Saba Nafees
Scientist & Board Member
A scientist using rigor and storytelling to expand who gets to lead in STEM — and a member of CAPAW's board.
Every action, no matter how small, makes a difference.
CAPAWinvestsinwomentobuildpersonalpowerfora more inclusive future.
A national community developing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander — and all — women into Whole Person Leaders.Centered in our heritage. Open to anyone ready to lead.
Welcome our new CEO
Holly Ellazar joins CAPAW
18+ years of leadership across nonprofit, corporate, and government — grounded in equity and her Filipino heritage.
Read the announcementTrusted partners
Founded 1995 · 200+ APAWLI fellowsBacked by partners across America
Our Story
Who we are.
What we do.
CAPAW — the Center for Asian Pacific American Women — is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the enhancement and enrichment of leadership skills for women through education, networking, and mentorship.
We support the development of Whole Person Leaders — where individuals can lean into who they are with self-confidence. Centered in AANHPI heritage. Open to anyone ready to lead.
Educate
Leadership institutes, fellowships, and learning that meets women where they are.
Network
A national community of 200+ APAWLI fellows and a growing circle of allies.
Mentor
1:1 and group mentorship pairing emerging leaders with women who've walked the path.
★ The centerpiece
Find your path
Two quick questions. We'll point you to the program built for where you are.
Where shall we begin?
There's a program here for almost every chapter. We'll help you find yours in under a minute.
Programs
Built for every chapter of a leader's life
Drag to explore — or use the arrows.
For Mid-career AANHPI women (open to all)
APAWLI Fellowship
Our flagship leadership institute: 12–16 women a year, intensive virtual program plus a community impact project, joining a 200+ fellow network.
Next step
For Early-career women of color (≤5 years)
sHERO Discovery
Born after the 2021 Atlanta tragedy to build solidarity across communities. Cohorts of 16, biweekly evenings on Zoom over ~3 months. Phase 1 free.
Next step
For Women seeking guidance — and women ready to give it
Mentorship Program
A 7-month, virtual mentoring program — 1:1 matches plus monthly group development sessions.
Next step
For AANHPI women wanting community
Compassion Circles
Virtual peer-mentoring circles for AANHPI women — a place to be witnessed, not fixed.
Next step
For Everyone
APAWLI Book Club
A bi-monthly book club exploring leadership, identity, and growth.
Next step
For Everyone
What's Up CAPAW?
Stories and conversations from the community.
Next step
For All women of color
Women of Color Conference
Convenings co-hosted with partners to learn, connect, and act.
Next step
For Mid-career AANHPI women (open to all)
APAWLI Fellowship
Our flagship leadership institute: 12–16 women a year, intensive virtual program plus a community impact project, joining a 200+ fellow network.
Next step
For Early-career women of color (≤5 years)
sHERO Discovery
Born after the 2021 Atlanta tragedy to build solidarity across communities. Cohorts of 16, biweekly evenings on Zoom over ~3 months. Phase 1 free.
Next step
For Women seeking guidance — and women ready to give it
Mentorship Program
A 7-month, virtual mentoring program — 1:1 matches plus monthly group development sessions.
Next step
For AANHPI women wanting community
Compassion Circles
Virtual peer-mentoring circles for AANHPI women — a place to be witnessed, not fixed.
Next step
For Everyone
APAWLI Book Club
A bi-monthly book club exploring leadership, identity, and growth.
Next step
For Everyone
What's Up CAPAW?
Stories and conversations from the community.
Next step
For All women of color
Women of Color Conference
Convenings co-hosted with partners to learn, connect, and act.
Next step
CAPAW in Action
Conversations, on tape.
The Moana Nui × CAPAW series — practical, generous, deeply personal talks on negotiation, intersectionality, time, and emotional intelligence.
★ Our Origin · How we began
The Starfish Story.
On a beach at dawn, after a great storm, thousands of starfish lay washed ashore. A young woman walked the shoreline, bending again and again, returning starfish to the sea.
A passerby asked: there are thousands. What difference can you possibly make?
"I made a difference to that one."
Founded in 1995 by Martha Lee and 18 Warrior Sisters, CAPAW has been picking up starfish ever since — one woman, one leader, one community at a time.
Our model
We don't develop résumés.
We develop whole people.
Five dimensions orbit a single center — leadership rooted in the full self.
Whole Person
Leader
Leader
Dimension 1 of 5
Relational
The networks, mentors, and chosen family that shape who we become — leadership is built in relationship.
Our Impact
Three decades of measurable change.
What APAWLI fellows say after the program — in their own words, on their own surveys.
0%
of fellows felt more confident leading after APAWLI
APAWLI alumni survey
0%
advanced into a new leadership role within two years
APAWLI alumni survey
0%
connected to a national network of AANHPI women leaders
APAWLI alumni survey
Impact of Donations
0+
women reached across the U.S.
CAPAW supports education and training scholarships and travel support for under-resourced fellows. Every gift opens another seat at the table.
Agents for Change
Meet the women rewriting what leadership looks like.
Romana Lee-Akiyama
Community Strategist
A connector and movement-builder in AANHPI civic leadership, working at the intersections others overlook.
Patrice Tanaka
Founder & Author
Award-winning entrepreneur and author guiding leaders to design lives of purpose and joy.
Marisa Hamamoto
Founder
Founded the first professional dance company for dancers with and without disabilities — redefining who belongs on stage.
Kate Lee
Community Leader
Convener of women across sectors, channeling community wisdom into measurable change.
Voices of our fellows
Real women. Real change.
“APAWLI gave me the strength to embrace my authentic self, to conquer my fears and to lead with my whole heart.”
Jessica Li
Nonprofit leader · APAWLI alumna
Leadership
The women steering CAPAW
President & CEO
Holly Ellazar
Filipina leader with 18+ years across nonprofit, corporate, and government. She has led multimillion-dollar workforce initiatives connecting women and underrepresented talent to meaningful careers.
President & CEO Emerita
Sue Ann Hong-Whitaker
Stewarded CAPAW through a defining decade of growth, deepening the APAWLI fellowship and expanding the organization's national footprint.
Give
Invest in the next generation of women leaders.
Every gift funds another fellowship seat, another circle, another woman finding her voice.
Donate