Joo Han is Deputy Director of the organization and plays an integral role in guiding AAF’s programs, including mental health work and community-centered safety initiatives. As an internal leader of the organization, Ms. Han has directed the organization’s work focused on mental health, community safety, and capacity-building, empowering service providers and community leaders to become catalysts for change within their communities.

Han also oversees the organization’s funding initiatives that provide Asian American focused groups with financial support and capacity development in high-need sectors.  For the past nine years, Ms. Han has spearheaded transformational work that benefits vulnerable pan-Asian immigrant communities, setting up and funding innovative projects, working with community leaders, providers, counselors and front-line nonprofit staff to systematize knowledge sharing and best practices.

“When it comes to mental health care we need to acknowledge that our most vulnerable are facing a crisis within a crisis. Asian Americans have among the highest rates of suicide – yet sadly they also lack access to mental health care in the languages they speak, and from providers who understand the cultures they come from. As we strive toward racial justice for Asian and other communities of color, it has never been more urgent to guarantee that all New Yorkers have a basic right to culturally competent mental health care.”

– Joo Han, Interim Co-Executive Director, AAF

Andrew Sta. Ana (He/They) is Deputy Director of Research & Policy at AAF. As an external leader of the organization, Sta. Ana leads the Policy & Advocacy, Research, and Small Business programs, which use data and deep community collaboration to steer AAF’s advocacy agenda. As a co-lead of the New York State AAPI Equity Budget Coalition, he helped organize over 130 community based organizations to secure a historic $30 million dollars to fund social services for AAPI communities in 2024.  In recognition of his deep understanding of the community’s needs and capacities, Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Sta. Ana to New York’s first Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Commission to advise on policies affecting the AAPI Community statewide.

Andrew is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor at New York Law School, where he launched the nation’s first law school-based legal clinic to represent victims of cyber harassment. His legal practice centers on the intersections of technology facilitated abuse, the legal system, youth rights, and LGBTQ+ survivors. For over a decade, he was a director and leader at Day One, a non-profit that serves young victims of dating and sexual violence. Having studied at the CUNY School of Law and SUNY Binghamton, Sta. Ana is a proud graduate of public education and a lifelong New Yorker. Watch a recent interview with Sta. Ana here.

Ahyoung Kim is the Director of Economic Empowerment at AAF. She oversees AAF’s small business program, which serves over 400 small businesses annually in New York City and State. Under her leadership, the program provides comprehensive support including navigation of city and state agencies, language assistance, and direct help for immigrant small business owners to establish an online presence. Ms. Kim has been instrumental in expanding the program’s reach and impact, building strong relationships with member organizations and new funders. Significant initiatives under her direction include AAF’s commercial corridor revitalization project in Murray Hill, Queens, and delivering emergency assistance grants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before joining AAF, Ms. Kim was a reporter at Korea Daily, covering the evolving landscape of the Korean small business community and significant educational policy changes. She also served as a consultant for the World Resources Institute and The World Bank, contributing to global training materials on climate change and urban transport planning.

Coming soon