I am a Muslim Bangladeshi-American Event-Thrower! At least, those are my top identifiers (for now). I am currently working for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope based out right here in Baltimore, MD. I am an amateur photographer, a master food-repurposing chef, and story-teller. I am currently on the Membership Committee of the Baltimore NAAAP chapter and am excited to meet new people in this wonderful city of ours. Reach out with your top three identifiers! 

Hi everyone! I'm Angela (she/her/hers). I wanted to join NAAAP because I wanted to meet other Asian Americans in Baltimore, and to potentially figure out next steps as I navigate a career transition from higher education to corporate.

I currently live in Towson, but as someone originally from California and who has spent most of my career working in diversity in higher ed, it's been interesting to experience the black-white dichotomy of Baltimore. I grew up in an Asian enclave in Los Angeles (the 2010 census estimated about half a million Asians in that area alone), so I've been missing a sense of Asian community, and would love to connect with Asian Americans navigating both their personal and professional journeys.

In my free time, I love to explore food spots with my partner, Rachel. (We loooooove food and have a foodstagram @brunchinease.) If you have any food recs, please please let us know. We are partial to Asian cuisines, but love any good food and are always willing to try new things. We also like to play board games, and hang out with our dog Pika. 

Robbin manages UpSurge’s local, regional, and national collaborations and programs to foster greater participation in Baltimore’s tech startup ecosystem. Robbin has been gathering people and cultivating relationships for her entire career, producing hundreds of events, partnerships, and collaborations for organizations in both Baltimore & DC such as Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District and Baltimore Homecoming (BHC). Robbin served as the executive director of BHC where she mobilized a network of Baltimoreans
across the world to invest in Baltimore City. Being a gatherer outside of work too, Robbin is a founding member of the Baltimore Chapter of NAAAP (National Association of Asian American Professionals), a Thread volunteer, and an advisor to local Baltimore startups. She also serves on the boards of Business Volunteers of Maryland and the UMBC Alumni Association.

Quote she lives by – “Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits.” – Dr. Freeman Hrabowski