OUR STAFF
REGINA TSANG
Co-Executive Director
Regina was born in NYC into a tight knit immigrant Chinese family headed by her 4 ft, handful of inches paw paw (maternal grandma), a giant of a matriarch who flew halfway across the world to help raise her. Through them, she has been grounded in a strong Asian identity, and taught the value of family, community and the power of continually showing up for each other.
Regina graduated with a BA in Economics & Sociology from the University of Michigan; her professional background includes experiential marketing, fundraising and special events in non-profit healthcare, and communications/volunteer coordination for an AAPI civic engagement org. Through Rising Voices, she hopes to help create spaces that encourage joy, empowerment, and collective learning and liberation. In her spare time, you can find her thrifting, starting books she can’t seem to finish, and telling her 5-year old daughter 500 times a day to “say it again, but in Cantonese”. Her favorite non-English words are exclamatory sounds that can mean a hundred different things with a simple tone change, like “aiyah”. “Kintsukuroi” (golden repair) is a dope word/concept as well.
JASMINE RIVERA
Co-Executive Director
Jasmine was born in Detroit to an immigrant Filipino-American family, where she was raised by her activist parents to always engage in action and speak truth to power. Jasmine graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in International Relations at James Madison College and from Columbia University with an MFA in Film Directing. Jasmine will apply her skills in narrative storytelling and communications to help build APIA community and empowerment. Makibaka! Huwag matakot! ("Fight! Don't be afraid!") is one of her favorite Tagalog phrases.
DA DING
Outreach Director
Da is a 1.5th generation Chinese-Canadian-American born in Chengdu and raised in Windsor, Ontario. She brings to Rising Voices a passion for language diversity, cultural accessibility, and usability that stems from her background as a linguist and software developer. Da finds inspiration in intergenerational relationships, shared meals, and restoring our connection to the earth and to each other.
MUNNI RAHMAN
Macomb County Community Organizer
Munni Rahman (Shefa) is a Muslim Bangladeshi American woman currently living in Warren, MI. She graduated from Davis Aerospace Technical High School in Detroit and attended Kalamazoo College and Wayne State University. Munni is thankful Rising Voices has given her the opportunity to actively work, knock down barriers, support and uplift Asian American communities. It Munni's asha (hope) to create a better community for ourselves and our children to thrive in.
HENRY DUONG
Policy Manager & Community Organizer
Henry was born in Vietnam and his family moved to the US when he was seven years old. He grew up in the San Gabriel Valley (aka “the 626”) a vibrant Asian American ethnoburb of Los Angeles, where there are more boba shops than Starbucks. This upbringing has shaped Henry’s views of how we can care for family, build community, form coalition, and practice solidarity outside the oppressive structures of white supremacy.
Henry first joined Rising Voices as an APALA Civic Engagement & Organizing Fellow during the 2022 midterms. Previously, Henry served as the Program Manager and LA Field Representative at the California Association of Nonprofits helping nonprofits obtain COVID-19 relief grants and advocating for student debt reform for nonprofit workers. Henry also worked at the DC Mayor’s Office on Asian Pacific Islander Affairs administering the District’s million dollar grant to engage hard to count residents for the 2020 Census, ensuring language access compliance, and spearheading the report collection of Asian hate incidents early in the pandemic. He earned his BA in Public Relations and Marketing from American University. In his free time, you’ll find Henry traveling, cooking, or going down Wikipedia rabbit-holes to collect seemingly useless factoids.
MIRI KIM
Outreach Manager
Miri Kim was born in Ypsilanti to an immigrant Korean-American family and is the eldest sister to her three younger brothers. She is a disabled organizer who was practically raised in her family’s dry cleaners, which was formerly in downtown Ann Arbor. Previously a Student Organizing Fellow and a Summer Trainer with Michigan Student Power Network/Alliance, Miri has worked in racial justice campaigns, like Stop Spencer at the University of Michigan and Not MI Campus, and is now with Rising Voices. She is a trained facilitator who is passionate about youth organizing, community building, and storytelling as strategies to build and reclaim joy and power.Miri received her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in Psychology with a minor in Intergroup Relations. In her free time, she loves to read, watch her partner play video games, spend time connecting with her loved ones, and take naps (or try to).
CAITLIN SHIMOURA GOEDERT
Digital Organizer
Caitlin Shimoura Goedert is a yonsei, fourth generation Japanese American. She graduated from Wayne State University in 2021 with a degree in Political Science. She is passionate about digital organizing and is excited to connect with Asian American community members in Michigan. Caitlin is inspired by her mom, Irenita Shimoura Goedert and her two older sisters. In her free time Caitlin enjoys spending time with her pitbull Jasper and watching Avatar.
AFAF HUMAYUN
Operations Associate
Afaf Humayun is a first-generation Pakistani-American Muslim woman and mother. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities and Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Before joining RV, Afaf was the Administrative Coordinator for Islamic Scholarship Fund and the Communications and Development Coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice. She serves as an advisory council member for both the Ypsilanti Area Community Fund and the Regional Equity Advisory Committee for Health for Mid-State Health Network. Afaf is an organizer for Narratives of Pain and a member of the NonBlack Persons of Color initiative which aims to abolish anti-Blackness in mosques and Muslim-led spaces.
When not at work, Afaf can be found writing, singing or spending time with her family. Afaf enjoys listening to stories of Sheikhupur, India from her Nani Jan (dear maternal grandmother).
TARUN AGGARWAL
Outreach Coordinator
Tarun Aggarwal is a first generation Indian-American born and raised in Michigan. He graduated from University of Michigan-Dearborn with a Bachelor’s in Finance, he was heavily involved in and led student organizations and community projects throughout his campus life. Tarun has a passion to help people and justice for all, he possesses multitudes skills of fundraising, event planning, managing and coordinating volunteers. Previously part of For Our Future Michigan as a Senior Organizer, engaging community members to use their voting power to make a positive difference in Michigan.
Tarun was awarded Distinguished Student Leader Award and Difference Maker from University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2019. In his free time, he likes to play volleyball, watch anime, read books, and work on random side projects.