Manjusha P. Kulkarni (Manju) is Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance (AAPI Equity), which serves and represents the 1.5 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County. In March 2020, Kulkarni co-founded Stop AAPI Hate, the nation’s leading aggregator of COVID-19-related hate incidents against AAPIs.

In 2021, Kulkarni was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential individuals, listed in the POLITICO Power List as one of the 40 most influential figures in race and politics, and in Bloomberg/Business Week as one of the 50 individuals “with the ability to move markets or shape ideas and policies”. She received the 2021 Webby Social Movement of the Year award. More recently, Kulkarni was awarded a spot on the 2022 Forbes 50 Over 50 list for her leadership in advancing the Stop AAPI Hate movement.

Kulkarni’s work has been featured in the New York Times, on NPR and CNN, as well as in numerous ethnic media outlets. As part of her advocacy work on behalf of AAPI communities, Kulkarni has shared her expertise with countless individuals and entities including the Aspen Institute, the World Bank and the United Nations.

Kulkarni holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law. Kulkarni serves on the Board of Directors of LA Voice, is a member of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission and the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board.

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