Harness the Unique Strengths
of Your Asian Professionals

Tailored training to unlock the full potential of your Asian professionals

Asian Leadership Accelerator

Welcome to the Asian Leadership Accelerator, an exceptional initiative offered by the Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI). This program, personally taught by our CEO Joy Chen, is an immersive journey that equips Asian professionals to excel at the leadership levels in Western global companies.

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Why Invest in Your Asian Talent?

Knowledge economy companies are facing a critical talent shortage, with Baby Boomers retiring, fewer people going to college, and high-tech visas still a struggle to get. That’s why it's so crucial to harness America’s most-educated workers – Asians.

Asians comprise 6% of the U.S. population, and a staggering 50% of high-tech professionals. But here's the catch: Asians are heavily underutilized, as the most-hired but least-promoted individuals in Corporate America.

This is a problem and opportunity for every company, since according to Pew, Asians now are America’s fastest-growing racial group. Which means they're the fastest-growing workforce as well as the fastest-growing business and consumer markets. Furthermore, Asians are connected to the majority of the world's markets.

Our programs enable you to utilize the Asians on your payrolls to boost productivity today and grow markets for tomorrow.

Our Distinctive Approach

Under Joy Chen’s expert guidance, the MLI Asian Leadership Accelerator is meticulously structured as a journey of transformation. Central to our curriculum is the innovative MLI Asian Leadership Competency Model, a tool born from unparalleled research and expertise in the gaps between the EQ skills of most Asian professionals and the leadership competencies demanded by most Western corporations.

This model uniquely addresses the nuanced contrasts between Asian and Western leadership paradigms, empowering Asian professionals to embrace and respect their cultural heritage while simultaneously acquiring new competencies.
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Participants are not just trained; they are transformed into leaders who bridge cultural divides, bringing both cultural insight and global acumen to business leadership.

Here are some reasons why our clients love to partner with us:
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Expert-Led Curriculum

Guided by Joy Chen's extensive leadership experience, our program offers a structured roadmap to success, focusing on real-world leadership competencies.

MLI Asian Leadership Competency Model

At the core of our training is the proprietary MLI Asian Leadership Competency Model, aligning each module with critical global business competencies.

Global Market Success

Our program equips your team to effectively engage with rapidly expanding markets by leveraging the unique insights and connections of your Asian employees.

Holistic Development

The program extends beyond individual growth, enhancing cultural fluency and among sponsors and managers.

About your speaker

Joy Chen 陈愉

A child of immigrants turned trailblazer in global leadership development

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Joy Chen, CEO of the Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI), is a trailblazer in global cross-cultural leadership development. A former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles and executive recruiter for Fortune 500 CEOs and Board members, her leadership has spanned three continents and been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, and Vogue China.

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As Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles, Joy led economic and workforce development for a culturally diverse city whose workforce speaks 90+ languages. Her initiatives, aimed at equipping Angelenos with the necessary skills for global economic success, endure as policy benchmarks. Transitioning to the corporate sphere, Joy joined Heidrick & Struggles and over seven years recruited global leaders across North America, Europe, and Asia.

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The pivot to leadership development was serendipitously sparked by the success of Joy's leadership blog in China, launching her there as a keynote speaker, author, and training organization founder serving millions in Asia and the Americas.

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At the Multicultural Leadership Institute, Joy and her team deliver training that integrates global leadership expertise with insights from across the social sciences, enabling audiences to connect across cultures to enhance collaboration and achieve ambitious growth targets.

See Joy's full bio, backstory and media features

Voices of Success

"Joy is captivating! She brings a unique blend of cutting-edge research, real-life stories and practical insights. I’d recommend her as a leadership speaker for any convention."

Ngan Nguyen
Senior Vice President

"Joy connects deeply with the hearts and minds of every audience member, inspiring and equipping us all to stronger leadership."

Mia Newell
Director

"Joy Chen is a strong and clear voice onstage. Her thought leadership is grounded in research and lived experience that makes for a compelling (and often, humorous!) listen. Her tailored content has propelled thousands of learners. The Multicultural Institute is a must-have resource for those committed to the development of leaders."

Angela Cheng-Cimini
Chief Human Resources Officer

"Before this course, I never really knew where to start unraveling my own invisible barriers to advancement. Through this course, I’ve found my roadmap. Now, I can confidently take back control and drive my career."

Peter Yo
Vice President

"I’ve done a ton of leadership training, seen many courses that rehash the same ideas, or are less actionable, or really long. Joy’s lessons are novel, and they cut to the chase, giving us only what we need to know. I’m super grateful for that."

Lian Huang
Senior Counsel

"Joy's program helps us to unlock the competencies we need to advance our careers, and to connect with other rising Asian leaders, so that we can uplift one another and others alongside us."

Brian Pang
Development Director

"The program provided me knowledge of roadblocks that I didn’t know existed, and that I can now overcome by being purposeful with my actions."

Heather Hansen
Global Consultant

"The program contains practical advice and tools we can use to succeed in corporate America. All are specific to the AAPI community and backed by research and data. It is really great!"

Helen Ahn
Associate Director

"This course made a huge difference in how I approach work. I’ve been sharing the techniques and lessons with coworkers who would find them useful."

Hedi Cho
Supervisor

"I highly recommend the Asian Leadership Accelerator by Joy. It was filled with incredible API-tailored knowledge and many helpful takeaways. I found so much value in the cohort interaction."

Bernice Chao
Creative Lead

Alumni Spotlight

Venture capitalist: Jie Li

Meet Jie Li. An immigrant from China, she studied at the world’s top universities and then was recruited to a dream Wall Street job. But it was through the Asian American Leadership Accelerator that she unlocked her potential.

Partner at Oak Seed Ventures
Former Morgan Stanley investment banker
Harvard MBA
Cornell University AB

Dive into her authentic journey.

Enhance Your Global Business Impact

Ready to elevate your organization's growth and innovation? Discover how our Asian Leadership Programs can help you propel your organization in the global marketplace. Fill out the form below to get started.

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