Journalist and writer Charu Kumarhia talks to Chavi Khanna Koneru and Olivia Zalecki about their efforts with NCAA Together.  The non profit works to create an inclusive democracy built by drawing on the strength of diverse traditions, common values and community togetherness.

Find more information here:
 https://ncaatogether.org/

Chavi Khanna Koneru
Executive Director, Chavi@ncaatogether.org

Chavi Khanna Koneru is co-founder and Executive Director of North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT). Koneru moved to North Carolina in 1989 and has spent the majority of her life living in the state, including attending college and law school locally at the University of North Carolina. This has allowed her to gain a deep, personal understanding of what it means to be AAPI in the South. Additionally, her legal background in voting rights law has given her the opportunity to interpret and enforce laws impacting the AAPI community, including during her time in the Voting Section at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she focused on language access for AAPI voters.

Olivia Zalecki
Youth Engagement Coordinator, Olivia@ncaatogether.org

Olivia grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and attended North Carolina State University where she double majored in Political Science and Foreign Languages and Literature with a concentration in Mandarin. Olivia’s passion for advocacy started when she had the opportunity to work with various AAPI organizations including the Triangle Asian American Student Conference and OCA National-Asian Pacific American Advocates. Doing so gave her insight into the collective power of community. In her free time, Olivia loves trying all the amazing restaurants the Triangle area has to offer!0p