GOVERNING BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SOPHIA'S CHOICE aka ASIAN POP-UP CINEMA

Sophia Wong Boccio (Founder & Executive Director)  Click here for detailed profile.

Colin Hara (Director of the Board since 2018, President of the Board since 2019) As the Chairman Emeritus of Chicago Masudafunai, Colin counsels clients on a broad range of corporate issues, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, the establishment of corporations and LLCs, distribution and sales agreements, and technology transfers. He also advises on employment and labor practices such as reviewing, drafting and negotiating employment agreements and developing human resource policies and strategies. In addition, he assists with immigration matters pertaining to work-related visas, including employment authorization and non-work applications for spouses.

Michael Foster (Vice President of the Board since 2017), Senior Sales Manager at the Whitehall Hotel, Chicago.

Justin Kuo 郭文豪 (Treasurer of the Board since 2019) : Justin Kuo is a Partner at Crowe LLP, one of the largest public accounting, consulting, and technology firms in the U.S. and an independent member of Crowe Global. Justin focuses exclusively in the area of employee benefits and qualified retirement plans sponsored by Fortune 500 companies, hospitals, not-for-profit organization and public/private companies. He is also a member of Crowe’s Asian Business Resource Group. an internal diversity group to promote the diversity awareness and foster the growth of Crowe through mutualism and development of Asian leaders.

Carmen Suen (Joined the Board since 2021) Carmen Suen was born and raised in Hong Kong, where she wrote and edited for City Magazine, Eat and Travel, and East Magazine. She was also one of the founding editors of the San Francisco-based photography blog Resolve. Since relocating to the United States, Carmen has been living a semi-nomadic life with her husband and their two boys, moving from the Wild West to the Southwest and the Midwest, until finally settling in the East Coast.  For the last decade, Carmen has been working in higher education, at institutions like Stanford University, the University of Chicago, and Texas A&M University. She now works at the Institute for Family Entrepreneurship at Babson College, ranked number one in entrepreneurship by the U.S. News and Report 24 years in a row. Carmen is in charge of the institute’s outreach and marketing efforts. In her spare time, Carmen continues to feed her passion in writing. Her debut short story “Fourteen” is included in the anthology Hong Kong Noir (Akashic, 2018). You can also find her writing in Vogue Hong Kong (Chinese), City Magazine (Chinese), and the online magazine Undomesticated (English). Carmen is currently pursuing her MBA at Babson College and is scheduled to graduate in May 2021, with a double concentration in Marketing and Business Analytics.

Chris Huang (Joined the Board since 2020) CEO of Athena Design Group.

Louella Cabalona (Joined the Board since 2020) Louella Cabalona is the lead singer and Co-Founder of SamaSama Project, a Filipino folk fusion band she started in 2008 to encourage local musicians to play and propagate authentic Filipino music in Chicagoland. She is a newscaster on Chicago Philippine Reports Television broadcast on Chicago Cable 25 on WOW, RCN, and Comcast Cable throughout Chicagoland and writes for Via Times News Magazine about local happenings, celebrity features, Filipino culture, food and travel.  She is passionate about sharing Filipino culture in the modern world and actively supports all outstanding Filipinos around the globe.

Lijun Chadima (Joined the Board since 2021) President of Thorland Company (co-owner of the historic Cherry Building). Lijun Chadima is known for her passion for Cedar Rapids and her commitment to family and friends.  She loves the arts and promoting cross-cultural understanding. Lijun moved back to the USA in 1999 after living in Asia for 10 years as required by her husband’s job.  She and her husband own a couple historic buildings in the New Bohemia Culture and Entertainment District in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  In addition to her work renovating, re-purposing and managing historic commercial properties in Cedar Rapids, she has served on numerous boards and commissions to promote community development support for the arts.  As a Rotary member she has engaged in numerous activities that impact local, regional, and international constituencies.  Currently, she is a board member of Iowa Public Radio and a commissioner to the Czech Village-New Bohemia Self Supported Municipal Improvement District Commission.

Jonathan Sarmiento (Joined the Board in 2023) Jonathan Sarmiento is a seasoned healthcare worker/a radiologic technologist. Growing up with parents who packed up their lives to start anew in America and living alongside cultural and language differences, Jonathan understands the value of cinema to draw connections of humanity between isolated people — especially those of different cultures.  Jonathan is an avid moviegoer who discovered his gem-finding love for the unique offerings of martial arts, gunplay, and dramatic cinema coming out of overseas Asian countries during the era of DVDs. Jonathan advocates APUC's mission to foster this engagement happening both from the screen and in the sharing of laughs and tears next to each other in the cinema! 

Grace Zhuo (Joined the Board in 2024) Grace Zhuo is the president of Salient Consulting, a China and U.S.-based college admissions consulting firm. Prior to 2020, she was the overseas marketing director of Shenzhen Huahao Film&Media Co., Ltd., a multiple prestigious award-winning film production company in China. Grace focused exclusively in the area of film post-production project management, international film festival strategy development and implementation, and Chinese independent films’ overseas distribution. As the alumni of Northwestern University and University of Illinois at Chicago, she is passionate about promoting Asian culture in the Chicagoland through Asian cinematic art.

Chance Pon (Joined the Board in 2024) Chance Pon stands as a seasoned figure in the film and music industry, boasting an impressive track record of over 15 years of dedicated involvement. Throughout this extensive journey, Chance has been a driving force behind the scenes, contributing significantly to both realms. In the dynamic landscape of the music industry, he initially made his mark as a nightlife promoter in Chicago in 2008, orchestrating events, live shows, and concerts for a diverse range of talents. Evolving seamlessly, Chance transitioned into artist management , leveraging his profound understanding into artist management, leveraging his profound understanding of the industry to guide and nurture emerging talents. Simultaneously, his impact extended to the film industry where he is currently involved in various film projects. Whether curating unforgettable live experiences or contributing to the cinematic narrative, Chance Pon’s multi-faceted expertise continues to shape and elevate the cultural landscape of film and music.

Bart Moy (Joined the Board in 2024) Bart Moy is the Chief Marketing Officer and Producer for Zatori Films LLC based in Chicago since 2022. Prior to 2022, he worked for the City of Chicago for 33 years. He was appointed by Mayor Daley in 1989. He work with numerous divisions of City government including the Chicago Police Department as a civilian, the Advisory Council on Asian Affairs and the Office of the Mayor. He has touched the lives of countless Chicagoans all across the City through his various roles and as a member of boards and advisory councils such as the Chicago Children’s Museum, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, Chinese Mutual Aid Association, James Jordan Foundation, James Jordan Boys and Girls Club. 

Elizabeth Jia (Joined the Board in 2024) Elizabeth Jia is a dynamic professional whose career spans the realms of art, film, education, and philanthropy. With a passion for fostering cultural exchange and understanding, she has made significant contributions to various industries and organizations, both in China and the United States. 

We are indebted to our past directors who served and made their impact on the growth and development of Sophia’s Choice aka Asian Pop-Up Cinema since our inauguration!

Gavin Guo, Stephanie Gaines, Lorraine Shoto, Margreth Trumpi, Rujanee Mahakanjana, Linda Levin, Maureen Herlehy, Lisa An Wong, and Randy Adamsick

Bronwyn Poole (President of the Board - 2017-2018)