2026 AAA-APAPA Gala · September 26, 2026 · Buy Tickets
AAA and APAPA-SF invite you to United We Rise, our biggest gala yet. We'll honor a new generation of AAPI leaders, report on the progress our community has made, and launch the next phase of a movement shaping decisions at San Francisco City Hall and beyond.
Recognizing a new generation of AAPI leaders across Public Safety, Public Education, and Economic Development.
Louis Wong has dedicated over three decades to protecting San Francisco and advocating for the officers who keep it safe. Born at the Chinese Hospital, with both grandparents from China. A veteran of the San Francisco Police Department, he spent much of his career on the front lines in some of the city's toughest neighborhoods, including the Tenderloin and South of Market, pursuing dangerous suspects and taking illegal weapons and drugs off the streets.
Last year, Wong made history when his fellow officers elected him the first Asian American President of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, winning nearly two-thirds of the vote. In that role, he has become a leading advocate for rebuilding police staffing, improving recruitment and retention, and ensuring SFPD has the personnel, technology, and resources to respond to crime and protect neighborhoods, while pushing for long-term staffing solutions over reliance on overtime.
Wong has also been an outspoken advocate for victims of violent crime and for accountability in the criminal justice system, including pressing state officials on decisions involving the release of violent offenders. His career reflects a sustained commitment to safer neighborhoods, effective policing, and a strong, well-supported police department.
Denise Tran is a Vietnamese American entrepreneur and founder of Bun Mee, the pioneering fast-casual restaurant that has helped bring bánh mì into the American mainstream. Her story is one of resilience — beginning with a childhood escape from Vietnam by boat and growing up as a first-generation immigrant in New Orleans. After a career in law, a transformative trip back to Vietnam ignited her vision to share Vietnamese culture through food in a way that feels both authentic and accessible.
What started as a single Pacific Heights shop has grown into a national brand with standout locations across the Bay Area, award-winning restaurants at SFO, an expansion into Manhattan, and a franchise rollout to other cities across America. Bun Mee has been named one of the world's best airport restaurants by Bloomberg, recognized twice by Fast Casual Magazine as a Top 100 Mover & Shaker, and featured on Travel Channel's Food Paradise best sandwiches episode — putting bánh mì on a path to becoming a staple of America's everyday food culture.
Supryia Ray has served the city as an independent, student-focused voice on the San Francisco Board of Education, bringing the perspective of an SFUSD parent, attorney, and longtime public-school advocate to the district's most difficult challenges. Before joining the Board, Ray organized parents around reopening schools, outdoor learning, school safety, stronger literacy instruction, and expanded math opportunities, including restoring access to 8th-grade Algebra.
Ray has distinguished herself through a willingness to challenge both SFUSD leadership and powerful interest groups when she believes students and families are not being adequately served. During her 2024 campaign, she was the only School Board candidate to decline to sign the teachers' union's pledge, explaining that Board members must retain the independence to consider all stakeholders, fiscal realities, and student outcomes rather than commit in advance to a particular constituency's agenda.
On the Board, Ray has made transparency and accountability central priorities. She has repeatedly objected to district contracting and hiring practices that she believes limit meaningful public review, arguing that transparency is essential to good decision-making and rebuilding trust in SFUSD. Throughout her work, Ray has consistently emphasized academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, safe schools, and measurable student outcomes, even when doing so means asking uncomfortable questions or breaking with established interests.
Sponsors make United We Rise possible and gain visibility with San Francisco's AAPI community leaders, elected officials, and advocates. Choose the tier that fits your organization.
To become a sponsor, contact scott.chong@advancingasians.org by September 12, 2026.
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
Hosts: Association for the Advancement of Asians (AAA) & Asian Pacific American Public Affairs (APAPA-SF)
Tickets: Buy on Zeffy
Sponsorship: View opportunities above
Questions: Contact us
