Asian Pride: Real Work, Real Me

Join us on Wednesday 29-July-2026 from 6pm to 9:30pm at the  OBA Oosterdokskade (Public Library) for an evening of meaningful conversations, shared experiences, and community connection.

Together, we'll explore authenticity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and financial empowerment through inspiring talks and panel discussions featuring leaders, innovators, and changemakers. From embracing who we are at work to building confidence in our personal and professional journeys, this event is designed to create space for learning, reflection, and mutual support.

Whether you're looking to connect with others, gain new perspectives, or feel inspired by real stories of resilience and success, we invite you to be part of this engaging and empowering community gathering.

This event is free and open to all, everyone is welcome!

Speakers & Panelists

Hajime, Creative Strategy Lead HERALBONY 

Hajime Yamanaka has spent the last 25 years helping people care. As a marketing strategist, he has worked with global brands, launched pioneering LGBTQ+ campaigns in Japan, and helped bring the first Asian entry to Amsterdam’s Canal Pride Parade in 2019. As a gay man, he knows what it feels like to be underestimated, misunderstood, or invisible. That experience has shaped much of his professional journey. Today, Hajime works with HERALBONY, a company that challenges conventional ideas of talent, creativity, and human potential through the work of artists with intellectual disabilities. Across marketing, advocacy, and community building, one question continues to guide his work: How do we help people see what they have not seen before?

Charlene Liu, Asian Pride

Charlene Liu was born in Malaysia and has lived in the US, Singapore, China, and the Netherlands.  She is an engineer, community leader, social entrepreneur, and diversity, equity & Inclusion (DEI) advocate. She has 30 years of working experience in the Semiconductor & Electronics and Solar industries, corporate innovation, and management consulting; and 20 years of community leadership, commercial event management, and DEI advocacy experience.  In 2009, she co-founded ShanghaiPRIDE, an annual festival run by volunteers that promotes LGBT+ inclusion, in 2014 Q-Events, an event management company, in 2016 Ladies Who Tech, a social impact community for women in STEM, and in 2019, Diversity & Inclusion Consulting DNIC, a consultancy which helps corporations build a more inclusive culture.  Charlene is now embarking on a full-time journey to make the world more inclusive.

Teddy, ING

Teddy (he/him) is a customer journey expert at ING and a board member of Rainbow Lions, ING's Pride employee resource group. As a queer immigrant from China and a former journalist, he brings both personal and professional perspectives to conversations around identity, belonging, and visibility. Teddy is especially passionate about the intersection of queer and people-of-color experiences and advocates for stronger QPOC representation.

Glow, Out in Tech

Glow (they/them) works as a customer success manager at a US headquartered software company, where they until recently lead the global LGBTQ+ employee resource group. But that’s perhaps the least interesting thing about them. Since 2023 Glow has volunteered with Out in Tech– a non-profit that seeks to unite the LGBTQ+ Tech community, and help LGBTQ+ individuals break into the industry– co-founding the Amsterdam chapter.

Aimee Brenner, Talent Specialist

Aimee Brenner is a South African living in the Netherlands, with a background in organisational psychology, change management, and leadership recruitment in the life sciences sector. Having lived and worked across cultures including South Korea, Aimee is passionate about creating spaces where people feel they belong, whether in the workplace or in everyday life. Through her work as a Talent Specialist, she has valuable insight to the hiring process, helping candidates navigate interviews, career decisions, and the balance between presenting themselves professionally while staying true to who they are. Outside of work, Aimee enjoys playing squash and is a keen supporter of the arts and culture. At Asian Pride Talk, she reflects on what it means to find belonging in the work place, navigating different cultures and discovering that the moments we feel most different are often the moments that help us become our most authentic selves.

Yuli Kim, Workplace Pride

Yuli moved to the Netherlands, and she earned an MBA at Rotterdam School of Management in 2011. Spanning 18 years in Japan and the Netherlands, Yuli’s career focused on business development in IT consulting, advertising and market research.  She finished her 2^nd master’s degree in Human Resource Management at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam in 2019. Afterwards she started Inclusion Sensei with the big ambition to improve workplace inclusion for marginalized groups of people. Yuli lives in Amsterdam with her wife and three children. She believes a sense of belonging is a prerequisite for anyone to perform their best at work.

Godwin Yosalina-Bouman, Entrepreneur

Godwin Yosalina-Bouman is the co-owner of Barangay B&B, the oldest & award-winning guesthouse/B&B in Amsterdam. Originally from the Philippines, he moved to the Netherlands in 1996 and has built a diverse career as an educator, researcher, hospitality entrepreneur, and community advocate. A former college instructor in Economics and Political Science and a licensed tennis instructor since 2005, Godwin is also a passionate tennis player who regularly participates in international GLTA tournaments. Over the past three decades, he has become a well-known figure within Amsterdam’s Filipino community, helping many aspiring entrepreneurs navigate Dutch business regulations, taxation, mortgages, and the practical realities of starting and running hospitality businesses. Through his guidance, numerous Filipino-owned B&Bs have successfully established themselves in Amsterdam. In addition to hospitality, Godwin is active in community initiatives supporting LGBTQ+ Filipinos and is one of the founders of the Bayota Community Centre. His story combines migration, entrepreneurship, resilience, community building, and the importance of being authentic while creating opportunities for others. Today, together with his husband Willem (“Wimmo”), he continues to support both visitors and the wider community from Amsterdam while also leading Stichting CorSo, a charitable foundation providing educational opportunities for students in the Philippines.

Abhisek, ING

Abhisek is a finance and product leader with 19+ years at ING and HSBC. An MBA from Indian Institute of Management, he specializes in trade finance and digital transformation. A queer advocate, he helped establish HSBC India’s Pride ERG and co-founded Rainbow Reform Pvt Ltd. Abhisek champions entrepreneurship and representation and is an investor in few start-ups himself. Outside work, he enjoys cooking bold, spicy dishes for friends.

Redge Rafols, Filipino LGBT Europe

Redge Rafols is a senior IT leader and leadership coach based in the Netherlands, with experience driving large-scale delivery, product strategy, and team transformation across global organisations. Currently an Applications Development Manager, Redge leads cross-functional teams, aligns business and technology stakeholders, and coaches product and engineering professionals to improve delivery, clarity, and impact. Alongside corporate work, Redge is building a coaching practice focused on helping individuals navigate career growth, leadership challenges, and sustainable ways of working. Beyond the corporate space, Redge is an advocate, particularly within LGBTQIA+ and multicultural networks. As a queer Filipina living in the Netherlands, Redge is passionate about creating spaces where authenticity, identity, and diversity are valued and celebrated. This is reflected through involvement in Asian Pride NL and Filipino LGBT Europe, where Redge contributes to events, community building, and amplifying underrepresented voices.