Michelle Li, Moderator

Michelle Li is an award-winning, veteran journalist who co-launched the Very Asian Foundation in January 2022 alongside friend and fellow journalist Gia Vang.

Her response to a racist voicemail became a global movement of unity and caught the attention of The Ellen Show. Ellen’s monetary gift of $15,000 helped start the seed money to create a non profit focused on shining a light on Asian life through advocacy and celebration. Not only did the Very Asian Foundation raise tens of thousands of dollars for AANHPI nonprofits in its first 100 days, but it also launched a national awareness youth literature campaign called The May Book Project, and started the Very Asian Creators microgrant program for people who needed startup funds to pivot in their careers.

A Korean adoptee, Michelle spent many years supporting adoptees through heritage camps and volunteer tours to Korea. She also launched a program to support Missouri children in foster care. This work led to a congressional award in 2010. Michelle’s reporting has been honored with a national Peabody Award, four national Murrows, and multiple regional Emmys– often for covering topics related to race or gender inequities. Her work on the Asian American experience in St. Louis during the pandemic was also named a duPont finalist in 2023. Michelle has appeared on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, and The Washington Post. She released a children’s book with Gloo Books called A Very Asian Guide to Korean Food.

Michelle currently resides in St. Louis with her family. She is @michellelitv on most platforms.

Dr. Changfu Chang, Panelist

Dr. Changfu Chang is an award-winning filmmaker who has produced a dozen documentaries on identities and cultural issues. His releases include Ricki’s Promise (2014), winner of several awards at prestigious international film festivals, selection of the Library of Congress, and part of the Smithsonian Institution’s series in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month in 2016; Meet Me On The Bridge (2017), a BBC documentary that received over 60 million views within weeks after its online release in 2018; Silent War (2025), a groundbreaking documentary that confronts the deep silence surrounding mental health in Asian American communities.

Changfu’s films have been shown on PBS, National Geographic Television, and BBC. Leading media outlets including the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, CBS Evening News, and NPR have covered his work. In 2021, Reader’s Digest ran a special feature article on Dr. Chang and his work in over 21 languages and 29 editions worldwide.

A native of Jiangsu Province, China, Changfu began his career in television in the early 1990s when he started working as a writer and director in the Documentary Department at a major Chinese television station. Aside from being an independent filmmaker producing human-interest stories with an Asian American focus, he has also served as a consultant on several international film projects and frequently given public lectures. He resides in Severna Park, Maryland and enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and photography.

Dr. Min Liu, Panelist

Min Liu, Ph.D. is a Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) where her teaching and scholarship is often at the intersections of culture and health. Committed to fostering civic engagement and youth leadership, she co-founded the Asian American Civic Scholars (AACS) initiative in 2018 with area high school students, creating a platform for young people to engage in meaningful community work.  In 2020 AACS began its community education work on mental health among the Asian American community.  Its AAPI Youth Mental Health Initiative, which she co-directs with Dr. Hemla Singaravelu, offers listening circles for parents, hosts the annual St. Louis AAPI Mental Health Summit, and empowers high school students as youth advocates who combat harmful community norms around mental health.  

Rorke Chhouk, PLPC, Panelist

Rorke Chhouk, PLPC, lived in Southern California for most of their life and has since cultivated deep roots in St. Louis. Rorke has a background in public health and racial justice and received their MEd in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2023. Rorke practices an integrative counseling approach that ties together person-centered and strength-based therapy that prioritizes self-acceptance, self-awareness, and one’s mind-and-body connection.

They are also dedicated to advocating for disenfranchised communities, inclusive urbanism, and alternative systems. In their free time, Rorke is writing a collection of essays focusing on their Southeast Asian racial identity and how it exists in the United States’ Black-and-White racial paradigm. Rorke also enjoys spending time jogging, working on house projects, playing board games, and learning Khmer.

We hope you had a positive experience at today’s event! We are always looking for ways to improve experiences for our guests and would appreciate your feedback in our short post-event survey.