Vivek J. Tiwary, Auli'i Cravalho, Riz Ahmed & More Named 2021's Most Impactful Asians on Gold House's A100 List

Gold House, the premier nonprofit collective of Asian & Pacific Islander cultural leaders, debuts a suite of ventures on representation, economic, and individual empowerment amidst record-high attacks against the API community during Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

On the heels of its history-making Gold Open movement, Gold House continues reshaping public opinion through affirming media portrayals by unveiling its 2021 A100 List, the definitive API honor for the 100 most impactful leaders of the past year. A100 Honorees are voted on through a rigorous process with a panel of multicultural icons (including 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. The A100 List launches in tandem to support We Can Do This that provides accessible knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines as communities reopen.

"Recognizing the achievements of the AAPI community couldn't be more timely than right now. The tragic events of the recent past only serve to underscore the need to celebrate the many ways Asian Americans contribute to our country and the world," says Daniel Dae Kim, A100 Icon Judge.

The A100 List also highlights A1 Honorees, the most impactful API(s) per category:

· Activism, Advocacy & Politics: Kamala Harris (Vice President of the United States)

· Business & Finance: Amrita Ahuja (Chief Financial Officer, Square)

· Entertainment: Chloé Zhao (Writer and Director)

· Lifestyle: Padma Lakshmi (Author, Host, and 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)

Numerous APIs in the theatre community are involved with the A100 List, including: Auli'i Cravalho, Daniel Dae Kim, David Henry Hwang, Gemma Chan, George Takei, Kelly Marie Tran, Lea Salonga, Riz Ahmed, Vivek J. Tiwary, and many more.

This year, for the first time ever, those who have been an A100 Honoree more than twice (including Awkwafina, BTS, Dwayne Johnson, Grace Meng, Michelle Lee, Prabal Gurung, Priyanka Chopra, and Steven Yeun) will be inducted into the Hall of Fame-a continual tribute to their indelible contributions. To further fete honorees, Gold House will host several Future Town Halls with Facebook mid-May that explore women-led businesses, representation, and cross-cultural solidarity.

Additionally, to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Amazon Music and IMDb are coming together with Gold House, Pacific Bridge Arts Foundation (PBA) and Transparent Arts to present the 2021 installment of Identity Festival. Streaming live on Saturday, May 15th at 5PM PST on Amazon Music's Twitch Channel (Twitch.tv/AmazonMusic), this year's festival will feature performances and segments from transformational figures across the AANHPI community, including Dumbfoundead, Karen Fukuhara, James Reid, Yuna, Steve Aoki, and many more to be announced. The event will also raise money to help aspiring API talent break into the music industry through PBA's scholarship programs and the AAPI Community Fund, Gold House's GoFundMe collaboration.

The full list of this year's Honorees and Selection Committee can be found at goldhouse.org/a100.

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