HOW CAN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY FOSTER GREATER INCLUSION AND VISIBILITY FOR THE AAPI COMMUNITY?
Join WISE Los Angeles for an empowering and eye-opening conversation that highlights the journeys of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women in the world of organized sports.
Let’s reimagine what representation can look like when AAPI voices lead the way.
đź—“ Friday, May 30, 2025
đź• Programming: 3p ET / 12p PT to 4p ET / 1p PT
đź“Ť Virtual Event
🎟 Free for everyone
WHAT TO EXPECT
- Exclusive Networking & Community: Connect with other executives, athletes, and rising stars in the sports and events industry
- Conversations & Power Panel: Listen to candid conversations and insightful storytelling with trailblazers in sports, academia, & media
- Forward Momentum: Actionable takeaways on how to build more inclusive and equitable spaces in sports and beyond
THE DISCUSSION: MYTHS, MARGINS, & MOMENTUM
From the court to the classroom and the executive suite, our panel of athletes, academics, and media professionals will explore the forces—both systemic and cultural—that have shaped the AAPI experience in U.S. Sports. Together, we’ll unpack the “model minority” myth, challenge prevailing stereotypes, and celebrate stories and accomplishments of strength, innovation, and leadership.
OPENING REMARKS
đź“Ł AAPI Empowerment Spotlight: The Power of Voice & Visibility
Yvette Villanueva, Moderator, WISE LA, DEI Committee, Marketing & Partnerships Director | CPG, Events, Wellness
Before the panel begins, Yvette will open the space with a compelling message that honors AAPI identity and representation, and celebrates the role of visibility in driving lasting impact in sports and leadership.
Yvette Villanueva is a strategic brand and partnerships marketer and former researcher with 10+ years of experience driving growth across wellness, CPG, beauty, and experiential sectors. Starting her career in Clinical Psychology, she conducted research at institutions like NYU, Stanford, and Columbia, with published work in scientific journals like The Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Her background informs a deep understanding of human behavior and impact-driven strategy.
She brings a unique blend of creativity and analytical thinking to marketing, leading 360° campaigns and partnerships for brands such as Spotify, Vans, Fred Segal, Anheuser-Busch, and Sumo Citrus. Turning complex ideas into compelling narratives, building structure in brand communications, and inspiring action through authentic connection drives her work.
PANELISTS
Dr. Christina B. Chin, Associate Professor of Sociology at California State University, Fullerton
Dr. Christina B. Chin is an Associate Professor of Sociology at California State University, Fullerton. Her teaching and scholarly research interests include race and ethnic identity, immigration, Asian American communities, youth, and popular culture. Dr. Chin has published works analyzing the role of Japanese American youth basketball leagues in fostering community and identity, as well as examining racial microaggressions in these sports contexts. She is a co-editor of "Asian American Sporting Cultures," an anthology that explores how sport serves as a platform for identity formation, citizenship, and resistance against racialized and gendered stereotypes for Asian American athletes and communities. Contributing to media studies, Dr. Chin has co-authored reports on the underrepresentation of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in television and streaming media.
Christy Thomaskutty, ESPN Women’s Basketball Analyst
Christy Thomaskutty has served as a women’s basketball analyst for ESPN since 2017, after serving as a collegiate coach for 20 years. She currently covers the SEC, ACC, Big XII, and the Ivy League across the ESPN family of networks.
Prior to ESPN, Thomaskutty served as the head coach of Emory University in Atlanta from 2003 until her retirement in 2017. While at Emory she served on the WBCA Executive Committee and was selected as Vice President.
She spent the 1997-98 season as assistant women's basketball coach at Saint Louis University. From 1998-2003, Thomaskutty served as an assistant at Illinois State University, working for Hall of Fame coach, Jill Hutchison.
Thomaskutty played college basketball at Tulane University where her teams competed in two NCAA tournaments, the first in school history, and made one appearance in the WNIT At the time of her graduation, she ranked fifth all-time in NCAA Division I history for career three-point field goals.
While at Tulane, Thomaskutty was honored as the national female winner of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar award. Thomaskutty received a Commissioner's Academic Medal from Conference USA. She was named the Metro Conference student-athlete of the year her junior season.
Thomaskutty graduated magna cum laude (Bachelor of Science in Management) from Tulane's A. B. Freeman School of Business in 1996. She later earned her master's degree (Masters of Business Administration) from Illinois State in 2002.
Jackie Chang, Director of Media Strategy and Business Development for the National Football League
In this role, she manages the distribution of NFL live game content and related licensing across various media platforms. Prior to joining the NFL, Jackie spent five years at Comcast NBCUniversal where she held a variety of strategy and operations roles, to include launching NBC’s streaming service Peacock. She began her career in the U.S. Army, serving seven years on active duty as an intelligence officer including deployments overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Jackie holds a B.S. in Spanish and Chinese from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives in Stamford, Connecticut with her wife, son, and two rescue pups.
Dr. Stan Thangaraj, James E. Hayden Chair, Professor, and Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Justice Stonehill College
Stanley Thangaraj is the Inaugural James E. Hayden Chair and Professor for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Justice as well as the Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Social Justice at Stonehill College. His interests are at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and citizenship. He studies immigrant and refugee communities in the U.S. South to understand how they manage the black-white racial logic through gender and the kinds of horizontal processes of race-making. His monograph Desi Hoop Dreams: Pickup Basketball and the Making of Asian American Masculinity (NYU Press, 2015) looks at the relationship between race and gender in co-ethnic-only South Asian American sporting cultures. He has co-edited volumes: Sport and South Asian Diasporas (Routledge, 2014), Athletic Activism (Emerald Press, 2024), and Asian American Sporting Cultures (NYU Press, 2016). His newest research is on Kurdish America, which received the 2015 American Studies Association “Comparative Ethnic Studies” award and Association for Asian American Studies Social Caucus Faculty Article award. He continues to coach youth sports, but used to coach club volleyball and high school and college basketball.
Talia To'omalatai-Thompson, Sports & Cultural Filmmaker, Founder at Tusitala Productions
Talia To’omalatai-Thompson is a Native Hawaiian and Samoan filmmaker, producer, and founder from La’ie, Hawai’i. A former NCAA student-athlete, she merges her passion for sports and storytelling to amplify Pacific Islander voices. In 2018, she embarked on her first major film project, Pacific Roots: Our Football Legacy starring 4x Super Bowl Champion, Jesse Sapolu. A true labor of love, the documentary explores the deep cultural impact of Pacific Islanders in football and beyond. To expand her mission, she founded Tusitala Productions, specializing in culture-centric sports storytelling. She later established the To’omalatai Family Foundation, a registered nonprofit dedicated to empowering Pacific Islanders through career pathways in sports and storytelling via internships, workshops, and mentorship programs. Through media and philanthropy, Talia continues to champion authentic Pacific Islander representation while fostering opportunities for future generations.
SPECIAL OFFER
Receive a free copy of Asian American Sporting Cultures, edited by featured speakers Dr. Christina Chin and Dr. Stan Thangaraj, with event sign-up. Limited number of books available, so sign up early to reserve your copy.
#WISELosAngeles #VirtualEvent
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