Throughout the month of May, Hornets.com will be highlighting employees across different departments within the organization in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Describe what you do with the Charlotte Hornets organization.
“My title is Manager of Partnership Development. My role in this department is driving revenue in new business through Corporate Partnerships. It’s a very consultative process that doesn’t usual work at a very fast pace. It can take months, even years to close a deal. Every business has different goals and objectives, so really, we look to take a solution-based approach as to what makes the partnership the most authentic and successful.”
What experience has had the most significant impact on your career in sports?
“For me, it’s been about the opportunity for growth in the Hornets organization. I started in the NBA G League as an Account Executive for our affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, in 2017. I worked there in ticket sales and after a couple years, I wanted to get into corporate sales and really challenge myself on a new level. I did that for a little while and it led to a promotion in 2019, so I was overseeing both new business and activations for the department.”
“Back in January, I got a call to work full-time for our Corporate Partnerships team here with the Hornets. It’s been a really great experience for me. I don’t think I would have gotten to where I am today without the G League, which I think is overlooked in a lot of ways. They say that the G League is all about developing players to get them to the NBA, but I think you could also say the same from the business side. It was a really neat experience for me.”
What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?
“My dad, Chun, is Chinese and my mom, Kelly, is white, so as an Asian-American, AAPI Month is a great opportunity to educate. I was just reading an article that said hate crimes towards the AAPI community have increased by 1900% in New York in 2020, which is really devastating. During this time especially, you never want to hear things like that, but it’s all kind of coming to the surface with the hurtful things that are going on. I think now more than ever, we need to take a pause to listen and learn from those who are hurting and really support them. I’m hoping that this awareness month is really able to help educate those who maybe just don’t know what’s going on.”
How do you see yourself as an example in the AAPI community?
“By no means am I an expert, but I’ve done some research and I still have so much to learn. I think that our AAPI Employee Resource Group is making some great strides to help educate our organization and bring awareness to the AAPI community – not only here in Charlotte, but from a regional and national perspective. I’m just hoping we can provide some resources and by spreading the word, it becomes a trickling effect for people to really start to understand or at least be willing to listen.”
Who are the most influential AAPI role models in your life?
“That would definitely be my dad. He came to the United States when he was only seventeen not knowing a single word of English. He taught himself the language, which I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been. He got himself a job and every single paycheck that he collected, he mailed it back to China to his family so they could put food on the table. Money was hard to come by in China and he wanted to help make a better life. We celebrated Chinese New Year growing up, so I was always really appreciative of him making the effort to encourage my brother and I to embrace our culture and never be ashamed of where we came from.”
“Also, my eighty-two-year-old grandfather, who has lived in China his whole life pretty much, just passed his test to become an American citizen. So, that’s pretty inspiring and just shows that you’re never too old to do anything that you want. I love that. It’s just one of those things that you smile about because it’s a feel-good moment. My dad sent us this picture of this little old Asian man holding an American flag after he passed his test, which was awesome.