OUR
BOARD
Kris Mendoza
pronouns: he/him
Board Chair
With an NYU Film degree and a Wharton MBA, Kris seamlessly balances creativity and business at his flagship company, Maestro Filmworks, an Emmy Award-winning video production company founded in 2005 known for strong visual story-telling. Kris has produced hundreds of projects ranging from broadcast, commercial, narrative, and documentary in nature, and continues to serve clients ranging from Fortune 100 brands to startups and nonprofits. Currently, Kris also serves on the Advisory Boards of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, Big Picture Alliance and PHLCVB Diversity.
Tricia Coonrad
pronouns: she/her
Vice Chair
Tricia brings over two decades of experience in the content and entertainment industry, currently serving as the Programming Partnerships and Strategy Lead at Comcast Cable Communications. A strong advocate for representation, Tricia is dedicated to expanding Comcast’s diverse content offerings. She plays a pivotal role in shaping and implementing industry-leading programming experiences, establishing strategic partnerships, and spearheading initiatives that focus on Asian American, Black, International, and Hispanic-focused networks.
Tricia’s dedication to diversity and inclusion drives her approach to content strategy. Her efforts have been instrumental in promoting underrepresented communities within the entertainment landscape, contributing to Comcast’s reputation as a leader in inclusive programming.
Of Korean and Japanese descent, Tricia’s cultural heritage plays a significant role in her professional journey. Her background fuels her commitment to promoting diverse storytelling and advocating for content that reflects a wide array of cultural experiences.
Dyana Wing So
pronouns: she/her
Secretary
Dyana is a strategic storyteller and culture analyst with over 10 years of experience working globally with major brands across tech, sports, entertainment, hospitality, consumer goods, education, and nonprofits. She currently works as a Sr. Deep End Strategist at 160over90, the creative agency of Endeavor. Beyond her work in strategy, Dyana is also a creative, educator, and mentor. She’s published research on the impact of the global digital nomad trend in Barcelona and illustrated a cookbook with local chefs through the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, Southeast by Southeast. Dyana has taught graduate-level writing courses on business cases and historiographies, and she makes time to support creatives and entrepreneurs who share common struggles finding opportunities due to systemic disadvantages. She earned her joint-MAs from the University of Glasgow, University of Barcelona, and Erasmus University of Rotterdam, and her BA in Visual Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. As a former, long-time volunteer of PAAFF, she’s excited to return and grow the festival’s new chapter. She’s based in Brooklyn and travels back to Philly often!
Art Gimenez
pronouns: he/him
Treasurer
Arthur Gimenez is Portfolio Manager at Reinvestment Fund and oversees performance of a $150MM loan portfolio composed of several industries: Arts and Culture, Early Childhood Education, Health and Wellness and Social. He firmly believes that community banks like Reinvestment Fund are critically needed to address growing wealth inequality in America. Prior to this role, Arthur previously served as the Senior Business Development Officer at PIDC as well as the Director of Lending at The Enterprise Center, a CDFI located in West Philadelphia.
Outside of work, Arthur serves on the Board of Directors for Maternity Care Coalition, South East Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition and Entrepreneur Works. He serves as the Co-Chair of the School Advisory Council for the Edwin M. Stanton School. He also organizes public outdoor events in the Point Breeze neighborhood of South Philadelphia, where he and his family have resided for over ten years.
Arthur earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the Fox School of Business, Temple University and his Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering degree from De La Salle University in the Philippines. He is fluent in both English and Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines.
Amy Karpf
pronouns: she/her
Amy Karpf, born and raised initially in China, immigrated to the United States when she was 9 years old. She is a co-founder and co-managing partner of a multi-office law firm overseeing litigation in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In addition to being an accomplished attorney, Mrs. Karpf is also a Certified Public Accountant. Over the last 15 years, she has focused almost exclusively in the practice of corporate, employment, and civil rights law.
Mrs. Karpf regularly dedicates herself to community and public service in pro bono and volunteer capacities. She has participated in the federal re-entry program, provided pro-bono litigation representation, assisted with court-appointed cases throughout her career, and she is a regular speaker and participant in many non-profit organizations in the greater-Philadelphia area.
Peggy Kelly
pronouns: she/her
Peggy Kelly is a business executive with more than two decades of experience bringing together and integrating exceptional design, sustainability, innovation and team leadership across companies in the construction, design, and real estate spaces. She has bought and sold three companies and worked with Estee Lauder Corporate, Knoll and Herman Miller. Inc.
She is a long-standing board member of National Association for Asian American professionals and also sits on the board of CoreNet Philadelphia connecting industry people to advance knowledge and professional excellence, where she co-chairs the diversity, equity and inclusive committee.
Sreedevi Sripathy
pronouns: she/her
Sreedevi Sripathy is the Program Manager at SAADA (South Asian American Digital Archive), a community-based archive whose mission is to collect and preserve the stories of South Asian Americans. Before joining SAADA, she directed an NEH funded fellowship of independent documentary filmmakers who were in the early research and development phase of their films. Previously the Director of Production and Programming at WHYY, she built relationships with local filmmakers and community organizations, increasing the portfolio of films from BIPOC makers. She started her career with ITVS (Independent Television Service), supporting the distribution of documentaries to PBS stations across the country, where she worked on the Emmy-award winning series Independent Lens and the international documentary series, Global Voices.
Winnie Wong
pronouns: she/her
Winnie recently started a new role as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Real Art Ways, a nonprofit arts organization, independent theater, and community performance space in Hartford, CT. Most recently, as Director of Creative Production for a creative software company and platform, she managed a Brand Production department, working alongside marketing, strategy, partnerships, creative, legal and finance teams – responsible for creative and business affairs and operations oversight related to projects, initiatives, and campaigns of all sizes. Currently, at Real Art Ways, she’s getting the word out about all of the film, music, performance, literary, public art, and educational programs offered year-round. Representation has always been a priority for Winnie, whether that manifests in the way she runs a film set, builds a brand team, or manages an ad campaign – it’s just as important now that she is part of a team that programs events and screenings for the New England and East Coast community at large.
Past Leadership
Joe Kim – Co-Founder/Festival Programmer (2008 – 2012)
Franklin Shen – Co-Founder/Festival Programmer (2008 – 2012)
Michael Wingate Jones – Co-Founder/Managing Director (2008 – 2018), Board Member (2020 – 2022)
Brad Baldia – Co-Founder/Corporate Relations & Community Affairs Director (2008 – 2019), Board Member (2020 – 2022)
Phuong Nguyen – Interim Festival Director (2013 – 2014), Development Director (2014 – 2017)
Rob Buscher – Program Director (2013), Festival Director (2014 -2019), Board Chair (2020 – 2022)
Selena Yip – Festival Director (2020 – 2021), Executive Director (2022 – 2023)