An evening of reflection, storytelling, and connection…

honoring Asian American Heritage through personal narratives of cultural reclamation and reinvention. This gathering will center the voices of local Asian- Americans from across the diaspora as they share stories of reconnecting with their identity, navigating cultural inheritance, and creating new expressions of belonging.

Whether you come to reflect on your own experiences or to better understand the journeys of others, this is a space for listening, learning, and honoring the richness of AAPI voices.

Light bites will be served!

Meet the Panel

Caitlin Behle - Multidisciplinary Storyteller & Facilitator

Caitlin (she/her) builds community by connecting the dots between people, places, and the systems that shape us. She's organized citywide campaigns to celebrate Cincinnati's AAPI communities, produced videos about social justice movement builders, facilitated workshops to co-design stories with marginalized communities, and reimagined senior programs with Black and Asian elders. Caitlin was born in Korea and raised in Kentucky as a transnational adoptee, an upbringing that gave her a solid sense of humor and an insatiable curiosity about people. 

Dora Cheng - Owner of Yee Mama

Chiuyee (Dora) Cheng, owner and head chef of Yee Mama, grew up in Hong Kong and moved to the US when she was 17. Unable to find flavors that reminded her of home, Dora founded Yee Mama in August 2020 to reconnect with her roots and share those flavors with the community. Yee Mama started as an online shop specializing in frozen handmade wontons made with fresh, quality ingredients. The business has since expanded into retail and wholesale.

Cameron Sagatchi - Ultrasonic Immersion Specialist

Cameron Sagatchi is a first-generation American born and raised in Charlotte, NC, with family roots in Tehran and Tabriz, Iran. Growing up in a Middle Eastern household in the South and attending private school shaped his perspective on identity and belonging.

Much of his childhood was spent in his family’s downtown Charlotte restaurant—an ironic setting that never served Persian food. Today, Cameron brings that same attentiveness to detail to his work as an Ultrasonic Immersion Specialist, inspecting aircraft engine components for internal flaws.

Ruzanna Rozman - Founder of a Stranger kolektiv

Ruzanna Rozman (she/they) is a designer, a teacher, a drummer, and generally an overenergized person with a love for celebrating people’s true strengths. She's/they're the founder and facilitator of a Stranger kolektiv, an initiative for creative professionals to embody their personal values in their work and inspire more meaningful connections. She/they first moved to the U.S. from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2010 to explore a sense of identity, shifting from a slightly conservative aesthetic to sporting bright vintage-inspired colors before settling into a lite grunge rock vibe in her/their personal presentation (for now).

Sonya Verma - Owner of Inner Radiant Life

Sonya Verma MHSA, MBI is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, 1000-hour E-RYT Yoga and Sound therapist. She received her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of Kentucky and two master’s degrees: a master’s in Healthcare Administration from Xavier University and a Master’s in Business Informatics from Northern Kentucky University. While getting her Master’s Degree at Xavier University, she specialized her degree in long-term care. Prior to completing her master’s degree, she attended medical school for two years but pivoted to focus on other integrative health modalities and has worked in corporate healthcare for many years.

Alena O’Donnell - VP of Inclusion & Belonging at Women Helping Women

Alena From across the Pacific, Alena was transplanted and adopted into a Cincinnati family. Given a chance at life at age 8, the stage was set for her 30-year career in public service, the arts, and nonprofit leadership. She now serves as VP of Inclusion & Belonging at Women Helping Women, and she oversees the Women of Color in Tech initiative at the Cincinnati Chamber. Her Hawaiian roots recently stretched across the continent, reconnecting her to her birth family in a big, beautiful, hula-filled way. As one cousin told her: ‘o ‘olua kekahi ‘apena o ka kaua ‘ohaa a hiki I ka hopene o ka manawa — you are both part of our family and will be until the end of time.

Billy Guingundo - President of the Filipino American Association of Southern Ohio

Billy Guinigundo works as a lawyer, specializing in criminal defense. The youngest son of first generation Filipino immigrants, he grew up in the Cincinnati suburbs in the 1970's. After studying and working in Chicago for college and graduate school, he returned to Cincinnati in 2001. He serves as the current president of the Filipino American Association of Southern Ohio (FASO) and as a board member of Asianati. He enjoys playing golf and pickleball, learning new board games, and transporting his daughter to numerous extracurricular activities including Filipino dance, softball, and Sunday school.