A free daylong symposium for Asian American youth comes to the College of San Mateo on Saturday, Sept. 19. The 1990 Institute says more than 500 people have registered for its second annual Roots & Wings Youth Symposium, which runs from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the college's theatre, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd.
The event is open to youth ages 14–21, along with parents, guardians, educators and community advocates. Admission is free and includes breakfast, lunch, boba and snacks.
The inaugural symposium drew attendees to the same venue in September 2025.
The morning opens with a Trailblazer Keynote Panel featuring Dion Lim, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and activist; Deborah Liu, co-founder of Ember AI and former CEO of Ancestry; Evan Low, president and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund; and Dave Lu, founder of Hyphen Capital. The day closes with a fireside chat with Yul Kwon, a vice president and general manager at Google who was the first Asian American winner of the TV show "Survivor."
Three separate tracks split the day's programming. A youth track covers agency, resilience and purpose. A parent and guardian track focuses on mental health and bridging generational divides. An educator track, featuring Dr. Gwenn Lei, executive director of curriculum and instruction at the San Mateo County Office of Education, addresses Asian American history curriculum and classroom strategies.
Career Pathfinder Conversations pair attendees with speakers including Andrew Chau, founder of Boba Guys; Cameron N. Sasai, mayor of Pinole; Steven Kan, other bets director at Alphabet; and Rajen Sheth, founder of Kyron Learning. Life skills workshops feature Jia Jiang, CEO of Rejection Therapy, on turning rejection into resilience; John Wang, author and host of Big Asian Energy, on identity and personal branding; and Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, founder of Mind Money Balance, on financial confidence.
Co-chair Lisa Hsu said in a Sept. 10 press release that the lineup reflects the range of paths available to young people. "Our speakers represent so many different paths to leadership and success, and we want young people to see that there is no single roadmap for their future," Hsu said.
The symposium's theme is "Empowerment Through Community Collaboration." According to the 1990 Institute's event page, the program addresses identity and visibility, family expectations, intergenerational dialogue and how young people define success in a world shaped by artificial intelligence.
The first 60 youth who registered were eligible for two free tickets to the San Francisco Giants vs. Minnesota Twins game on Monday, Sept. 21, at Oracle Park.
Registration and full schedule details are available at the 1990 Institute's symposium page.
