023 Gotham Awards...

Andrew Ahn is a queer Korean American filmmaker born and raised in Los Angeles. Ahn’s latest feature Fire Island (Searchlight Pictures) won the Ensemble Tribute at the 2023 Gotham Awards and is nominated for a PGA and Independent Spirit Award. He has directed fiction and documentary television for Netflix, FX, HBO Max, CBS, and the Sundance Channel. Ahn has promoted diversity in the arts by mentoring youth filmmakers through programs like Pacific Arts Movement’s Reel Voices, Outfest’s OutSet, and the Sundance Institute’s Native Filmmaker Lab.

Schuyler Bailar

Educator, Author, & Advocate

Schuyler Bailar is an educator, author, and activist who made history as the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. Originally recruited...

Schuyler Bailar is an educator, author, and activist who made history as the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. Originally recruited to swim for the Harvard women’s team, Schuyler made the difficult choice to transition while potentially giving up the prospect of being an NCAA Champion. Schuyler’s advocacy has earned him numerous honors, including LGBTQ Nation’s Instagram Advocate for 2020. In 2022, Schuyler created LaneChanger.com, a learning series that makes gender literacy education accessible to every team, school, and company.

Joel Kim Booster

Trailblazer Honoree

Joel Kim Booster is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor who was named one of TIME100 Next’s emerging advocate and creative and Variety’s Screenwriter to Watch. He wrote and starred...

Joel Kim Booster is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor who was named one of TIME100 Next’s emerging advocate and creative and Variety’s Screenwriter to Watch. He wrote and starred in Fox Searchlight’s Fire Island, which was nominated for Best First Screenplay by the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Joel’s hour-long Netflix comedy special, PsychoSexual, was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award and named one of the best comedy specials of 2022 by Variety. In PsychoSexual, Joel explores his experiences and observations as a gay Asian American male with commentary on identity, sexuality, cultural expectations, and more.

Watch highlights from our 13th Annual Gala!

Photos

Galas

Annual Gala 2024

We were thrilled to celebrate the 14th Annual Gala on Friday, October 25th. Your generous support helped us raise a record-breaking $600K! This incredible achievement will allow us to continue our mission of preserving our heritage and inspiring future generations.

Annual Gala 2023

Reliving the magic of our 13th Annual Gala!

We want to thank you all for your unwavering support and for making this night one for the books. We exceeded our donation goal in less than 15 minutes!! Truly a record time!! We couldn’t have done it without our amazing community. Cheers to an incredible evening!

Finally, a huge thank you to our Emcee Vivian Lee, Live Ask Host Kathleen Kim, and Musical Guest SuperKnova!

Annual Gala 2022

Celebrating our 12th Annual Gala in-person at Tribeca 360, NYC! We want to thank our honorees, Linda Lee, Sesame Street, and Esther Choi for being so vulnerable and sharing their Korean American story with us. You all deserve to be called trailblazers for your impact and contributions to our community!