Imagine a future in which all of our identities are celebrated, where we feel empowered to lead with the values of our respective cultures, identities, and experiences because of our differences, not in spite of. That’s the future I’m working towards. And I invite you to work with me to get us there.

The world is changing. Society is changing. But who we see as leaders and how we define leadership has stayed relatively the same for nearly a century.

From who and what we see as beautiful, to how we are expected to behave at work, it’s time to rethink leadership so that it is inclusive of our vibrant cultures, identities, and values.

Our future and collective ability to thrive depends on it.

What I Do

I’m Dr. Annie V. Lam and for over 15 years, I have worked with organizations to change how we think about leadership and who we see as leaders.

I transform organizations to uplift women, system-impacted groups, and communities of color to own their beauty and power and to disrupt leadership standards. I create programs that empower those impacted by inequity to understand the richness of their own culture, values and ethnic diversity and the power of sharing their own stories. These programs provide access to resources, mentors and role models to learn from while also building a community of support that allows us to collectively transform the way we think about and see leadership.

From who we see on the movie screen, to the music we hear, to who we vote for to make key decisions that impact our everyday lives, we have been subconsciously conditioned to equate certain behaviors, cultures, and values as the standard. As a result, our identities don’t feel valued and, instead, we feel the need to adapt and change how we show ourselves to the world in order to fit definitions and expectations that actually do not move us towards an improved future.

The future of leadership will allow for the richness of diverse experiences, perspectives, values, cultures, and identities.

My Journey

I often think about where I am and how I got here. It was a long journey and I had a lot of help along the way. Today, I have an Education Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership, a master’s degree in Public Administration and certificate in public policy from the University of Southern California, in addition to a bachelor’s degree with honors in Asian American studies from University of California Davis.

Growing up in South Sacramento, I would never have imagined achieving the education I eventually obtained or holding the various professional roles I’ve had. I certainly did not think I would be the Principal and Founder of my own company or that I would be leading multiple nonprofit organizations.

As a Limited English Proficient kid, I attended under-resourced public schools that were surrounded by violence and crime. I vividly remember the walls that were built around my elementary school to keep us safe from bullets. During the summers, it was routine for me to work alongside my parents, picking fruits in the farm fields to make ends meet. Looking back, I realize that I struggled more than I was able to comprehend at the time.

When I think about my childhood experiences, I know that my outcome isn’t the outcome that most people like us typically end up being able to achieve. And that is a problem I want to fix.

I faced many "breaking moments" that challenged me both personally and professionally. These experiences were pivotal points in my journey. Through the trials and tribulations, I never lost my curiosity and determination to learn and improve, and I exercised what I now recognize as a "Growth Mindset" to overcome obstacles. These efforts ultimately led me to invaluable resources, mentors, and lessons that helped me achieve the success that I enjoy today.

Now, I use my lived experiences and my academic training to create data-backed solutions to pass on powerful lessons. These are lessons I wish I knew early on. I design innovative training programs to close systemic gaps and to help share knowledge, especially for people who may not have access to generational knowledge, wealth, or networks of support.

Why I do It

When I started working in the halls of power in the California state Legislature, I didn’t feel like I completely belonged. The imposter phenomenon is powerful. I didn’t feel like I was smart enough and I didn’t feel like I could openly share my story because people around me didn’t share the same family background.

Through education and a lot of self-reflection I realized I felt that way because our institutions weren’t built to make all of us feel like we belong. We live in a society where it feels normal to “adjust” so we can fit in. It becomes normalized to leave behind our cultural values.

It took me a long time to get comfortable with sharing my story. I learned to recognize the power of my own story and the significance of normalizing stories like mine so that young people can see themselves through those narratives.

Many of my childhood stories are the stories of other children of immigrant families and each of us brings a unique lens to how we see our world.

Our stories are our strength. Our strengths are our stories.

I am the daughter of Chinese refugees who fled Vietnam during the Sino Chinese Vietnam war. My family’s hardships and my upbringing conditioned me to persevere and charge forward despite mistakes and failures. My parents instilled in me early on to take risks, have courage to stand up for what I believe in, help those who need it, be resourceful, and innovate by testing out my ideas and transforming them into something tangible and meaningful.

I apply these values on the daily to my changemaking work; my identity and life experiences shaped how I lead.

It is my hope that my multiracial daughter, and future generations of Asian Americans, Blacks, Indigenous, people of color, and all marginalized groups, will be able to live in a society where they can fully embrace who they are, to be all of who they want to be, and to go further than I could ever imagine.