We’ve been reflecting on how the Asian population is the fastest-growing ethnicity in the USA, the Southeast region, and North Carolina. Yet, Asian Americans are often overlooked in the dialogue around racial identity and are plagued by model minority myth that perpetuates stereotypes and pits other minorities against Asian Americans. 

Then there were over 10,000 reported attacks on Asian Americans across the country during the pandemic, of which more than two-thirds were on women. Additionally, the pandemic and its cultural impacts have been particularly stressful for Asian business owners, who suffered the most significant losses overall across the country. 

Given this current landscape, we, as co-producers, along with a host of hugely talented collaborators and interviewees locally, feel compelled to pool our skills and resources as a 100% volunteer endeavor and focus on what we can contribute in an educational effort to facilitate awareness, understanding, and change. Collectively, we are proud to produce the Pan-Asian Voices and Experiences of NC (PAVE NC) initiative, which amplifies AAPI voices in NC. 

Our goals are twofold: 

1. To help frame the narrative around the positives by sharing real stories through the lens of local Asian Americans and pave a path forward to conversation and connection, and 
2. To create camaraderie and community among local Asian Americans, many of who can feel isolated with less population in which to immerse. 

We thank our collaborators, interviewees, and community friends for your generous support, encouragement, and engagement.

Christie Soper
Co-Producer, PAVE NC

Christie is currently the co-founder of Maunaleo Ventures, Inc., a company dedicated to accelerating success for women, veterans, and other minority business owners in start-up or growth phases through strategic consulting and nontraditional access to funding. 

A veteran of Fortune 200, mid-sized, and start-up organizations, Christie is a versatile, entrepreneurial, and results-oriented executive with 25 years of leadership experience in strategy, sales and marketing, human resources, project and portfolio management, and digital business/technology. 

Christie holds an Elon University MBA, a Master’s Certificate in IT Project Management from The George Washington University, and a Diversity Management Certificate from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR). She is also certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and in Change Management by Prosci.

An avid advocate of her community, Christie has served on boards for Elon University’s Doherty Center for Entrepreneurship, the GreenHill Center for NC Art, Triad Local First, Children’s Home Society and the Greensboro Children’s Museum. She has also volunteered for numerous roles including as a panelist, co-founder, or planning committee member for girls’ leadership, women’s, and Asian American organizations.

When not planning unforgettable getaways around the world, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Dave, their four children, two grandsons and the furry master of their universe, Miles. 

Tina Firesheets
Co-Producer, PAVE NC

Tina started her career in journalism with her high school newspaper, then served as editors for the campus newspapers of both colleges she attended.

She was a journalist at the Greensboro News & Record for nearly 15 years, covering education, local government, community news and business. She most enjoyed her years as a feature writer for a national award-winning features section.

She was also the founding editor of 1808: Greensboro’s Magazine, published by the Greensboro News & Record. While she was its editor, the magazine received North Carolina Press Association and Society of Professional Journalists awards in the Best Niche publications categories.

Currently, she is an associate creative director at Pace Communications. A lover of writing and creativity, she’s happy to be a founding Co-Producer for PAVE NC!