Itu Otu

Board Member

Itu Otu is the Senior Manager of Supplier Diversity at Wyndham Worldwide. He is a 20 year veteran of supplier diversity. Itu has been with the company for over a year. He came from Mars Chocolate North America, where he served as the Supplier Diversity Manager for 5 years. His efforts have led to increased spend (CAGR 9%) with Minority and Women Business Enterprises (MWBEs). He created a robust Second tier procurement initiative that encouraged Mars business partners to engage more diverse businesses and a mentoring program that positioned mentees for immediate business opportunities. For these initiatives and the impact his efforts have had in the communities we do business, he received the Nation’s Champions of Diversity Award in 2011.

Prior to joining Mars, he had a 22 year career at the Walt Disney World Resort where he progressed through several roles within Merchandising, Accounting, Finance, Minority and Women Business Development and was instrumental in positioning Walt Disney World Resort as a choice destination for multicultural convention businesses.

Itu is a member of the Food & Beverage Group of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, and a Brain Trust member of the United States Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce.

Itu served on the boards of two non-profit organizations. He was the chairman of the board of directors for the African Community Association of Central Florida, Inc., and the treasurer for the Hope Waddell Training Institute Old Student Association North America, Inc.Itu served on the boards of two non-profit organizations. He was the chairman of the board of directors for the African Community Association of Central Florida, Inc., and the treasurer for the Hope Waddell Training Institute Old Student Association North America, Inc.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Rust College, Hollyprings, Mississippi and Master of Business Administration degree from Nova University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Itu is married to Henrietta and blessed with two wonderful children, Tameka and Etim.

Lily Hui

Treasurer

Lily Hui, Partner with Raich Ende Malter & Co. LLP, is based in their New York City office. She specializes in working with closely and privately held companies. She has experience serving a wide range of industries, which include manufacturing, importer, wholesale & distribution, law firms, owner-operated real estate and professional service organizations.

Education

Bernard M. Baruch College

• Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting

Specific Experience

• Audits, reviews and compilations of financial statements in various industries such as manufacturing, wholesale/distribution, law firm and professional services and real estate.
• Review and evaluation of the internal control environment
• Maintains client relationships and assists in providing technical guidance and consultation
• Works closely with clients providing planning opportunities, financial and tax forecasts, and projections for both business and individual clients
• Works with domestic and multinational companies with international exposure
• Industry specialization in employee benefit plan audits, including 401(k) plans, defined benefit plans and other qualified retirement plans
• Extensive experience with S corporation and partnership taxation

Industry Involvement

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA)
• Member, Employee Benefits Committee, NYSSCPA
• Asian American Real Estate Association – Northeast

Aziz Ahmad

Board Member

Aziz Ahmad is the CEO and President of UTC Associates, Inc., a leading systems and network integration company. Mr. Ahmad’s career in the telecommunications and information technology industry spans nearly two decades. During that time, he progressed steadily upwards in the ranks of management and business leadership positions, in some of the largest and technically advanced companies in the United States.

Mr. Ahmad’s travels and international business experiences, particularly in Bangladesh, inspired him to found US Bangladesh Partners, a business endeavor focused on developing business opportunities for US, Canadian, Pacific Rim and global companies, seeking to invest in, source from, do business with, manufacture in, joint venture or partner in Bangladesh. In support of this endeavor, US Bangladesh Partners and UTC Associates, Inc. have brought together their networks of chambers of commerce, corporate leaders, the academic and business communities to introduce and connect them to the opportunities available in Bangladesh, including organizing and co-hosting the 2009 Bangladesh Investment Summit in NYC, at which the Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina presided, the 2010 Power and Energy Investment Road Show, and the US Bangladesh Technology Summit in 2010.

He also founded Vonair, Inc. (www.vonair.com), a leading multimedia based applications provider, including VoIP client based, location-based applications, presence, instant messaging, and mobile client applications.
Aziz is the recipient of the City University of New York’s First Asian American Distinguished Alumni Award, in recognition of his significant business success and many philanthropic endeavors. He serves as the Managing Director of Grameen Solutions (www.grameensolutions.com), where Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus serves as the Chairman of the Board. He also serves as a board member of numerous other technology companies in the USA and Bangladesh.

He holds B.E. and M.E. degrees in Electrical Engineering from The City College of New York (CUNY).

Albert Wei

Board Member

Albert Wei, President of Vizion Logistics, LLC, founded and established Vizion Logistics in March 2003 with his brother, Benjamin Wei. With over 40 years of combined experience, Albert and Ben decided to create a boutique logistics company; its objectives mainly to a) provide exceptional service to its clients; b) create a team of professionals who will have direct influence over the company’s bottom line and; c) have a “flat corporate structure”, instilling a sense of family unity.

Prior to Vizion, Albert was the Senior Vice President of Rical Logistics in both Los Angeles and New York. Albert has also lived and worked in Bangkok, Thailand as the Managing Director of Expeditors International, and was recruited to set up the Bangkok office. Previous to his logistics career, Albert was a banking executive with The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). Albert graduated from the bank’s one year intensive “Executive Training Program,” which included a three-week Outward Bound course and a six month posting in the Solomon Islands. Albert has worked in various executive positions in the consumer banking, cash management and corporate finance divisions based in Hong Kong, New York and Los Angeles.

Albert graduated from SUNY Albany with a BA in Economics. Albert is married with two children. He loves to golf and hopes to dedicate more of his time to his heritage. Albert was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the United States in 1969. He speaks fluent Cantonese and Mandarin.

Melanie Gunn

Board Member

Melanie Gunn serves as Assistant Manager, Supplier Diversity for Time Warner Inc. In this role, she is the primary contact and liaison for supplier diversity at Time Warner Corporate. Melanie is also responsible for managing the supplier diversity website & database, filling MWBE sourcing requests, coordinating internal and external outreach activities, and assisting all TW divisions with their supplier diversity efforts.

Sundari Pai Luts

Board Member

Sundari Pai Luts is the Strategic Communications, PR and Supplier Diversity Manager at Artech, the largest women-owned IT services firm in the United States. She manages the Supplier Diversity program at Artech where she takes care of client and vendor relationships, mentorship programs and ensuring equal opportunities to all certified suppliers via the supply chain. She also leads all public relations and strategic communications which include social media, marketing, corporate & brand communications.

As a board member of USPAACC- NE chapter, Sundari works on key chamber initiatives to propel economic growth by opening doors of contracts and developing educational and professional opportunities for Asian Americans and their business partners in corporate American and government agencies. She also serves on the Brain Trust Committee for USPAACC – National organization helping to chart the course towards successful conferences for corporations, government agencies, and the diverse pan Asian American business community. Sundari’s overarching goal is to educate the public on USPAACC’s different initiatives.

Sundari also sits on the Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee (MBEIC) with the New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council (The Council) with a mission to help New York & New Jersey Council-certified minority-owned businesses grow and expand by providing counsel and specific program recommendations. She has also served on the program and special events committees of The Council since 2009, providing initiatives to expand business opportunities for minority-owned suppliers by linking them with purchasers in the public and private sectors. Sundari is also heavily involved with The Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO), Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and its other affiliates.

With a strong passion for Supplier diversity, Sundari continues to grow her engagement with various minority business councils, state offices, chambers of commerce and other institutions, for initiatives to expand business opportunities for minority-owned suppliers by connecting them with purchasers in the public and private sectors.

Prior to joining Artech, Sundari worked for various commercial and government (DoD) agencies handling their marketing, communications, and public relations, along with establishing supplier diversity as a program. 

Sundari has a Masters (M.A.) in Mass Communication from the University of Maine - Orono, Maine, and Bachelors of Engineering (B.E.) in Print and Media Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology - Manipal, India. She lives in Northern New Jersey with her husband Daniel and is currently pursuing her second Masters (M.A.) in Professional (Corporate & Strategic) Communication from William Paterson University. 

Jessica Choi

Board Member

As assistant vice president of talent acquisition and diversity, Jessica is responsible for developing best practices for talent benchmarking, talent assessment, and interviewing effectiveness for the Career Agency System at Penn Mutual. She is focused on supporting Penn Mutual’s efforts on recruiting a talented workforce and identifying candidates with passion and strong goals who can envision themselves growing and shaping their career at Penn Mutual.

Jessica has held various positions in diversity and inclusion, human resources, operations, sales, and other corporate functions with companies in the professional services and pharmaceutical distribution industries.

Jessica started her career with ARAMARK and worked in a variety of food service operations roles with increasing responsibilities before transitioning to a human resources function where she developed a high school internship program. Later, Jessica was in charge of leading strategic workforce planning before moving into a sales function where she managed large national account portfolios.

Jessica then became responsible for supplier diversity where she was charged with enhancing the ability to gain and retain business, promote capacity, and create policies that promote operational efficiency. She then led a global diversity and inclusion strategy and managed corporate partnerships with key external and industry organizations that aligned with business goals.

While with AmerisourceBergen, Jessica was the Director of Diversity and Inclusion where she was responsible for integrating global diversity and inclusion practices into business strategies as well as the enhancement of a diverse and high performing workforce.

Jessica serves as an Ambassador to the Elevate Leadership Forum by the University of California San Diego, a Corporate Brain Trust Co-Chair for the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce, and the Women’s Business Enterprise Council Certification and Awards Committee. She holds a B.S. from the Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from University of Phoenix. 

Omer Mutaqi

Board Member

Omer Mutaqi is the Chief Operating Leader at MY HR Supplier located in Stamford, in the New England State of Connecticut. The business spans all over the United States with concentration in the East Coast Region.

Omer Started at Horizon Staffing back in 1998 as the Head of Recruiting Department and progressed to become a Branch Manager and successively promoted to Regional Manager in 2004 when he took over Horizon Staffing operation in CT, NY and PA. In 2007, Omer was promoted as the Managing Director –East Coast.

Omer Mutaqi managed a large portfolio of the recruitment business of Horizon Staffing in a successful manner. He brings to the table as a recruiter/ area head/ and a business development manager - business understanding, a dedicated commitment to customer satisfaction, a passion for qualified candidates and demonstrating flexibility to accommodate changes to help the business.

Omer has provided recruiting services to organizations across the East Coast from his base in Connecticut location. His business understanding and commitment to his clients’ success with more than one decade of focused industry experience Omer proves his ability to connect talent with the businesses need of his clients.

Omer started MY HR in May 2011 as Chief Operating Leader. In this capacity, he was responsible for the business growth by implementing internal process, bringing in new vendors. He has to his credit the effective roll out of social media marketing plan with the alignment of technology to build MY HR brand.  He is also developing internal diverse team leaders throughout the USA to bring MY HR to its new heights.

He works with the client companies and as such he builds everlasting relationship with clients and candidates alike.

Khoa Le

Board Member

Khoa is a results-driven entrepreneur and professional filmmaker with extensive experience in films, commercials, and corporate branding. As the founder of KVibe Productions, LLC and it's subsidiaries, Live Picture Studios and Climb The Search, Khoa established a reputation amongst the clients for delivering exceptional work in a timely fashion.   

Le established KVibe Productions, an award-winning full service film and video production company, in 2012 and its subsidiary, Live Picture Studios (LPS). Since it's inception, LPS has exponentially grown to become one of the most distinguished companies in the wedding industry for its cinematic wedding film services completing over 300 weddings a year. His company was awarded "Best of the Knot Weddings" in 2013, 2014 and 2015, as well as WeddingWire's "Bride's Choice Award in 2014 and 2015."   

Khoa is motivated by the belief that he can create an organization that not only delivers quality results, but one where employees will wake up inspired to come to work each day. Ultimately, through KVibe and its subsidiaries, Khoa aim to create more employment opportunities across all industries.

Punita Patel

Board Member

Responsible for developing and engaging certified minority-owned, women-owned, LGBT-owned, disability owned, veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses to integrate them into the JPMorgan Chase sourcing and procurement processes.
 
Manage internal relationships between lines of business and global supplier diversity team to create firm-wide awareness and foster partnerships with global supplier diversity program
 
Direct the development and implementation of supplier diversity best practices, strategies, procedures and tactics to build an inclusive diverse supply chain
 
Drive diverse supplier utilization goals enterprise-wide
 
Champion for the growth of supplier diversity initiative internally and externally
 
Maintain visibility of the firm's supplier diversity activity and recognition within JPMorgan Chase and outwardly to build brand equity with targeted consumer markets
 
Facilitate strategic procurement alliances with business leaders, suppliers, customers and community