Board of Directors

Wylie Wan, Ph.D. is a Hong Kong Chinese American who has lived in Hong Kong, Australia, and the United States. She is a first-generation college graduate with degrees in Psychology from UCLA and the University of Michigan. She completed her postdoctoral scholarship in Oregon where she now lives.

Wylie strongly believes that by setting up conditions that work for people, they can make sound decisions that lead to improvement in their personal and professional lives. In her higher education research, she studied the impact of contexts, such as the neighborhood one lives in, the supervisor support received at work, or the social support circle in one’s life, on the health and relationships of individuals and couples. She also provided professional development in K-12 education, where she worked with educator teams and leaders to apply research and data in decision-making processes that create equitable conditions for their students to succeed.

Outside of work, Wylie has been mentoring students for over a decade, particularly students of color and students with an immigrant experience. Her focus is to help them express their complex, multitude identities and elevate their knowledge and experiences into a variety of spaces. As part of the API Forward Board, Wylie hopes to grow education and leadership pathways for Asian and Pacific Islanders and provide opportunities for people to come together as a community.

Renee is the owner of G.Y.S.T. (Get Your Self Together) Coaching and is a Life coach,educator, and activist.

She has over 30 years’ experience working in Government, Non-profit, and Higher Education. Renee is passionate about racial and social justice. For much of her journey, she has been an advocate for domestic and sexual assault survivors and has led statewide workgroups for BIPOC nonprofit communities. She was also the state administrator for the federal STOP Violence Against Women Act and the Edward Byrne Memorial grant programs, She was the Recruitment and Retention Specialist for the School of Social Work at PSU, Coordinator of Counseling for the TRIO program at Portland State University and was a counselor at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. She is also a proud APAWLI Fellow from the Center for Asian Pacific American Women, Class of 2015.

She enjoys helping people transform their lives into something they may have never imagined. In addition, she enjoys reading People magazine, arranging flowers, admiring other people’s pets, and tidying up cluttered and disorganized spaces.

Lee’s life has been shaped by both personal and professional growth as a second-generation Asian American, Lee has experienced firsthand the unique challenges and opportunities facing young and emerging AAPI leaders. Lee's professional journey spans from a career in healthcare, mechanical engineering to transitioning into personal finance, offering a distinctive blend of technical expertise and financial acumen. This diverse background has shaped his belief in the importance of mentorship, financial literacy, and long-term planning for personal and professional success.

The career shift from engineering to finance underscores Lee’s commitment to lifelong learning and adaptability. It also drives his passion for empowering the next generation of AAPI leaders. Lee is dedicated to fostering an environment where AAPI individuals are supported, encouraged to pursue diverse career paths, and equipped with the tools to succeed.

As a Board Member of API Forward, Lee brings strong analytical and problem-solving skills from their engineering background, along with expertise in personal finance. He is excited to contribute to API Forward’s mission.