WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- APIA Scholars is pleased to announce the appointment of Michelle Rhee and Joel Kuwahara to its Board of Directors, further strengthening the organization's leadership with deep expertise spanning law, finance, media, and creative innovation.
"We are honored to welcome Michelle and Joel to the APIA Scholars Board of Directors," said Dr. Noël Harmon, President and Executive Director of APIA Scholars. "Each brings a powerful combination of professional excellence, strategic insight, and a shared commitment to expanding opportunity for students. Their leadership will be instrumental as we continue to scale our impact and advance our mission of supporting Scholars from college access through career success."
Michelle Rhee currently serves as the Deputy General Counsel for Wealth & Investment Management (WIM) at Wells Fargo. Her tenure at Wells Fargo includes serving as Chief Legal Officer for Wells Fargo Funds, coordinating counsel for the WIM division, and acting as a key partner for numerous WIM business initiatives. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Michelle was Associate General Counsel at Bank of America Corporation and an associate and junior partner at Hale and Dorr in the firm's Asset Management practice. Michelle is a member of the Massachusetts Bar. She holds a B.A. from Smith College and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
Joel Kuwahara is a two-time Emmy Award–winning producer and technology leader with over 30 years of experience at the intersection of creativity, technology and innovation. As Co-Founder and former President of Production at Bento Box Entertainment, he helped build a leading digital animation studio, collaborating with global artists and partners including Disney, FOX, Netflix, Apple, and Amazon. His work also extends beyond entertainment to cultural preservation and advocacy, including an invitation from the Namgyal Monastery in India to help digitally preserve the teachings of the 14th Dalai Lama. Joel served as Executive Sponsor of FOX Entertainment's ACE (Asian American employee resource group) and brings a long-standing commitment to mentorship, representation, and service to his nonprofit board work.
About APIA Scholars
Based in Washington, D.C. and founded in 2003, APIA Scholars is the nation's leading non-profit organization devoted to the academic, personal, and professional success of our Scholars, with a focus on those who are most in need. Through Scholarships, Student Success Programs, Research and Applied Partnerships, APIA Scholars carries out its mission to educate, elevate, and empower our Scholars and the next generation of students. For more information about APIA Scholars, please visit us at www.apiascholars.org.
CONTACT
Wendy Wong
VP of Marketing and Communications
APIA Scholars (Asian Pacific Islander American Scholars)
Media Contact
Wendy Wong, APIA Scholars, 1 (202) 986-6892 119, [email protected], APIA Scholars
SOURCE APIA Scholars
Share this article