Speakers and Performers-
See them at the Loveland Museum on 5/22 at 12:30-3:30pm for our final AAPI event of 2022
Ann Baron
Ann's background in sales, insurance, teaching and corporate training gives her an excellent foundation in communicating and connecting with people. She is happiest connecting businesses and being a resource to professionals. To improve her clients' profits, Ann takes a real interest in the businesses by finding out what they need and learning about them. She is a resource to her clients, focused on customer service. Enabling businesses to grow and connect is what invigorates Ann every day. She is passionate about small businesses and seeing them thrive.
Creativity and innovation are evident in Ann's career track record, such as increasing sales an unprecedented 25% when she was the Business Development Manager for the Loveland Chamber. When she turns her attention to enabling
businesses to succeed, there is no stopping her.
Her other work experience was in the Insurance field for over 20 years. Ann was in all aspects of insurance from Underwriting to Claims to Supervising to Sales. What Ann enjoyed the most during this career was educating her customers on the complicated aspects of insurance in everyday language.
Prior to her career in insurance, Ann was a public school teacher for several years. She taught 8th Grade Language Arts where she made learning fun and innovative.
Her volunteer activities were Business Consultant with the Small Business Development Center, TEDxFrontRange and Northern Colorado Nonprofit Resource Center.
Ann was on the board of the Northern Colorado Nonprofit Resource Center. She had volunteered doing corporate fundraising for the TEDx event for two years. In addition, Ann has been an Ambassador for the Loveland Chamber and currently an Ambassador for Realities for Children. Ann founded Northern Colorado Community, a business networking group, five years ago. The focus of this group is giving small businesses a way to connect and find valuable resources.
When she's not strategizing job fits, Ann channels some of her creative energy into all types of hand crafts. She enjoys spending time with her husband and their three canine friends.
Joon Kim
Joon Kim is a Professor of Ethnic Studies at Colorado State University where he teaches courses on Asian American History, Asian American Legal History, and Ethnic Studies. His research focuses on politics of immigration, citizenship, labor, and multiculturalism in the U.S. and in Korea. His published works appear in Multicultural Education Review, Social Identities, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, Asia Pacific Education Review, Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Multicultural Perspectives, and Asian Survey. His latest book titled, Organized Labor and Civil Society for Multiculturalism: A Solidarity Success Story from South Korea (2020, Emerald Publishing), examines the evolving changes in Korea’s transition to a multicultural society, with a focus on the role of labor unions and the civil society organizations. He is a recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship and the Korea Foundation Field Research Fellowship.
Keahi Ewa
Keahi has been filled with the music and movement of her Hawaii culture since birth. She has been deeply influenced by her ohana (family). And her hula, songs, and stories bring the essence of her homeland.
In Hawaiian, the name Keahi means the fire and guiding light.
Her calling as a performing artist started when her grandaunt of full Hawaiian descent gave Keahi her first ukulele at seven years old. From that day, her natural abilities blossomed as she entered a deep immersion in her indigenous culture with Hawaiian elders, musical artists, and hula dance teachers.
Through the years, Keahi has become an ambassador for the Aloha spirit to people around the world.
Through her songs and dance, you will feel the warmth of trade winds blowing on Hawaii beaches. You will hear the laughter and joy of all those who taught her. And if you listen carefully, you will hear the voices of her ancient ancestors speaking to you.
Today, her performances bring song and dance from more traditional Hawaiian culture and contemporary musical genres— Island Music, R&B, Rock Balladry, Pop, and Country. Whatever she is singing, you hear her rich, heart-opening voice and the rhythm of the ukulele. You feel the heartbeat of the islands.
Keahi’s light-heartedness shines through her songs, stories, and hula. Through it all, you feel a deeply- rooted spirituality and her commitment to transform and uplift the human experience. You touch an ancient wisdom. And if you have the opportunity to attend one of her performances, you will leave knowing that you have been changed and refreshed by the spirit of Hawaii.
Nessa Whitney
As an equity advocate, I am dedicated to culturally and linguistically diverse responsive teaching. My hope is to exposure multicultural education in our schools and engaging in conversations with our community. In my spare time, you can find me spending time with my family, rockhounding, meditating, or doing yoga.