Jessie Chen Bio – New York Dragon Boat Alliance, Inc.
I am Jessie Chen and I will be serving as head of Communications on the executive committee of the New York Dragon Boat Alliance. Some of you know me as the drummer and manager of VAX Dragon Boat, a grassroots team I co-founded and launched with coach Justin Dou in 2021.
My introduction into dragon boat racing is fairly new and just 4 summers strong. However, my devotion to community development and inclusive team building has been lifelong. I spent 7 years as a project leader for various humanitarian non-profits, including the Amity Foundation, the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship, and the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association. During this time I established sustainable ESL curriculums for impoverished communities and facilitated a dance enrichment program for adults with developmental disabilities. I went on to join the Alliance of Multicultural Organizations (AMO) while serving as President of the Bryn Mawr Asian Students Association, and was awarded with the Spirit of Service and Presidential Awards in 2019 and recognized on the 2019 and 2020 Community Building Honor Rolls. I was most remembered for my time as MC and director of “In Bloom”, the largest culture show hosted by an AMO group, complete with guest speakers, performances, fashion show, and dinner reception. Today I am in my sixth year of my sales and business development career, helping brands and decision-makers in their digital strategy and technology selection, and responsible for the rebranding of 2 companies.
I fell in love with this sport working with energetic athletes on VAX and other teams. Dragon boat fully demands and emphasizes how powerful a collective can be, and how you are only as strong as your weakest link. My fondest memories every summer are of the practices filled with banter, and of the intense competition days where every second on the water counts. The teams each represent a diversity of unique personalities and passion that can’t be replicated anywhere else. We deserve and need a forever home for our sport’s growth and longevity. I look forward to working together with all of you to achieve this.
Jessie Chen
Communications Officer
New York Dragon Boat Alliance Inc.
New York Dragon Boat Alliance 