as general counsel for ASEAN, where he focused on IBM interests in twelve Asian countries, primarily Malaysia, Tailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. As IBM’s director of global busi-
ness development, first in Tokyo and later in Washington, D.C., Horikoshi led discussions on regula- tory and procurement issues affecting the information technology industry. As he neared retirement, he saw prospects for a second career among presidential political appointments or among consulting opportunities at Beltway-area firms vying for govern- ment contracts. So when a headhunter tried to
recruit him for the APIASF job, Horikoshi brushed him off, skeptical that his corporate background held relevance for any nonprofit. But APIASF founders disagreed
16
and urged Horikoshi to reconsider, and he’s glad he did. He says a major difference between
corporate life and the nonprofit sector is the pace of change. Whereas corporate executives
might expect changes in management and delivery to yield desired results almost immediately, “expectations are different in nonprofits, where talk- ing to communities requires time,” Horikoshi says. “A person must be far more patient in the nonprofit world. At IBM, our goal was to maximize annual revenue and profits. Here, we’re trying to deliver results for underserved populations.” Also in Washington, D.C.,
Turgood Marshall College Fund President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. applauds Horikoshi’s strategies, saying, “Neil understands the importance of higher education to corporate America because he has lived and worked with the products of higher education. Corporations can only be as effective as the people in them.” He and Horikoshi refer their
respective donors to each other’s organization at times.
Meanwhile, Horikoshi continues
making his case to audiences who often still subscribe to the so-called model minority myth. Tey don’t know that half of all Asian-American and Pacific Islander college students in this country attend community colleges rather than four-year colleges and universities. Tey don’t know that in 2011, APIASF awarded scholar- ships to only 6 percent of applicants, leaving $18 million in unmet need. “My role is to be an advocate and a
storyteller,” Horikoshi says. One Pell grant-eligible student,
as an example, mentioned on her scholarship application that she helped her single, working mother raise the girl’s two younger siblings. Te girl also juggled a part-time job as well as high school classes. Her disclosures appeared on the section of the application marked, “leader-
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013
ship activities.” Scholarship judges were moved
enough to name the student, of Samoan and Vietnamese heritage, a Gates Millennium Scholar/APIA. Now poised to graduate from a Massachusetts college, she has encouraged younger Pacific Islanders, an ethnic group among the lowest in U.S. degree attainment, to go to college. It is these sorts of success stories
that Horikoshi enjoys sharing with corporate donors and potential funders. It is also why his commit- ment to APIASF remains steadfast. “A very small amount of the work,” he says, “has been done.” D&B
Lydia Lum is a freelance writer and for- mer reporter for the Houston Chronicle and Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
MCCA.COM
“ A person must be far more patient in the nonprofit world. At IBM, our goal was to maximize annual revenue and profits. Here, we’re trying to deliver results for underserved populations.” —Neil Horikoshi
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