Born in Long Island, New York as the Jamaican/Cuban/Chinese/Jewish daughter to immigrant parents, Asha Chai-Chang is an Actuary by Trade turned Award-Winning and Oscar-qualified Director and Writer. Ms. Chai-Chang is an Emmy-Nominated Producer, Alliance of Women Directors inductee, RespectAbility Entertainment Lab Alum and Certified Speaker. She is a proud Co-Founder & Co-Captain of the Academy Award & BAFTA qualifying Slamdance Film Festival Unstoppable program, which is a program dedicated to disabled talent and filmmakers, and has garnered the attention and support of Hulu, Blackmagic Design, ScreenDaily, IndieWire, Forbes, and other reputable companies. Asha advocates for diversity and disability inclusion in film and television by leading initiatives and creating family-friendly content with universal relatability.
Asha has always enjoyed combining her Jewish roots and values with her love for art and entertainment, including dancing with the Joffrey Ballet School at the Lincoln Theatre in NYC as a child, to performing Opera in Hebrew, Yiddish, and other languages at The Kennedy Center, The White House, and Governor’s Mansion as a teenager, and currently advocating for diversity and inclusion through her work as a filmmaker and producer. During her Political Science and Pre-Law studies at Yale University, Asha spoke at the United Nations and to the United States Congress about human rights and equal access to education as a Junior Statesman of America. Thereafter, establishing a Junior Statesmen of America chapter at her high school to assist students with public speaking and effective communication skills. As a college student in Business at the University of Hartford, she was a dedicated member of Hillel, assisting with High Holy Day celebrations on campus, and organizing school events like the Cotillion and Promukkah. To this day, she gives back to others with the values she has been brought up with and educates people about our kindness, disciplines, and richness in history.
