MISSION

The International Leadership Foundation (ILF) is a non-profit organization that promotes the civic awareness, public service and economic effectiveness of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community.  Our mission is to develop young leaders in the United States and other Pacific Rim countries in the fields of public service, entrepreneurship and the international arena through a network of business and community leaders.

ABOUT ILF

ILF has provided scholarships and leadership training for over 1,000 select APA college students from across the country over the past 10 years. The Washington D.C. Civic Fellowship is the nation’s most prestigious civic leadership development program designed specifically to foster the next generation of APA leaders. Each year, approximately 35 outstanding college students are awarded an ILF fellowship. Each Fellow participates in a supervised training program, including a public service internship and regular seminars, to learn how to access government and public policy to help the community. ILF also sponsors approximately 120 additional college students each year for leadership training, in conjunction with other leading APA organizations. The ILF helps prepare its Fellows to become future leaders in the academic, cultural, business, community, professional, and public arenas.  

ILF promotes and recognizes exemplary contributions the APA community by individuals and organizations. Past honorees and speakers include The Honorable Elaine Chao, former Secretary of Labor; Ambassador Sichan Siv, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Congressman Mike Honda, Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal, Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon Products; Kanwal Rekhi, Founder of the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE); and film star Jackie Chan. ILF has a network of national advisory boards and global advisory councils in 15 cities, comprised of professional, civic, business and community leaders. In 2008, ILF Honorary Chairman and former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta led a delegation to Asia to promote leadership development and international relations in Pacific Rim countries. Each year, ILF hosts an exciting business and leadership conference, comprised of various events, policy discussions, and meetings with Cabinet Secretaries, Members of Congress and other high-ranking officials. This conference also includes a Global Strategic Economic Forum, business-to-business matchmaking and the ILF’s annual gala.