Ascend Greater PHL - 2026 Lunar New Year Celebration Speakers
Antonio Merlo, PhD
President, Drexel University
Antonio Merlo, PhD is Drexel University’s 16th president. A seasoned academic leader, scholar, and professor, he previously served as the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of Arts & Science at NYU, where he expanded research infrastructure, led major fundraising efforts, completed a new home for the college, and hired 120 tenure-line faculty.
Originally from Italy and a first‑generation college graduate, Merlo earned his Laurea summa cum laude from Bocconi University and his PhD in economics from NYU. Hi research spans political economy, public economics, bargaining theory, and empirical microeconomics, with notable work on crime, voting, political careers, coalition governments, household bargaining, and housing markets. He has published widely in top economics journals and authored the textbook Political Economy and Policy Analysis. His honors include election as a Fellow of the Econometric Society and multiple teaching awards. He is also an award‑winning collegiate water polo coach.
Merlo has held faculty and leadership roles at the University of Minnesota, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, and Rice University, where he led major academic initiatives, fundraising campaigns, and research institutes.
At Drexel, Merlo arrives as the University undertakes its Academic Transformation initiative, focused on restructuring programs, redesigning curriculum, and transitioning to semesters. He has emphasized strong support for the effort and its potential to enhance Drexel’s student experience and strengthen its competitive position.
Subir Sahu, PhD
SVP, Enrollment Management & Student Success, Drexel University
Subir serves as the senior vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success at Drexel. In this role, Subir oversees multiple areas related to current and prospective student engagement on campus including (but not limited to) Admissions, Business Services, Financial Aid, Student Counseling and Health, and Student Life. Prior to this position, Subir served in multiple roles at Drexel, initially joining the Residential Living Office in 2006. Subir ultimately moved into the director of Residential Living role, before becoming an associate dean of students, where he assisted with major division-wide initiatives and projects within Student Life. Subir also served as vice president & dean of Student Life, where he was the chief student life officer (he continues to hold the role of chief student life officer for the university in his SVP position). Subir holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University. After spending several years working as an engineer, Subir decided to follow his passion for working with and counseling college students. He left the field of engineering and obtained a Master of Education degree in Student Life practice in higher education from the University of Delaware. In 2012, Subir obtained his PhD in Urban Education from Temple University. His dissertation topic centered on the engagement and involvement of Asian students at American colleges and universities. His research background gives him a unique understanding of how Philadelphia's urban environment uniquely impacts and affects the Drexel community and student body. Subir also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Drexel University College of Education and Pennoni Honors College.
Brian Ellis, PhD
Associate Dean for Academic Programs Administration, Drexel University
Brian Ellis has over twenty years of administrative experience in higher education and has held several roles in administration and leadership at his alma mater Drexel University, and Rutgers University. In his current role, as Associate Dean for Program Administration at LeBow, Brian is responsible for oversight of all administrative functions related to undergraduate programs. In addition to his role at LeBow, Dr. Ellis is the Executive Director for Drexel University’s, Goodwin College of Professional Studies. In this role, Brian leads the strategic mission to ensure equitable access to a high-quality, career-focused education informed by Drexel’s long tradition of experiential learning, preparing organizations and students of all backgrounds to find success and fulfillment in the workforce.
In 2012, Brian created LeBow BRIDGE, an academic enrichment program for underrepresented minority students in LeBow college. The award-winning program has yielded excellent results including a 90% graduation rate for its first cohort and student career landings at the likes of Google, Amazon, and LinkedIn. LeBow BRIDGE has been recognized nationally as the recipient of the 2023 and 2024 Inspiring Programs in Business Award from INSIGHT Into Academia magazine, the leader in advancing best practices in inclusive excellence and belonging in higher education.
Neville Vakharia, PhD
Dean of the Pennoni Honors College at Drexel University
Neville Vakharia is the Dean of the Pennoni Honors College at Drexel University, where he leads strategic initiatives that advance innovative academic, research, and engagement programs. Previously, he served as Associate Dean of Research and Planning in Drexel’s Westphal College, guiding its research growth and five-year strategic plan.
As a professor, he teaches leadership, strategy, and entrepreneurship while conducting research on how technology, innovation, and knowledge management support sustainable nonprofit and creative organizations. His work has been widely funded, published internationally, and translated into new technology-driven tools.
Before joining Drexel, Neville directed the Cultural Data Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts (now SMU DataArts), overseeing its national expansion and helping transform it into a multimillion‑dollar enterprise. He also led technology programs at the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia and managed marketing at the Prince Music Theater.
Earlier in his career, Neville spent over a decade at W.L. Gore & Associates in product development and global product management, earning two international patents. He holds a B.S. in Materials Engineering, an M.S. in Arts Administration, and a Ph.D. in Information Science from Drexel. He chairs the board of Social Impact Commons, serves on the editorial board of Artivate, and advises creative, startup, and social enterprises.
Joanna Kan, CPA
Founder, Blue Story LLC
Joanna Kan is a strategic architect of value and a member of the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. Serving in an advisory capacity, she helps shape advocacy and public policy frameworks to elevate the region’s $600 billion business into a top global destination for capital, innovation and inclusive growth.
As the founder of Blue Story, LLC, Joanna pioneered the “Front Row Seat” strategy in wine collections, which applies financial rigor to opaque auction markets, creating a proprietary framework for capital allocation within alternative asset classes. This strategy was utilized through her “Lady in Red” collection, featured at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where it serves as a case study in how data-indexed curation commands cultural authority and redefines markets. Through this structure, she optimizes capital allocation through defined investment frameworks across her 500 initiatives, establishing her as the definitive trendsetter in auction performance for her elite collectors.
Joanna’s capacity for large-scale financial governance was honed over two decades as a Certified Public Accountant specializing in tax planning and corporate finance. During the corporate divestiture of Trinseo from Dow Inc., a $5 billion multinational spinoff that culminated in a successful IPO, she acted as a trusted advisor to the C-suite, having primary responsibility for managing a $1 billion Latin American remit. Her leadership was recognized by the appointment to her seat on the selection committee that architected the largest-scale global infrastructure in the organization’s history, successfully insourcing critical operations to the newly independent enterprise. In this role, she instituted business solutions that optimized P&L and cash positions, ensuring the Trinseo organization’s immediate and long-term financial health.
Additionally, as a proud Drexel University alumna, Joanna’s deep connection to the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs (PICPA), alongside her seats on the Drexel Pennoni Honors College Dean’s Advisory Board and the Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter Advisory Board, underscores her role as a trusted fiduciary enhancing global market performance. She has a proven track record of carving new markets out of legacy sectors, using rigorous discipline to capture high-growth opportunities in rapidly shifting environments.
Steve Staugaitis, CPA, CVA
Director, Small Business Advisory Services Group, Kreischer Miller
Steve is the Director-In-Charge of Kreischer Miller’s Small Business Advisory practice, which provides integrated accounting, tax, and advisory services exclusively to small and mid-size privately-held companies, many of which are family-owned. He also serves as the co-leader of the firm’s Family Business practice. Steve has a wide range of experience providing accounting, tax, and business advisory services, which enables him to serve as a key advisor to his clients. He has worked with clients in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, construction, and various service organizations. As part of his role as an advisor, Steve helps companies analyze and understand their financial position, assists with evaluating acquisition opportunities, evaluates and structures transition plans, completes business valuations, and provides insight into company buy-sell agreements.
In addition to his client-facing responsibilities, Steve serves as an instructor for Kreischer Miller’s in-house professional training seminars. He is also a specialist in and leads the Family Business Structure content hub for Kreischer Miller’s Center for Private Company Excellence, a first-of-its-kind live and virtual community created exclusively for privately-held companies.
Steve joined Kreischer Miller in 2004. Prior to working for Kreischer Miller, he was a manager at a national accounting firm headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, where his responsibilities included supervising the audits and tax returns of closely-held private businesses and their owners.
David Cole
President & CEO, Science History Institute (SHI) in Philadelphia
David Allen Cole is the President and CEO of the Science History Institute (SHI) in Philadelphia. Prior to his tenure at SHI, he served as the Executive Director of the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware. His principal research interest is in innovation history and theory, and he is the author of The Power of Innovation, an exhibition and catalogue on the history of American invention and the U.S. patent system in the nineteenth century, presented at the National Museum of China (2018). A graduate of Vanderbilt University, he received a master’s degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in the History of Art and American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Cole has been a Henry Luce Foundation Fellow, a Research Fellow of the Learning Innovations Laboratory (LILA) of Harvard University, and has taught at Harvard University, Rice University, and the University of Texas at Austin.
Juan Ilaria
Commercial Director, North America, Dow
Elaine Cheong
President, Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter
Kathy Wong
VP, Finance, Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter
Kenneth Wong
Chapter Advisor, Ascend Greater Philadelphia Chapter
Mel Tonogbanua
Co-President, Ascend Drexel
Mel Tonogbanua is a senior at Drexel University double majoring in Management Information Systems and Business Analytics. He is the current Co-President of the Ascend Drexel Student Chapter and has been an active member since 2022. At Drexel, Mel has focused on community engagement and leadership, serving as the Drexel team leader for the CapSim Global Challenge, a committee member for the 2023 Asian American Philadelphia Advocacy Conference, and holding multiple executive roles within Ascend Drexel, including Marketing Director, External Vice President, and Co-President. He has completed two co-ops at BlackRock and Comcast and is a recipient of the TransDigm Group Scholarship.
Emily Yee
Co-President, Ascend Drexel
Emily Yee is a senior at Drexel University double majoring in Management Information Systems and Business Analytics. At Drexel, Emily has demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership and student engagement, serving as Finance Director, Internal Vice President, and Co-President of Ascend Drexel, Treasurer of the Korean Student Association, and a Peer Leader for LeBow College of Business. Professionally, Emily has completed two co-op experiences at Merck. She is also a recipient of the PHISIM Scholarship, recognizing her academic achievements as an MIS student.
Annie Jiang
VP, Ascend Drexel
Annie is a senior at Drexel University majoring in Management Information Systems with a minor in Product Design. She currently serves as Vice President of the Ascend Drexel Student Chapter. Highly involved on campus, Annie has held roles as a Freshman Resident Advisor, Pennoni College Honors Student Mentor, and External Relations Director at Ascend, and is a member of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority. She was accepted into Seoul National University’s study abroad program, received both the Benjamin A. Gilman and Freeman-ASIA Scholarships, and has completed three co-ops at J.P. Morgan, BlackRock, and Comcast.