On April 13, 2024, Harvard Business School and the Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America co-hosted the AI Innovation Summit at the prestigious Harvard Club in Boston. Professors, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and business owners from Harvard Business School convened to engage in discussions and offer platforms for exceptional graduates to present their business ventures. Lynda Applegate, the Baker Foundation Professor at HBS, plays a pivotal role in shaping and delivering HBS Executive Education Programs tailored for entrepreneurs and business owners. As one of the keynote speakers at the summit, Professor Applegate offered entrepreneurs and startup founders professional insights into career positioning and discussed leadership for ensuring sustained growth of their businesses in this dynamic and rapidly evolving era. As the second keynote speaker, Dr. Miao introduced the concept of spiritual capital. Dr. Miao emphasized that in this era of high concept and perception, achieving dreams is only feasible by enhancing spiritual capital. Spiritual capital, Dr. Miao highlighted, stands as the paramount strength of this era, serving as the fundamental impetus behind all accomplishments, the optimal avenue for personal growth, and the guiding light for humanity’s future development. Dr. Miao serves as the President of the Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America and holds roles as an author, educator, philanthropist, composer, and spiritual growth mentor. During the roundtable discussion, Andy Wu, Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School, Julian De Freitas, Assistant Professor of Business Administration in the Marketing Unit and Director of the Ethical Intelligence Lab at Harvard Business School, and Yuan Yuan, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Boston College, shared their insightful perspectives on “AI Unleashed: Navigating the Future of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” They thoroughly explored the AI industry from various professional angles, providing valuable insights and opening up new avenues of thought for the audience. Finally, three Asian women entrepreneurs from MIT and Harvard Business School showcased their pitches. Professors offered professional and refined suggestions for their pioneering ideas. Dr. Miao also provided in-depth guidance on business development and leadership enhancement. Furthermore, three Asian entrepreneurs were honored with the Excellent Entrepreneurs Award. Dr. Miao, serving as the award presenter, extended her heartfelt congratulations to the awardees and expressed her hope for the emergence of more young women leaders, who can develop and contribute to fostering a better and more vibrant world.
During the final speech, Dr. Miao pointed out that the most important thing in life is to fulfill one’s dreams. In this world, there are already many scholars, scientists, pioneers, and entrepreneurs illuminating the path forward for humanity, inspiring those who pursue their dreams.In this era of high concept and perception, realizing dreams is only possible by increasing spiritual capital. The world we inhabit is filled with information and noise. It’s not that people cannot see and hear, but rather they struggle to understand what they see and hear. Therefore, we need to promote the development of human minds, so that we are no longer troubled by trivial matters, but can rise above the surface and reach a deeper understanding of human nature. The AI Innovation Summit was attended by faculty and students from Harvard Business School, members of The Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America, as well as entrepreneurs from various industries. Attendees expressed their admiration and appreciation for the impactful event, eagerly anticipating future summits hosted by PAWA. Moving forward, PAWA is dedicated to organizing more events in the near future and will continue to provide assistance and services to the Asian American women’s community. Dr. Miao, president of The Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America(PAWA), Prof. Agustin Rayo, Dean of MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences(SHASS), Ms. Haflin Nazri Aziz, spouse of the Ambassador of Malaysia to the United States, and Ms. Grace Shi, Spokesperson of the International Institute of Well-Being (IIWB), attended as featured speakers in the EmpowHer Summit: Asian Women at the Forefront held on Sunday, February 25th, at the MIT Samberg Conference Center.
This groundbreaking event stands as MIT's first in history to exclusively spotlight the contributions and influence of Asian women in shaping the future of global impact. The summit cultivated an atmosphere of refinement and intellectual exchange among MIT deans, professors, and pioneering Asian women from diverse sectors. Attendees expressed their admiration and appreciation for the impactful event, eagerly awaiting future summits hosted by PAWA. It was a groundbreaking event this past Sunday at the MIT Samberg Conference Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The “EmpowHer Summit: Asian Women at the Forefront” marked the first occasion in MIT’s history to focus solely on how Asian women are shaping the future. Presented by MIT and The Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America (PAWA), the event’s keynote speakers included Dr. Miao, president of PAWA; Prof. Agustin Rayo, Dean of MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences(SHASS); and Ms.Yu Yu, the Matsutaro Shoriki Chair, Art of Asia at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Professor Rayo is a distinguished scholar in Philosophy, specializing in logic, metaphysics, and language, and is known for a concept named after him, “Rayo’s number.” During his keynote, which drew from his research in AI technology and how it’ll affect regulations, Professor Rayo said that Asian women will play a crucial role in addressing future global challenges. In fact, Professor Rayo said their contributions will be indispensable for world progress. Ms. Yu, born and raised in China, graduated from Wellesley College before obtaining her master’s degree from Boston University and a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Her doctoral dissertation focused on paintings from China’s Yuan dynasty. During her address at the summit, Ms. Yu shared her personal journey as an Asian woman, touching on themes of work-life balance and empowerment. Her story underscored the importance of self-empowerment and uplifting those around us. During a fireside chat, Dr. Miao’s experience as a spiritual growth mentor, author, educator, philanthropist, and composer offered guidance to help Asian women to overcome cultural obstacles and embrace abundance in their lives. Dr. Miao emphasized her research that highlights the profound impact of maternal mitochondrial DNA inheritance on individuals’ characteristics and energy levels. She also spoke about the crucial role of mothers’ emotional management in shaping the emotional well-being of their children. Recognizing the constraints faced by women in Asian cultures, Dr. Miao stressed the importance of empowering women within families and society at large. Dr. Miao also advocated for Asian women to embark on a journey of self-healing, mindset transformation, and embracing life to the fullest—an ethos that aligns with the mission of The Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America (PAWA). Through free training, financial support, and fundraising events, PAWA promotes self-protection awareness among Asian American women and raises social consciousness regarding the protection of Asian American rights. During the panel discussion, Ms. Grace Shi, spokesperson for the International Institute of Well-Being (IIWB), Ms. Eva Ye, an Asian women entrepreneur in the real estate industry, and Ms. Haflin Nazri Aziz, spouse of the Ambassador of Malaysia to the United States, shared their insights on how one’s family of origin influences women’s brain development and cognitive patterns. Ms. Shi emphasized the importance for Asian women to transcend familiar obstacles and to instead focus on transforming their current situations by shifting their mindsets. She believes that with a change in mindset, individuals can break free from cultural constraints and embrace a new cognitive perspective, ultimately leading to a fulfilling life. Ms. Haflin Nazri Aziz shared her personal journey of growing up and the evolution of her parenting philosophy. She spoke of her efforts to prevent her own negative experiences from influencing her son. Her message resonated with the audience, and underscored the importance of healing past familial wounds for personal growth.
Ms. Eva Ye discussed how she’s been able to achieve personal fulfillment while also fulfilling societal duties. Despite being raised by traditional parents who imposed limitations, Ms. Ye achieved remarkable success in the real estate industry, which informs her advocacy for self-empowerment and the empowerment of others. Recognizing the impact of parental imprinting on her own children, Ms. Ye emphasized the importance of making positive decisions, pursuing individual dreams, and striving for a bright future. She concluded by emphasizing that investing in mindset transformation is the most valuable investment one can make. Finally, Ms. Sofronie Dun was honored with the EmpowHer Award for her achievements in art and filmmaking. Dr. Miao, who presented the award, expressed her anticipation for more young women leaders to emerge and make their contributions known to the world. The EmpowHer Summit was attended by teachers and students from MIT, members of The Association for the Protection of Asian Women in America, as well as entrepreneurs from various industries. For its part, PAWA is committed to organizing more events and will continue to provide assistance and services to the Asian American women community. The world depends on it. |