CelebrAsians 2026
Dear Friends and Partners,
At Asian Women for Health, we believe that the future of health equity isn’t something we wait for - it’s something we build, together.
Each year, CelebrAsians reminds us of what’s possible when communities unite across generations, cultures, and lived experiences. It’s more than a gala - it’s a gathering of visionaries, advocates, and changemakers who are actively shaping a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
For over a decade, AWFH has advanced this vision through our four evolving pillars - mental health, health education, workforce development, and community-engaged research. Together, these programs form a blueprint for what collective change looks like: training community health workers who bring care and culture into every interaction; creating intergenerational dialogue around mental well-being; and partnering with researchers to ensure our communities are not just participants in science, but co-creators of discovery.
This year’s CelebrAsians 2026 motif - the peacock - is an invitation to see the beauty and strength in our diversity and to recognize that our shared future depends on our shared investment. We are not only celebrating resilience; we are shaping the future we wish to see, together.
Your sponsorship makes this work possible. It sustains the programs and partnerships that turn vision into action, story into strategy, and community into change.
Thank you for standing with us, for believing in our mission, and for helping build a brighter, more equitable tomorrow - today.
With gratitude and hope,
Colleen M. Nguyen, MPH DrPHc
Executive Director
Asian Women for Health
Please note that details regarding the venue in Cambridge, MA will be shared once you are registered.
Our Honoree
2026 Luminary Award Tribute: Abby Nguyen-Burke
Senior Vice President, Team Leader, Eastern Bank
On behalf of the entire Asian Women for Health community, we are honored to present Abby Nguyen-Burke with the 2026 Luminary Award.
The Luminary Award recognizes a community leader whose commitment to the Asian community shines so brightly that others are inspired to follow. Abby Nguyen-Burke exemplifies this distinction. Her light is unmistakable - steady, powerful, and grounded in clarity of purpose. She does not simply lead; she brings people with her, creating space for community, dialogue, and collective action to grow.
Abby leads like none other, with conviction and purpose. With a commanding presence rooted in generosity and resolve, she brings the full breadth of her experience and values into every space she enters - strengthening institutions, advancing dialogue, and uplifting AANHPI and other underserved communities in meaningful, lasting ways. Through her work, she has advanced economic opportunity and financial stability - foundational conditions that shape health, dignity, and long-term well-being. At the same time, her leadership as a community builder has strengthened the fabric of our community by uplifting AANHPI-led organizations, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and investing in collective capacity. Her unwavering dedication reflects empathetic guidance that is visible, grounded, and deeply connected to those she serves, lighting pathways toward a more just and inclusive future.
Within Asian Women for Health and beyond, Abby is known for showing up not for recognition, but for impact. She listens with care, speaks with clarity, and stands with communities in moments that matter. Her leadership reminds us that meaningful progress is never accidental — it grows when communities are supported and when a mosaic of voices helps shape the future, together.
Like the peacock - a symbol of resilience, strength, and full expression - Abby’s leadership embodies that same courage. The peacock does not diminish itself to blend in; it stands in full expression. Abby’s leadership empowers communities to claim space, voice, and visibility within systems where they have too often been overlooked. Her example stands as a testament to what becomes possible when people feel seen, valued, and supported to lead alongside one another.
Her leadership offers a powerful model for the next generation of AANHPI leaders seeking to align professional influence with community impact, and it lights the way toward a more just, inclusive, and community-centered future.
CelebrAsians 2026
Dear Friends and Partners,
At Asian Women for Health, we believe that the future of health equity isn’t something we wait for - it’s something we build, together.
Each year, CelebrAsians reminds us of what’s possible when communities unite across generations, cultures, and lived experiences. It’s more than a gala - it’s a gathering of visionaries, advocates, and changemakers who are actively shaping a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
For over a decade, AWFH has advanced this vision through our four evolving pillars - mental health, health education, workforce development, and community-engaged research. Together, these programs form a blueprint for what collective change looks like: training community health workers who bring care and culture into every interaction; creating intergenerational dialogue around mental well-being; and partnering with researchers to ensure our communities are not just participants in science, but co-creators of discovery.
This year’s CelebrAsians 2026 motif - the peacock - is an invitation to see the beauty and strength in our diversity and to recognize that our shared future depends on our shared investment. We are not only celebrating resilience; we are shaping the future we wish to see, together.
Your sponsorship makes this work possible. It sustains the programs and partnerships that turn vision into action, story into strategy, and community into change.
Thank you for standing with us, for believing in our mission, and for helping build a brighter, more equitable tomorrow - today.
With gratitude and hope,
Colleen M. Nguyen, MPH DrPHc
Executive Director
Asian Women for Health
Please note that details regarding the venue in Cambridge, MA will be shared once you are registered.
Our Honoree
2026 Luminary Award Tribute: Abby Nguyen-Burke
Senior Vice President, Team Leader, Eastern Bank
On behalf of the entire Asian Women for Health community, we are honored to present Abby Nguyen-Burke with the 2026 Luminary Award.
The Luminary Award recognizes a community leader whose commitment to the Asian community shines so brightly that others are inspired to follow. Abby Nguyen-Burke exemplifies this distinction. Her light is unmistakable - steady, powerful, and grounded in clarity of purpose. She does not simply lead; she brings people with her, creating space for community, dialogue, and collective action to grow.
Abby leads like none other, with conviction and purpose. With a commanding presence rooted in generosity and resolve, she brings the full breadth of her experience and values into every space she enters - strengthening institutions, advancing dialogue, and uplifting AANHPI and other underserved communities in meaningful, lasting ways. Through her work, she has advanced economic opportunity and financial stability - foundational conditions that shape health, dignity, and long-term well-being. At the same time, her leadership as a community builder has strengthened the fabric of our community by uplifting AANHPI-led organizations, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and investing in collective capacity. Her unwavering dedication reflects empathetic guidance that is visible, grounded, and deeply connected to those she serves, lighting pathways toward a more just and inclusive future.
Within Asian Women for Health and beyond, Abby is known for showing up not for recognition, but for impact. She listens with care, speaks with clarity, and stands with communities in moments that matter. Her leadership reminds us that meaningful progress is never accidental — it grows when communities are supported and when a mosaic of voices helps shape the future, together.
Like the peacock - a symbol of resilience, strength, and full expression - Abby’s leadership embodies that same courage. The peacock does not diminish itself to blend in; it stands in full expression. Abby’s leadership empowers communities to claim space, voice, and visibility within systems where they have too often been overlooked. Her example stands as a testament to what becomes possible when people feel seen, valued, and supported to lead alongside one another.
Her leadership offers a powerful model for the next generation of AANHPI leaders seeking to align professional influence with community impact, and it lights the way toward a more just, inclusive, and community-centered future.