Shedding Light on the Unseen

WAVES Founder and Executive Director, Lily Chen, was invited to speak at an Ascend Foundation session yesterday focused on identity, leadership, and mental health.

In the invitation, Ascend cited findings from its report identifying five top workplace stressors for AAPI professionals: work/life balance, invisibility, acculturative stress, regional and global concerns, and caregiving/personal health, noting in particular how invisibility and “identity fatigue” can weigh heavily on leaders navigating cultural expectations and pressure to conform.

During the session, Lily emphasized the importance of mental health awareness and the impact of culture in shaping leadership experiences. She spoke about the responsibility leaders carry when straddling multiple identities and the importance of creating spaces where authenticity is not only accepted, but valued.

Our deepest gratitude to the Ascend Foundation for this amazing opportunity.