Anu Chitrapu Talks About the Asian Community Fund’s “Rising Together” Gala and Its Mission
BOSTON — Anu Chitrapu, Senior Vice President and Executive at Bank of America and co-chair of the 2026 Asian Community Fund “Rising Together” Gala, talks about the significance of this year’s celebration, the mission of the Asian Community Fund, and the importance of supporting AAPI communities across Massachusetts.
The third annual “Rising Together” Gala will be held on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Westin Copley Place in Boston, bringing together business, civic, philanthropic and community leaders to celebrate AAPI leadership and support organizations serving Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across the Commonwealth.
To watch the full interview with Anu Chitrapu, please click here, or on the image below.
The gala will honor two distinguished leaders whose work has contributed to innovation, community building and opportunity. Julie Kim, President & CEO of Takeda, will receive the Paul W. Lee AAPI Leadership Award, while Anantha P. Chandrakasan, MIT Provost, Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and former Dean of the MIT School of Engineering, will receive the Helen Chin Schlichte Community Builder Award.
Ms. Chitrapu is a Senior Vice President and Executive at Bank of America. She is passionate about women’s empowerment, eliminating gender-based violence, education for girls and protecting the environment. That commitment led her to create Nyrvaana, a social enterprise focused on saving fabric from landfills while providing employment opportunities to disadvantaged women.
She recently created “You Can Be,” a book for young girls that encourages them to pursue any profession they choose by introducing them to accomplished women role models who look like them.
Ms. Chitrapu served as President of TiE Boston from 2020 to 2022 and remains actively involved in the region’s entrepreneurial and nonprofit communities. She serves on the Board of Advisors for the Museum of Science, Boston, and on the advisory board of Direct Action for Women Now (DAWN). She is also an active member of several Boston-based nonprofit organizations.
She holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.
The 2026 gala will be co-chaired by Chitrapu, Rushika Fernandopulle of Liza Health, and Chinh Pham of Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
The evening will combine recognition of AAPI leaders with cultural performances, cuisine and storytelling highlighting the diversity and contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Last year’s gala raised more than $800,000 in support of the Asian Community Fund’s programs and grantmaking.
The Asian Community Fund
Founded in 2020 at the Boston Foundation, the Asian Community Fund (ACF) is the first and only philanthropic fund in Massachusetts dedicated exclusively to supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
ACF works to increase AAPI visibility, strengthen community organizations, foster partnerships and build a stronger advocacy voice across the Commonwealth.
The fund has rapidly expanded its grantmaking. In July, ACF announced $635,000 in grants to 59 nonprofit organizations, its largest grantmaking round since the fund began distributing grants. Since 2022, ACF has invested $2.4 million in 135 community-based nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts.
The organizations supported by ACF address a broad range of community needs, including legal services and advocacy, food insecurity, economic stability, community well-being and belonging. The demand for funding continues to exceed available resources: ACF’s most recent grant cycle received 126 applications requesting more than $2.4 million, compared with $635,000 available for the latest round.
The 2026 “Rising Together” Gala will take place October 2 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston and is expected to bring together approximately 700 business, civic, philanthropic and community leaders.
Event: Asian Community Fund “Rising Together” Gala
Date: Friday, October 2, 2026
Location: Westin Copley Place, Boston
Honorees: Julie Kim and Anantha P. Chandrakasan
Co-Chairs: Anu Chitrapu, Rushika Fernandopulle and Chinh Pham
