Zbigniew Brzezinski is the Robert E. Osgood Professor of American Foreign Policy at the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. He is also Counselor and Trustee of the Center for Strategic & International Studies. From 1977-1981, Dr. Brzezinski was the National Security Adviser to the President of the United States. For his role in the normalization of U.S.-Chinese relations and contributions to the human rights and national security policies of the United States, Dr. Brzezinski was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981. He is the author of the recently released Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower and the best-seller The Grand Failure: The Birth and Death of Communism in the 20th Century. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International, Council on Foreign Relations, Atlantic Council, and the National Endowment for Democracy.

Daniel K. Inouye is the Senator from Hawaii and the third most senior member of the U.S. Senate. He is known for his distinguished record as a legislative leader, and as a World War II combat veteran who earned the nation's highest award for military valor, the Medal of Honor. Although he was thrust into the limelight in the 1970s as a member of the Watergate Committee and in 1987 as Chairman of the Iran-Contra Committee, he has also quietly made his mark as a respected legislator able to work in a bipartisan fashion to enact meaningful legislation. As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Inouye has been able to focus on defense matters that strengthen national security, and enhance the quality of life for military personnel and their families.

Henry A. Kissinger is Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc., a company he formed in 1983. Dr. Kissinger served as Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977 and as National Security Advisor to the President from 1969 to 1975. He has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He currently serves on numerous corporate and charitable Boards and Advisory Boards including the Defense Policy Board, the International Council of JPMorgan Chase, and the International Advisory Board of American International Group (which he chairs). He is an Honor Member of the International Olympic Committee. Dr. Kissinger has B.A., M.A. and PhD degrees from Harvard University, where he was a faculty member from 1954 to 1969.

Indra K. Nooyi is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pepsi Co. She leads one of the world's largest convenient food and beverage companies, with 2008 revenues of more than $43 billion. Its principal businesses include Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices, and Quaker foods. Previously, Nooyi held senior positions with Asea Brown Boveri, Motorola, and the Boston Consulting Group. She began her career in India, where she held product manager positions at Johnson & Johnson and Mettur Beardsell, Ltd. Nooyi is a member of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Board of Trustees of Eisenhower Fellowships, and currently serves as Chairman of the U.S.-India Business Council.

Wal-Mart is committed to serving the Asian and Pacific Islander American community though its internal supplier diversity initiatives, partnerships with several national organizations and by providing financial assistance to causes important to the community. As a company, Wal-Mart employs over 41,000 Asian Americans and more than 5,000 Pacific Islanders.
Internationally, Wal-Mart began its retail operations in China in 1996 with the opening of a Supercenter and Sam's Club in Shenzhen. As an outstanding corporate citizen, Wal-Mart actively gives back to the community. Wal-Mart China is working to stay on the leading edge of sustainable store practices. Wal-Mart opened its first new-type eco-friendly and energy-saving store in Beijing on September 25. Compared with baseline stores in 2005, there are 23.28% power consumption and 16.85% water consumption savings for the new store stores. In October 2008 in Beijing, Wal-Mart hosted more than 1,000 leading suppliers, Chinese officials and NGOs to outline a series of aggressive goals and expectations to build a more environmentally and socially responsible global supply chain and become the best-in-class sustainable retailer.
Wal-Mart also has donated funds and in-kind support worth more than RMB36 million to local charities and welfare organizations over the past 12 years, including substantial donations to aimed at providing relief in the wake of last year's Sichuan earthquake and southern China's snowstorm.

Gary Locke is the current United States Secretary of Commerce. He is the first Chinese American to serve at this post. Locke was the 21st Governor of Washington, serving from 1997 to 2005. He is the nation's first and only Chinese American governor. During his two terms, Locke helped solve some of the state's most daunting economic challenges. He was instrumental in helping Washington State companies expand globally, especially in emerging markets, and played a central role in fostering economic relations between Greater China and Washington State. In 2006, he helped organize Chinese President Hu Jintao's trip to Seattle, Hu's only other American stop on his way to meet with President George W. Bush.

Cynthia Gouw is a nationally recognized television and radio reporter, actress, lawyer, and top model. She appeared in living rooms as a news anchor and reporter for the CBS and ABC affiliates in the top media markets in the country. As a veteran television journalist, Gouw won three Emmy Awards for coverage of the U.S., Asia, and Latin America. She has served as a host on Eye on L.A., E! Entertainment Television, and Asian Outlook. Gouw also reports for Pacific Time, a nationally syndicated (NPR/PRI) public radio show. In 1998, she was named the "$100-Thousand Dollar Spokesmodel Grand Champion," on Star Search with Ed McMahon: the first Asian American to do so. At the age of 42, More magazine named her one of the top 40-plus fashion/beauty models in the nation.

David Henry Hwang's plays include M. Butterfly (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Finalist), Golden Child (1997 OBIE Award, 1998 Tony Nomination), Yellow Face (2008 OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Finalist), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), The Dance and the Railroad (1982 Drama Desk nomination), Family Devotions (1982 Drama Desk Nomination) and Bondage. He wrote the libretti for the Broadway musicals Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida (co-author), the revival of Flower Drum Song (2002 Tony nomination) and Disney's Tarzan. In opera, his libretti include Philip Glass' The Voyage (Metropolitan Opera) Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar (two 2007 Grammy Awards), Unsuk Chin's Alice in Wonderland (Opernwelt 2007 "World Premiere of the Year") and Howard Shore's The Fly. Hwang also penned the feature films M. Butterfly, Golden Gate, and Possession (co-author). He serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild and was appointed by President Clinton to the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Hao Jiang Tian has earned widespread recognition as one of today's most talented basso cantantes since his Metropolitan Opera debut during the 1991-1992 season. He has appeared at the Metropolitan every subsequent season in over 26 roles including five new productions with stars such as Pavarotti, Domingo, Kanawa, and Milnes. Tian has also been highly praised for his appearances in many international theaters such as the Teatro Comunale in Florence, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Chicago Lyric Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Washington Opera, Opera de Nice, and in Tokyo. Tian has won acclaim for some of the greatest roles written for bass and these include Philip in Don Carlos, Procida in I Vespri Siciliani, and Mephistopheles in Faust.