Celebrating National Adoption Awareness Month: Historic leadership summit builds community by and for adoptees, foster alumni, and allies

The Inclusion Initiative’s Leadership Summit creates space for adoptees, foster alumni and allies. Learn more about the Summit and its founder, Grace Yung Foster’s vision for the inaugural event.
By ● Culture, Interview ●

Cold Tea Collective is a proud media partner of The Inclusion Initiative’s Inaugural Leadership Summit for adoptees, foster alumni, and allies, taking place on November 15, 2025, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

This historic event, created by and for adoptee and foster alumni leaders, is the first of its kind in the United States. In celebration of National Adoption Awareness Month, the summit brings together voices and visionaries from different industries to center belonging, visibility, and leadership within adoptee and foster alumni communities.

We spoke with Grace Yung Foster, MBA (she/her), Founder and CEO of The Inclusion Initiative, about her journey, the inspiration behind the summit, and what it means to reclaim visibility in spaces where adoptees and foster care alumni individuals have long been excluded from the narrative.

From foster care alumni to Founding The Inclusion Initiative

A portrait of Grace Yung Foster smiling warmly against a dark background. She has long black wavy hair and wears a deep green dress with short flutter sleeves. The lighting highlights her face and confident expression, creating a professional and welcoming tone.
Photo submitted by Grace Yung Foster

At three years old, Foster was relinquished and considered an orphan in South Korea. She entered the U.S. foster care system and experienced broken adoptions, an experience that deeply shaped her personal and professional journey.

“I realized that many foster Alums and Adoptees were struggling with the same thing I did: a lack of networks, support, and access once we became adults,” shares Foster. “We age out, but we don’t age out of needing community.”

Foster founded The Inclusion Initiative in 2023 to fill this gap, with goals to build a movement of visibility, inclusion, and belonging for adoptees, fosters, and their allies of color, especially in the workplace.  

A large collage featuring over two dozen diverse professionals and leaders affiliated with The Inclusion Initiative. In the center, the organization’s logo appears in bold black text on a white background. The participants represent a wide range of racial, gender, and professional backgrounds, emphasizing diversity and inclusion.
Photo Submitted by Grace Yung Foster

“I saw a huge gap in visibility and support for adults who were adoptees or fosters,” shares Foster. Even with my education and resources, I felt that absence, and I knew that others with fewer opportunities felt it even more.”

She realized that while adoption and foster care have existed in the U.S. for over a century, there were very few spaces designed to support adults navigating careers and leadership.

“If it hadn’t been built by now, I knew I’d still be waiting. So I decided to build it myself,” says Foster..

Today, The Inclusion Initiative is a national platform advocating for equity, representation, and economic empowerment centering adoptee, foster care alumni, and allies.

Redefining leadership and the future of work

“There are over 15 million adoptees and foster alums in the U.S.,” explains Foster. “As we grow up and build careers, we disappear from the public narrative of adoption and foster care.”

The Summit brings together 17 leaders from the corporate, nonprofit, media, and entrepreneurial sectors, including eight Asian and six other leaders of color who are adoptees and/or foster care alumni.

A group of nine people stand together indoors in front of a bright red wall with gold lantern decorations. They smile toward the camera, with arms around each other, creating a sense of unity and celebration.
Photo Submitted by Grace Yung Foster

“We’re bringing adoptees and fosters into the conversation as thought leaders who know how to lead through change,” says Foster. “Our lived experience gives us resilience, adaptability, and empathy, all essential leadership qualities.”

Moreover, hosting this inaugural event during National Adoption Month was intentional.

“This is visibility in action […] When young adoptees and fosters see leaders on that stage, they see what’s possible,” adds Foster. “It’s historic. We’re not just telling stories, we’re reshaping what leadership looks like.”

She believes the summit and its discussions will not only empower individuals but also reshape organizational culture. Foster shares, “When companies invest in adoptee and foster talent, they’re redefining inclusion in the workplace. It’s not just good for people, it’s good for business.”

See also: Joy Ride arrives at an intersection of inclusive storytelling for the Asian American diaspora

Accessibility and inclusion as core design

“Too often, our community faces financial or systemic barriers to access,” Foster explains. “We didn’t want cost or circumstance to stop anyone from attending.”

The Inclusion Initiative designed the summit to be accessible, equitable, and actionable with scholarship tickets, on-site career and networking opportunities, and a commitment to universal inclusion.

“We’re removing barriers, because that’s what equity really means,” says Foster. “If we’re going to talk about inclusion, it has to start here.”

See also: Disability Pride: Redefining what it means to be disabled and Asian

Celebrating the adoptees and foster community and beyond

“In many Asian and multicultural communities, adoptees and fosters are seen as children, but we rarely talk about who we become as adults,” says Foster. “We want people to see us as whole, complex leaders who contribute to our communities and economies.”

The hope for the summit is for attendees to find belonging, support, and inspiration to lead at the inaugural event. Similarly, for allies attending the summit, Foster shares, “I hope they leave energized to create workplaces of belonging and invest in our community’s potential.”

And for those just hearing about the movement, Foster extends an invitation, “Join us. Be part of future conversations, mentorship programs, and events. We’re building a community where everyone belongs.”

A group of twelve people gather around a long wooden dining table, smiling for the camera at a restaurant. Plates of food and bottles of drinks are arranged across the table, and the atmosphere feels lively and joyful.
Photo submitted by Grace Yung Foster
Seven people gather around a circular table at a restaurant, sharing a meal and smiling brightly. Plates, drinks, and food are spread across the table. The group poses together, creating a sense of warmth, friendship, and community.
Photo submitted by Grace Yung Foster
Three women sit together on a small theater stage, smiling and posing for a photo. Behind them, the dark walls of the stage are visible. One woman wears a skirt with colorful calligraphy-style designs, another wears a black top and gray pants, and the third wears a blazer and sneakers.
Photo submitted by Grace Yung Foster
Seven people pose outside a restaurant with a red awning that reads “Quartino.” They stand close together, smiling warmly at the camera in casual clothing. The restaurant’s string lights glow behind them, adding to the celebratory evening mood.
Photo submitted by Grace Yung Foster
A group of nine people sit together around a long table in a restaurant, smiling at the camera. Plates of food, glasses of water, and wine are visible on the table. Natural light streams in from large windows behind them, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Photo submitted by Grace Yung Foster
Five friends sit at a dimly lit restaurant table holding cocktails and smiling at the camera. Framed art lines the walls behind them, and a golden lamp glows on the table, casting warm light over their glasses and plates.
Photo submitted by Grace Yung Foster

See also: Shedding light on the Asian adoptee experience

Learn more about the summit

A promotional graphic for The Inclusion Initiative’s 2025 Leadership Summit. The left side features the organization’s logo with the word “Inclusion” highlighted in brackets and purple text. Below, bold purple and white text reads: “2025 Leadership Summit – Adoptees, Foster Alumni, & Allies: Our Future, Our Legacies.” The right side shows a group of diverse professionals smiling and shaking hands in an office setting. The bottom text provides the website link for tickets: “www.theinclusioninitiative.com/events.”
Photo Submitted by: Grace Yung Foster

The Inclusion Initiative’s Leadership Summit for adoptees, foster care alumni, and allies will be on November 15, 2025, at Minneapolis Institute of Art. 

This exciting half-day event is filled with cross-sector leaders as guest speakers discussing the futures and legacies of adoptees, foster care alumni, and allies.

It is hosted by The Inclusion Initiative in partnership with The Very Asian Foundation, Foster Advocates, and other local organizations.

Three people sit in conversation at a bookstore event surrounded by bookshelves. A banner behind them reads “Who Is a Worthy Mother? An Intimate History of Adoption.” Another sign reads “Loyalty Books – Asian, Queer, and Independent Bookstore.” The speakers are engaged in discussion, one holding a microphone and smiling.
Photo submitted by Grace Yung Foster

For more information about the event and to attend: tickets and scholarship, and how to get involved.

At its core, this summit is more than a gathering; it’s a reclamation of identity, belonging, and voice. Cold Tea Collective is excited to support Grace Yung Foster and The Inclusion Initiative in celebrating National Adoption Awareness Month to shape the future of inclusion, centering adoptee and foster care alum leadership.

See also: Korean American adoptee Patrick Armstrong takes control of his own narrative in Conversation Piece

Help us uplift Asian diaspora voices

Support Cold Tea Collective with a monthly contribution to help ensure stories for and by the next generation of the Asian diaspora are here to stay.

Authors

Dennis Tran is a social impact storyteller, DEIA speaker, and consultant committed to fostering a neuroinclusive and accessible world. As a queer, partially blind, late-identified autistic-ADHDer (AuDHD) Vietnamese American with C-PTSD and glaucoma, Dennis channels his lived experiences to support others navigating similar challenges. Holding a degree in Public Health Policy with a Business Management minor from UC Irvine, Dennis has successfully built a multi-faceted career across sectors, including digital media, technology, healthcare, entertainment, and philanthropy.

Through storytelling, cultural and disability inclusion consultation, and accessibility advising, Dennis empowers neurodivergent and disabled individuals to live fulfilling lives. His advocacy work emphasizes the transformative power of representation and the importance of creating inclusive spaces where individuals don’t have to hide or “overcome” who they are. Dennis is passionate about uplifting the AANHPI community, addressing cultural stigma, and bridging intergenerational gaps.

Dennis has spoken at UCSF, CSUF, Autodesk, Steelcase, and Heap, sharing insights on neurodiversity, anti-ableism, and DEIA best practices. His work is driven by the belief that disability and neurodiversity are not a limitation but a source of resilience and creativity.

 

Pearl Zhou is a communicator and editor who spends time between Toronto and Vancouver, Canada.

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