2026 “Top 10 Outstanding Chinese American Youth” Awards Announced

LAPost / Los Angeles (May 4, 2026) — As Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month begins, the 19th annual “Top 10 Outstanding Chinese American Youth” awards, organized by the American Chinese Youth Federation (AACYF), were officially announced in Los Angeles.

This year’s theme, “Defining the Future,” reflects a shift from celebrating individual “breakthroughs” to recognizing young leaders who are reshaping technological paradigms, business structures, and social values. Organizers noted that this year’s honorees are not only advancing in frontier fields, but are also helping define the systems and frameworks that will shape the future. From “breaking through” to “defining,” this new generation of Chinese American youth is increasingly evolving from participants in global competition into architects of future rules and standards.

According to organizers, the 2026 selection process continued the program’s tradition of openness and transparency. Since the nomination process began earlier this year, the committee received more than 100 qualified nominations from across the United States, spanning technology, finance, culture, public service, and other sectors. After an initial review, 22 finalists were selected and evaluated based on professional achievement, industry impact, and social contribution. The committee then conducted one-on-one interviews to further assess each candidate’s long-term potential and public value before determining the final honorees.

The judging panel noted that this year’s recipients demonstrated particularly strong interdisciplinary capabilities and global resource integration, reflecting the continuing rise of Chinese American youth within the global innovation ecosystem.

In the fields of technology and academic innovation, the honorees showcased leadership in cutting-edge research and applied technologies.

Huang Shengyu, a Tsinghua University Ph.D. and Harvard postdoctoral researcher, is the co-founder of Nolibox.AI. He has focused on AI design agents and creative AI innovation, with products and technologies now serving users in more than 30 countries and regions worldwide.

Lingjiao Chen, a Stanford University Ph.D. and Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research, developed frameworks including FrugalGPT, which significantly reduce the cost of large language models while improving system performance. His work has been adopted by major global companies and widely covered by international media.

He Siyu, a Columbia University Ph.D. and Stanford postdoctoral scholar, specializes in AI-driven biomedical research, using artificial intelligence to accelerate disease mechanism discovery and personalized treatment development. Her research has been published in leading Nature journals.

Shi Changmin, a University of Maryland Ph.D. and Assistant Professor at Syracuse University, continues to advance battery materials and energy systems research while promoting the commercialization of scientific innovation.

Dr. Ming Tang, Director of Bioinformatics at AstraZeneca, focuses on accelerating drug discovery through AI and bioinformatics. He also founded Chatomics, an educational platform teaching bioinformatics globally, with more than 130,000 followers and over 40 published research papers.

Dr. Ruihua Liu, who earned her doctorate from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and completed postdoctoral training at Yale University, founded an AI-powered clinical data platform that compresses processes traditionally requiring months into approximately 90 minutes. Her company is now approaching unicorn-level valuation.

Jing Conan Wang, formerly a Senior Research Engineer at Google Brain, founded DeepVista AI and developed a next-generation entrepreneurial infrastructure platform that has connected and empowered more than 180,000 entrepreneurs through structured knowledge systems and AI-driven workflows.

In business and entrepreneurship, the honorees demonstrated an ability to systematically build and redefine emerging economic structures.

Zeyu Zheng, a Boston University graduate and founder of Zeyu Consulting, has built a business model focused on personal branding and high-value entrepreneurship. His company has served tens of thousands of clients and helped generate billions in revenue growth, with case studies incorporated into business school curricula.

Chris Pang, a Columbia University graduate and founder of GenPark, is pioneering AI Agent Commerce to reshape traffic and consumer engagement models, helping emerging brands connect more effectively with Gen Z audiences. His company has received support from accelerators including Google, Antler, and INSEAD.

Ding Weihua, a Northeastern University graduate and founder of Ranqi Venture Capital, has led cross-regional capital integration and industrial fund collaboration projects, facilitating major investment initiatives.

James Cen, a Columbia University graduate and serial entrepreneur, focuses on AI, cross-border e-commerce, and personalized education. He is currently building PulsePixel, an AI infrastructure platform for lifestyle consumption and global brand expansion.

In public service and social impact, the honorees highlighted the integration of professional expertise with civic responsibility.

Ding Yi, a UCLA graduate and university faculty member, serves as Chair of the nonprofit organization CHEER. She has long promoted educational equity and economic empowerment, helping students save more than $5 million over the past eight years, and was recently appointed to a Los Angeles County commission.

Geng Jianyang, a Johns Hopkins University graduate, currently serves as Administrative Supervisor 4 of Business and Data Warehousing Solutions for the New Jersey Judiciary. One of the youngest Administrative Supervisors in the system, he oversees statewide judicial data warehousing and analytics initiatives that have significantly improved transparency and decision-making efficiency.

In culture and arts, the honorees continued expanding the international visibility of Chinese and Asian artistic expression.

Webson Ji, curator, artist, and Director of Asian Art Contemporary, is also the founder of the New York-based nonprofit Li Tang Community. His work focuses on promoting contemporary Asian art and elevating Asian artists across international exhibitions, fairs, and academic institutions.

Dominic Zhai, a media producer and filmmaker, has received multiple international awards for his creative work while using broadcasting and cultural programs to amplify the global voices of Chinese youth.

Taken as a whole, the 2026 honorees reflect several defining trends. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a core driver across industries, from foundational research to commercial application. Cross-disciplinary integration has become increasingly prominent, as the boundaries between technology, business, arts, and public affairs continue to blur. At the same time, social responsibility has become a defining characteristic, with many honorees extending their influence beyond personal success into education, philanthropy, and public governance.

Since its establishment in 2007, the “Top 10 Outstanding Chinese American Youth” awards have become one of the most influential recognitions during AAPI Heritage Month. The 2026 honorees not only represent the evolving achievements of Chinese American youth, but also signal their growing role in shaping the future global innovation landscape.

(By: Richard Ren / LAPost)