
Chanida Phaengdara Potter
Executive Director & Community Architect
Chanida Phaengdara Potter (she/her/hers) is a Lao American 1.5 refugee, equity advocate, community strategist, storyteller and mother. She’s the founding editor of Little Laos on the Prairie and founding executive director of The SEAD Project. Born in a labor camp in Viengxai, Laos; Chanida found her permanent home in Minneapolis. She has worked 15 years in the nonprofit field on public affairs, community development and human rights advocacy. She has a Bachelor's in Global Studies and Media Studies from University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) and a Master's in Public Administration from Hamline University. Chanida's work has been featured on Twin Cities Daily Planet, Asian American Press, The Uptake, Minnesota Public Radio, MinnPost, Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Voice of America; among others. She served on the board for the award-winning citizen journalism organization, Twin Cities Media Alliance and currently serves as advisory board member for Legacies of War.

Katherine Nguyen
Operations Manager
Katherine Nguyen (she/her/hers) is a second-generation Cambodian and Vietnamese American born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota and has worked at The SEAD Project as the Operations Manager for 2+ years responsible for financial, administration, human resources, and events management. Previous professional and volunteer experience include a technical associate role for a Fortune 500 corporation and multiple leadership positions in student-led cultural based organizations. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Business in Management Information Systems and International Business from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. Katherine is a strong advocate for mental health awareness, womxn's liberation, racial equity, and healing work.

Kia Lee
Community Designer
Kia Lee (she/her/hers) is a first-generation daughter of Hmong refugees. She’s passionate about creating a more compassionate and equitable world. She’s a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota, with a Graphic Design BFA. During her undergraduate career, Kia was actively involved with her college community. She served as a board member of the Hmong Minnesota Student Association for two years and interned at nonprofit organizations such as Intermedia Arts and the University YMCA. When not designing, Kia enjoys facilitating spaces that encourage folks to learn about, celebrate, and critically reflect on their identity. She is currently a Community Designer at The SEAD Project.

Maddy Siriouthay
Design & Communications Strategist
Maddy Siriouthay is the daughter of Lao refugees, proudly born and raised in Minnesota, now based in Brooklyn, New York. She describes herself as a writer, designer and creative technologist dedicated to social justice, education and community. She received her Bachelor of Journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism and her M.F.A in Design + Technology at Parsons School of Design. She founded Ovee, a sexual and reproductive health education start up which operates nationally and overseas, and she sits on the Board of Directors for the Laotian American National Alliance. Her previous clients include the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The City of New York and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Kat Eng
Cultural Organizer
Kat Eng is a second-generation Khmer filmmaker, multimedia artist, and organizer. She uses visual storytelling to support Southeast Asian communities in efforts ranging from labor issues and land struggles to fighting deportation. Her work has been featured in Al Jazeera America, Democracy Now!, and The Cambodia Daily.

Angela So
Program Manager
Angela So (she/her/hers) is the daughter of Cambodian refugees based in Houston, Texas. She has five years of nonprofit experience, focusing on the intersection of arts, education, and community engagement. Angela received her Bachelor's in English from the University of Houston and her MFA in Creative Writing from The Ohio State University. Her prose has been published in Glimmer Train, Day One, and The Pinch, and she's received writing fellowships from Kundiman, Vermont Studio Center, and the Houston Arts Alliance. She currently serves on the Kundiman Junior Board and DiverseWorks Artist Advisory Board.
Executive Board

Chann Kong
Chair
Chann Kong is a 2nd generation Cambodian American from Saint Paul, MN. She works as a Network Architect Engineer and has a Bachelor's in Network Management. She identifies as a queer person of color and hopes to bring a unique perspective with her leadership skills. Chan wants to help amplify the voices and stories of LGBTQIA Asian Americans and the larger Southeast Asian communities of marginalized identities and communities. In her spare time, Chan loves to cook and spend quality time with her family.

Saroeun Earm Briggs
Co-Chair
Saroeun Earm currently serves as a Board of Directors on the Southeast Asia Diaspora (SEAD) Project and Aeon, an organization that works on making homes affordable. She works in the field of philanthropy in the Twin Cities. Saroeun has a wealth of experience focusing on social and economic justice for marginalized communities locally, nationally, and internationally. She holds a Master’s degree in international relations and economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a BA in sociology from St. Olaf College.

Soua Christiansen
Secretary
Soua is an American and immigrant who came to the US with her family 25 yrs ago. During this time, Minnesota became her home. More specifically she lived with her parents and siblings on the Northside of Minneapolis where she attended the district’s schools and local university. Growing up in a diverse city, she didn’t see the same cultural vibrancy reflected in mainstream society, and later understood as an adult the implications of a lack of representation.
As she joins the SEAD project in the capacity of a board member, she is passionate about disrupting that and shaping a world more just for the next generations.
Soua holds a bachelor’s in Management Information Systems from the Carlson school of Management at the University of Minnesota. She is a seasoned consultant in Information Systems for Fortune 500s and now resides in Brooklyn Park, MN with her husband and children.

Maishia Yang
Treasurer
Maishia Yang is a Hmong-American daughter, sister, and wife currently residing in Minneapolis. As a natural Project Manager, if she's not planning or trying to get things done, she enjoys meeting people at coffee shops, doing simple yoga and spending time with my puppy, Leo. She also loves traveling, venturing out, and enjoying new eats while learning about different cultures.

Joy Nguyen
Board member
Manichan “Joy” Nguyen is a multicultural product of today’s society, Asian by birth, Canadian by education and American in her career path. She has worked in the financial services field for over 20 years. She is a 1.5 generation Lao Canadian American and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and four children. On the weekends you can find her at an ice arena, dance floor or dining out at the many award winning restaurants in Minneapolis.

Michael Sasorith
Board member
Although Rochester, New York was the birthplace of Michael Sasorith (and will forever hold a place in his heart), he has lived and grown in Minnesota since 2001. His experience living in poverty and being a son of Lao refugees, albeit bringing upon stress and trauma, had taught him the skills of survival and perseverance—leading him to become the artist and designer he has become today.
Beyond his day-to-day work being a web designer, Michael strives to use his skills and knowledge to help build community and fight for social justice—elevating the voices of communities of color and all marginalized identities.

Neeyada Santopietro
Board member
Neeyada is the daughter of a Lao refugee. The experience of navigating barriers with the help of community sparked her interest in building people-centered systems as a human resources director. While originally from California, Neeyada found her home here in the Twin Cities. She maintains her cultural roots through food and language, and as a newly minted SEAD board member she is eager to take on a more active role in serving her community.

Mai Hong
Board member
Mai Hong grew up in California, but has made her way to Chicago for the last 10 years. In the past, she served as director of a Vietnamese non-profit and a Vietnamese film festival in Southern California. Her background is in health care and startups, so she loves working on new ideas and building brand new things. In my spare time, she likes to cook and eat, and pre-COVID, she enjoyed traveling as well.
Heritage Language Teachers
Hmong Team
Bee Vang-Moua
Yer Her
Khmer Team
Sotheary Duong
Lao Team
Anne Souvannasy
Stacey Phengvath
Jay Rattanavong
Viet Team
Tuyet Nguyen
Advisory Board
Kailey Jacomet
William Cheng
Bryan Thao Worra