For May 2025, the theme for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month is “A Legacy of Leadership and Resilience.” This theme is particularly relevant as the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) will be celebrating four decades of service to the AANHPI community this year.
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Under this banner, the community aims to commend leaders who have laid the groundwork for future generations to thrive and adapt to change and adversity. Asian Americans have long been a minority in the United States, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that they remain one of the fastest-growing groups in the country. With that in mind, it’s necessary and refreshing to recognize and uplift the AAPI representation in leadership and executive roles — no matter the industry.
For a fifth consecutive year, Variety has compiled a list of five influential AAPI music executives. See our lists from 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Ronny Ho
Ronny Ho is the head of dance and electronic, editorial at Spotify. With a passion for programming inclusive and diverse campaigns, Ho is tasked with managing audience growth and engagement, overseeing curation and programming, and creating innovative programs across the wide array of dance and electronic genres.
Ho started working at Spotify on the artist and label services team and the business development teams. She enjoys curating content initiatives to discover, foster and build the AAPI creator community, with past projects including the Stop Asian Hate campaign (during the pandemic), Gold House partnership, Track IDs, and RADAR. Outside of Spotify, she co-founded Her Dancefloor community and is on the board for Femme House.
Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?
Over the last few years, we’ve seen significant growth in music from Asian Americans and the diaspora around the world. From hitmakers Laufey and Charli XCX to emerging artists such as Luna Li, Saya Gray, and Debbii Dawson, it’s been exciting to see AAPI artists grow regardless of genre.
Industry-wise, we are also seeing AAPI executives step into impactful leadership roles. I am part of the Asian American Collective, and I love the work that they do everyday to cultivate the next generation of AAPI industry leaders.
What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?
There’s still a lot of work to be done to support our South Asian and Pacific Islander community. I’d love to find ways to authentically share the stories of emerging South Asian and Pacific Islander artists and creatives.
Inga Kan
A proud first-generation Asian American, Inga Kan crafts multi-disciplinary creative for projects
across Columbia’s roster, including art direction and campaign creative for Jennie’s debut
solo album, “Ruby.” Throughout her years at Columbia, Kan has built creative across campaigns
for Harry Styles (“Fine Line” and “Harry’s House”), Adele (“30”), Blink-182 (“One More Time…”) and
Tyler, The Creator (“Chromakopia” and “Call Me If You Get Lost”). Currently, she is excited to be
working across upcoming albums for Miley Cyrus and Addison Rae.
Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?
It has been exciting to see Asian representation expand as new generations enter the music
industry. Over the years, the sentiment around Asians and Asian culture in general has slowly
become more and more welcomed within the mainstream, and it is continuously inspiring to
watch fellow AAPI lead the charge. Seeing Asian artists come to the forefront of what we know
as the Western music industry, departing from their foremost descriptor being their Asian
ethnicity, is a huge step for the community.
What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?
Microaggressions towards Asians run deeper than many may realize, and it’s an ongoing
challenge we face every day at all scales. The need to lead with saying something is, for
example K-pop, even when the material may no longer be strictly defined as such, stems from
the larger belief that Asian is otherly. Creating a diverse workplace is one step, but fostering an
environment of inclusion is another. The AAPI community has to band together to continue
pushing for more inclusion, for all the cultures across the Asian diaspora. AAPI leaders have a
responsibility to continue advocating for more inclusive spaces, and to foster spaces for the
next generation to find support and pull inspiration from — to see that this is a place we do
belong, and can thrive in.
Soy Kim
Soy Kim holds the position of head of North America, music and podcasts content strategy at YouTube. Both bicultural and bilingual, she initiated first-in-market collaborations between the U.S. and Korea. Her background includes developing record-breaking campaigns for artists such BTS, Chloe and Halle, John Legend, and Baby Keem.
She spent time at Spotify, doing algorithmic discovery, audience development, and industry education. Her experience includes B2C/B2B marketing, global GTM, fan marketing, content strategy and distribution (music, film and television), and international business strategy across the U.S. and Korea.
Kim believes in paying it forward, and is proud mentor for the Asian American Collective and the GRAMMYU program as a member of the Recording Academy.
Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?
When I speak to mentors who came before me, they often share stories of having been “the only” in rooms where they were present. While there’s still more work to be done, it’s encouraging to see brilliant AAPI leaders rising up across the greater music business and knocking down barriers for the next gen – like Wendy Ong (president, TaP Music), Kathy Baker (director, head of U.S. label partnerships, YouTube), and Mike Van (CEO, Billboard), to name a few. Second, there is a growing, global appetite for AAPI artists, culture, and content in parallel with a deep interest from artists and fans alike leaning in to reclaim, learn, and honor their heritage. We’re at the precipice of redefining what is celebrated on the global main stage, and I hope we continue to work towards this shared goal with intention.
What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?
Greater collaboration and less fragmentation are needed within – and beyond – the greater AAPI community. We are stronger when we work together. There is much we can learn from other communities who are also building across cultures, borders, and languages, and we should actively partner to avoid an echo chamber effect. Moreover, AAPI professionals and artists alike should not be boxed into genres or opportunities that are solely tied to their heritage, nor should AAPI art only be championed during the month of May. I look forward to the day when more music, sports, TV, film, fashion reflect back the composition of the consumers who are actively leaning into it. Finally, it’s important to recognize that the AAPI community is not a monolith. There is a spectrum of identities and over 40 languages and dialects spoken in the umbrella of what is considered “AAPI,” and that is what makes the community so beautiful.
Kevin Lazatin
Kevin Lazatin holds the position of global culture and music marketing at Adidas, where he’s able to channel his passion for music and culture. His current partnerships include GloRilla, Teezo Touchdown, and Lil Tecca, previously working alongside Bad Bunny, Brent Faiyaz, Snoop Dogg and more. Most recently, Lazatin helped launch Adidas’ Las Vegas flagship with DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak), and their partnership with Complex’s Family Style Festival in New Orleans at Super Bowl 2025.
Having graduated USC’s Music Industry program, Lazatin also DJs across Los Angeles.
Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?
I’ve definitely seen real progress in the music industry when it comes to AAPI representation, but there’s still a lot of work to be done before it truly reflects the talent, creativity, and diversity that’s out there. I feel like we’ve only just started to tap into the range of skills and cultures within the AAPI community — and even then, there’s so much more to be seen, especially when it comes to Pacific Islanders and Southeast Asian voices that aren’t as visible yet.
What’s been encouraging, though, is seeing more AAPI creatives and professionals stepping into leadership roles behind the scenes. Organizations like Asian American Collective, which I’m proud to be a part of, are helping build real support systems to highlight and nurture that next generation of talent and professionals. It gives me a lot of hope for where we’re headed.
What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?
While it’s encouraging to see more opportunities to highlight Asian culture in the industry, one of the biggest challenges we face is moving beyond visibility that’s tied only to predictable cultural moments. Real representation means being seen, heard, and valued every day — not just when it aligns with a celebration or marketing moment.
A big part of building that kind of lasting presence starts at the leadership level, where AAPI voices, while growing, are still underrepresented. I’m hopeful that as more Asians step into senior leadership positions, we’ll continue to shift the culture from within and create a future where our communities are championed consistently, not just seasonally.
Rhea Pasricha
Rhea Pasricha is the head of A&R for the West Coast at Prescription Songs, an independent publishing company home to all-star acts such as Doja Cat and Fridayy. Her duties include overseeing the Los Angeles office A&R staff, scouting and signing new talent, and spearheading creative opportunities for the artists. During her 12 years with the company, Pasricha has signed or helped promote the careers of songwriters including Emily Warren, Kim Petras, LU KALA, Vaughn Oliver, bülow, David Pramik, KBeaZy and Peter Fenn, among others.
Born in Gorakhpur, India, but raised in the U.S., Pascricha landed a job during her senior year of college in Atlantic Records in New York, assisting Pete Ganbarg. She then moved to Los Angeles where she worked with A&R executive Aaron Bay-Schuck. Pasricha also manages Steph Jones, who wrote on Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and “Nonsense.”
Have you seen progress in the music industry as far as AAPI representation?
As a first-generation immigrant from India, I rarely saw music artists or executives that looked like me or felt represented my culture growing up. I’m happy to say in the last few years I’ve seen progress in AAPI representation in the industry – both on the business and creative sides. Having artists such as Hanumankind and AP Dhillon break through into the mainstream has really helped shine a light on the multidimensional music universe outside of K-Pop and J-Pop. Asia is so vast and diverse, and there is still more work to do to truly highlight the wide range of different styles and sounds under the AAPI umbrella.
What do you think is the most pressing issue the AAPI community is facing?
If I could sum it up, I think we need more “community, collaboration and celebration”. Organizations such Gold House and Asian Nation (led by my dear friend and fellow AAPI leader Christine Cao) have been instrumental in bringing people together and supporting Asian talent. We need to collaborate with one another and focus on mentoring/championing the next generation of artists and executives until equal AAPI representation (holistically across all Asian countries and cultures) becomes the new normal.
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