Tavae Samuelu is the daughter of a pastor from Leulumoega and a nurse from Saleimoa. As the Executive Director of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), she’s a passionate advocate for her people and is committed to liberation for all. Tavae was born and raised on Tongva land and credits her time on unceded Ohlone territory for her political identity and consciousness. Before joining EPIC, she served as the Development Director for the RYSE Youth Center in Richmond and has since become a member of RYSE’s Board of Directors. Tavae is the Vice President of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) board as well as a member of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) Executive Committee. The pandemic has taught her that her most important title is Aunty Vae.
