Comcast RISE business grant winner shoots through an equity lens to support community

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Comcast RISE business grant winner shoots through an equity lens to support community

By Nina Huang
Northwest Asian Weekly

Melissa Ponder self portrait

Melissa Ponder has led a career dedicated to promoting equity and eliminating disparities—first in the education and nonprofit fields, and now through her photography.

Ponder is a Korean American army brat. She was born near her father’s hometown in southern Missouri and moved around with her family growing up. Her mother was one of the first Korean wives of the U.S. GIs. Their family had lived in air bases in Missouri, South Korea, and Germany.

Given her unique childhood and experiencing inclusivity and cross-cultural communications, she’s able to see things through an equity lens.

Ponder used to work in education, including conducting equity diversity training. She has also worked for International Community Health Services in program management, serving diverse populations to reduce diabetes disparities.

She made the pivot from the education and nonprofit sector to pursuing her hobby of photography.

Comcast RISE business grant winner serves a latte kindness during tough times

By Nina Huang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Bellden Cafe owner Claire Sumadiwirya (Photo provided by Claire Sumadiwirya)

It was a moment of kindness from a stranger that motivated Claire Sumadiwirya, mother of three, to open a purpose-driven cafe.

Sumadiwirya opened Bellden Cafe four years ago with a community-focused mission in mind. The cafe’s mission is simple: to build community through food, drink, and kindness.

Originally from Shanghai, Sumadiwirya moved to Bellevue when she was 12. She graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in sociology and finance, and also received her MBA from Seattle University.

When Sumadiwirya and her family were living in Shanghai, her eldest son got sick and they had to stay at a hospital.

Hospitals in Asia and Europe don’t always have cafes like they do in the United States, so she found herself lonely, sleep-deprived, and hungry, but there was a generous janitor at the hospital

Veterans Guardian Winner of 2021 BBB Torch Award For Ethics

PINEHURST, N.C., July 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Veterans Guardian has been regarded by the Superior Business Bureau serving Japanese North Carolina in the yearly 2021 BBB Torch Awards for Market Ethics. The BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics acknowledges businesses exhibiting an remarkable stage of ethics and integrity in all business enterprise dealings. These firms make a large degree of have confidence in among the their staff and their communities. Veterans Guardian also gained the 2020 BBB Torch Award for Ethics.

In complete, four winners were being honored with a Torch Award through a digital ceremony on Thursday, June 24th. The finalists represented substantial, mid-sized, and compact business enterprise groups. Veterans Guardian received the only award in the big-sized business enterprise category. The nominees went through a meticulous application course of action to illustrate their commitment to ethics and community management. Just about every winner was carefully evaluated