Become a Speaker

Leadership Convention in August 2022

NAAAP is a community of hungry professionals seeking development, tips, and inspirations from their community. If you know anyone or if you would like to get involved by sharing a story or facilitating a workshop, please consider having a deeper conversation with one of our members. We are in the intial planning stages for our August 2022 Leadership Convention. Please fill out the form below and we will be happy to reach out to the you or the nominee.

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February Event Speaker

Erik Bruner-Yang

An agent of alternatives, Erik Bruner-Yang creates space. Through his Washington, D.C.-based concept development company, Foreign National, he offers an alternative: food and space as commons. There exists a constant dialogue of community, culture and progress.

Bruner-Yang’s restaurants are instinctual; contemporary yet habitual, including Maketto, a three-level Asian market with a retail store, coffee shop, and restaurant; and at the LINE DC hotel – Brothers and Sisters, serving American classics from Taiwanese and Japanese points of view; and Spoken English, a standing-room-only space modeled after Japanese tachinomiyas. While Spoken English is temporarily closed in response to the pandemic, he has opened Cafe Spoken in the interim, inspired by Japanese kissatens, featuring coffee and Japanese comfort food (onigiri, Napolitan pasta. His restaurants have received numerous accolades, from Bon Appetit magazine’s 50 Best New Restaurants 2018; to Thrillist’s Best New Restaurants 2018 and RAMMY’s Best New Restaurant 2019 for Spoken English.

Born in Taiwan and raised in the States, Bruner-Yang has been credited for introducing D.C. to ramen in 2011 with Toki Underground. He is a multi-James Beard finalist, and was named Starchefs’ Rising Star D.C. Restaurateur 2018. His latest collaboration is Italian & Asian restaurant ABC Pony and Yoko & Kota noodles & dumplings located at The Roost in DC.

Date: Tuesday, Feburary 2, 2021
Time: 6pm-7pm
RSVP for free and details

The National Association of Asian American Professionals is a non-profit organization that cultivates and empowers Asian & Pacific Islander leaders through leadership development, professional networking, and community service. Learn more about what the national organization has to offer. Learn more>>>

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