Insights
Building connection through community
Connection shows up in the everyday moments — how teams collaborate, how decisions are made, and how colleagues support one another across roles and regions. At State Street, these instances are what turn individual effort into collective strength.
May 2026
Observed each May, AANHPI Heritage Month is a time to recognize the history, cultures, and contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, and to reflect on how unity shapes the way we work. Guided by this year’s theme, “Power in unity: Strengthening communities together,” AANHPI colleagues from across the firm share how connection comes to life in their roles — and how employee networks like the Asian Professionals Network (APN) help bring people, perspectives, and purpose together.
Connection in action through everyday work
Zoe Ning
For Zoe, unity begins with the everyday responsibility of delivering for clients. In her role as an officer in the Private Equity Fund Services group, she supports reporting and operational processes for private equity clients by partnering closely with teams across financial reporting, tax, loans, custody, and external auditors.
“My role involves working closely with multiple teams to ensure accurate reporting and smooth coordination,” Zoe explains, noting that navigating complex issues together is essential to achieving strong outcomes.
That collaborative approach closely mirrors what AANHPI Heritage Month represents to Zoe on a personal level. “It’s a time to reflect on my heritage and the values of community, resilience, and hard work that many of us share,” she says. She believes its recognition in the workplace helps promote understanding, celebrate diversity, and create a more inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.
Zoe has experienced those values in action through APN, first getting involved after encouragement from colleagues. Through the network, she saw how employee communities bring people together across roles and teams. “They create spaces where we can connect, share experiences, and support one another,” she says, pointing to mentorship and professional development as important outcomes. For Zoe, unity is reflected in the everyday connections that allow teams to move forward together.
Where unity shapes stronger decisions
Bessie Yang
Building on the foundation of connection, Bessie believes that unity is critical to effective execution and sound decision‑making. She is an assistant vice president at State Street Investment Management, where her role requires her to integrate perspectives across disciplines and regions. She also chairs the Asian Professionals Network’s Career Development Committee, leading initiatives focused on mentorship and career advancement programming.
For Bessie, AANHPI Heritage Month serves as a deliberate pause to reflect on shared experiences and perspectives within a global organization. She notes that strong outcomes are often driven by thoughtful dialogue and well-rounded decision-making, particularly in complex and fast-moving environments.
She also highlights the role employee networks can play in fostering connections in impactful and meaningful ways. “APN creates bridges across teams, regions, and seniority levels that might not otherwise exist,” Bessie says, adding that the network’s mentorship, shared learning, and open dialogue help foster trust and connection across the firm.
This year’s theme, she explains, underscores an important idea: “Unity is not uniformity; it is alignment around better outcomes.” Through her professional work and her involvement in employee initiatives, Bessie has seen how intentional collaboration helps drive stronger results and supports a more connected way of working.
Growing together through innovation
Evan Wang
That same alignment becomes a catalyst for growth in Evan’s work across Finance. As an assistant vice president on State Street’s Pricing team, Evan helps ensure the firm is competitively positioned across front-, middle-, and back-office opportunities, while also supporting lift-outs and M&A-related initiatives. His role requires close coordination across functions and a shared commitment to problem-solving.
Evan views AANHPI Heritage Month as a time to reflect on how different paths and leadership styles contribute to stronger teams. “Some of the strongest leaders I’ve worked with have come from very different paths and lived experiences,” he says, adding that recognizing those differences encourages openness and mutual respect in the workplace.
Through his involvement with APN’s Professional Training and Career Development Committee, Evan has seen the value of unity firsthand. “Employee networks like APN create space for both connection and growth,” he explains, allowing colleagues to build relationships across teams while learning from one another in meaningful ways.
The “power in unity” theme comes to life for Evan when teams come together to solve complex challenges. “No individual has all the answers but together we can solve the hardest problems,” he notes. For Evan, unity is what allows teams not only to address today’s challenges, but also to build confidence and momentum for what lies ahead.
Building on what brings us together
Across each story, connection emerges not as an abstract idea, but as something built through daily actions: teams working in alignment, perspectives being considered, and colleagues showing up for one another across the firm. While AANHPI Heritage Month offers a dedicated moment to reflect, these experiences underscore how connection continues to shape our culture well beyond May. By sustaining these practices throughout the year, we can continue elevating individual contributions into shared progress — strengthening our communities and the work we do together.
