Our People
Our Northern California and Seattle Centers operate together as one team under Asia Society Northern California's 501c3.
Team
Margaret Conley
Executive Director
Margaret Conley, a Bay Area native, is the Executive Director of Asia Society Northern California. She has expanded the Center from San Francisco, to Silicon Valley and Seattle. She served as Chair of Asia Society's global Asian Americans Building America task force. Margaret was previously based in Asia for several years as a television news correspondent with ABC News in Jakarta and Tokyo, and with Bloomberg Television in Shanghai. She was part of the global ABC team that won a News and Documentary Emmy Award for presidential inauguration coverage. Her interviews include Howard Schultz, Richard Branson, Ban Ki-Moon, LeBron James and Beyoncé. Her non-profit experience includes the Berggruen Institute, where she built and launched a Philosophy + Culture Institute with a focus on the US and China. She has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s in journalism from the University of Hong Kong, which specializes in coverage of Asia. Margaret was selected as one of the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business by the San Francisco Business Times in 2019, and is a member of the board of the International Women's Forum.
Christie YoungSmith
Director of Programs
Christie YoungSmith is a Director of Programs for Asia Society Northern California. Bringing a strong base in education and research, Christie has led program and professional development, curriculum design, and decolonial research efforts at the Stanford Center for the Support of Excellence in Teaching (CSET) and American University’s Antiracist Research & Policy Center. Previously she taught in International Baccalaureate (IB) and dual-language schools in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and the Bay Area. Christie is of mixed-Chinese descent. She received her M.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Education, her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, and is pursuing her Ed.D. in Education Policy & Leadership with American University. Christie also has experience with museum education and curation, having worked at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, and the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.
Nina Udagawa
Director of Programs
Nina Udagawa is a Director of Programs at Asia Society Northern California. She was previously the Executive Associate and Program Manager, and before that worked in Washington, DC as a Diplomatic Assistant in the Office of Congressional Affairs at the Embassy of Japan. Prior to working at the Embassy, she interned at the Council on Foreign Relations, the Library of Congress, and Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA. Nina holds a B.A. in International Relations and History from the George Washington University; she has also studied Chinese and studied abroad at Donghua University in Shanghai. During her time in university, Nina was an active member of the Japanese Cultural Association and published a paper on the Amerasian Identity in Okinawa with the Okinawa Prefectural Government.
Man Wang
Director of Programs
Man Wang is the Director of Programs for Asia Society Seattle. She previously served as Director at the Washington State China Relations Council (WSCRC), the oldest state level non-profit organization in the U.S. dedicated to promoting a mutually beneficial relationship between the U.S. and China. Prior to joining the WSCRC, Man founded People and Places, a consultancy focused on regional and community development, demographics, and business and cultural exchange opportunities between China and the U.S. She has also served as Business Development Manager – China at the Washington State Department of Commerce, editor of Seattle Luxury Living Magazine, and lecturer for a professional master’s degree in Geographic Information System (GIS) at the University of Washington. She holds an M.A. in International Studies from East Carolina University; an M.A. in Geography from the State University of New York at Albany; and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Washington.
Jason Fong
Director of Partnerships and Memberships
Jason Fong is the Director of Partnerships and Memberships at Asia Society Northern California. He previously served as the Membership and Marketing Project Manager at The Commonwealth Club of California, where he oversaw member acquisition, membership renewals, and annual donations. He has also served as the Development Scheduling Coordinator for the California Film Institute’s prestigious Mill Valley Film Festival, held every fall in Marin County, California. After graduating from the University of California, Davis, with degrees in Communication and Sociology, Jason got his start as an assistant in the newsroom of KGO-TV, eventually working his way up to producing live talk shows, including “The View from the Bay,” and “7 Live,” for which he received an Emmy Award, and “Food Rush,” for which he was nominated for an additional Emmy.
Divya Jhawar
Senior Accountant
Divya Jhawar, a Bay Area native is a Part time Senior Accountant for Asia Society Northern California. Divya has a decade of experience in both Public and Private sectors. As a certified CPA, Divya excels in coordinating month-end closing procedures in compliance with GAAP, utilizing various accounting and tax software. Adept at managing strict deadlines, she is a collaborative team player with a proactive, flexible approach, always ready to take on additional responsibilities. Divya's leadership skills include team building, mentoring, and conducting companywide trainings. In her recent role at The Education Fund (San Francisco), she played a pivotal role in transitioning accounting software from Financial Edge to Sage Intacct. Divya holds a CPA license in the State of California and brings a wealth of expertise in financial management and regulatory compliance
Evan Matthew Chan
Executive Associate
Evan Matthew Chan is the Executive Associate at Asia Society Northern California. As an interdisciplinary scholar of the Asia Pacific, Evan previously served as a Graduate Student Teaching Assistant at the University of San Francisco (USF). Co-teaching courses in the Asian Studies and Chinese Studies departments, he led seminars on Chinese literature in translation and Chinese American cinema. Evan also facilitated student community engagement opportunities with local nonprofit organizations serving the city’s Chinese American population. In addition to his work at USF, Evan has spent time supporting Fulbright Taiwan’s English Teaching Programs in Taipei, Taiwan. He was previously an intern at Asia Society Northern California. Evan is an M.A. Candidate in Asia Pacific Studies and holds a B.A. in Asian Studies and International Studies, both from the University of San Francisco.