LEAP

LEAP’s mission is to achieve full participation and equality for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through leadership, empowerment, and policy.

Since its founding in 1982, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) has been intent on 'growing leaders' within the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities across the country. When LEAP opened its doors 25 years ago, it had a simple yet powerful idea: that in order for AAPI communities to realize their full potential and to foster robust participation in the larger democratic process, those communities would have to begin producing leaders who could advocate and speak on their behalf.

A national, nonprofit organization, LEAP works to achieve its mission by: Developing people, because leaders are made, not born; Informing society, because leaders know the issues; and Empowering communities, because leaders are grounded in strong, vibrant communities.

Guided by its leadership development philosophy that AAPIs can retain their unique cultures, identities and values while developing new and vital skills that will make them effective leaders within their own organizations, their communities and the broader society, LEAP recognizes that the need for AAPI leadership has two separate but inextricably linked components: quantity and quality. Not only is there a need for greater numbers of AAPI leaders, but these leaders also must be more effective if AAPI communities are to thrive and become full participating members of this American democracy.

Through the creation of culturally relevant workshops and programs, 125,000 people across the nation have participated in over 2,500 leadership development programs, organizational development workshops, career management and diversity trainings for an extensive roster of clients, including colleges and universities, community and student organizations, federal and state government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies across the country. Click here to view client list.

In addition to our signature leadership development programs and workshops, LEAP has also been publishing focused policy analyses on issues affecting the AAPI community for the last 15 years.

Unmatched in vision and scope, LEAP is dedicated to encouraging individuals to assume leadership positions at work and in the community, to be civically informed and engaged in policy issues relevant to AAPIs, and ultimately, to become role models for future leaders.

Having grown steadily from our roots as a volunteer organization offering community training in Southern California, LEAP continues to nurture a steady flow of well-trained and informed leaders throughout the U.S and is uniquely positioned to expand the civic participation, public understanding and leadership development of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.