Akemi Chan-Imai (She/Her)

Akemi began learning taiko drumming in 2001 with Makoto Taiko in Pasadena, CA and has served as Artistic Director and Artistic Coordinator for USC Kazan Taiko from 2007-2010. Akemi served on Makoto Taiko’s Operations Committee from 2009-2014, and became President of the group after it obtained 501(c)3 nonprofit status in late 2014. She is a former Board Fellow of Kizuna’s Next Generation Leadership program and obtained a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management at Antioch University Los Angeles in 2018. After serving as Makoto Taiko’s inaugural Executive Director from 2017-2018, Akemi relocated to Oakland, CA and currently works at Oakland Asian Cultural Center as their Programs Manager.