This May, Booz Allen commemorates Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month with highlights of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leadership and achievements at the firm, institutional and employee-led support for AAPI communities, and partnerships for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
While thousands of high-achieving young professionals live in the Boston area, only a select few make it onto the BostInno 25 Under 25. In 2021, Booz Allen Senior Consultant Emilee Cocuzzo was one of them. The Boston Business Journal recognized Cocuzzo for her work supporting Booz Allen’s government cybersecurity clients and improving the firm’s supplier records processes as well as for her volunteer activities with Feed Your Hospital, BUILD Boston, Out in Tech, LearnServe, and Ascend, which helps Asian leaders network and build their careers in their communities.
Cocuzzo was also one of many Booz Allen employees recognized by the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE). As chair of Booz Allen’s Asian Pacific American Network’s events committee, she received the SASE Achievement Award in the category of Employee Resource Group Leadership.
SASE also recognized Associate and Lead Data Scientist Saba Ali with the Promising Professional Award for her potential for future contributions; Principal and Senior Researcher Dr. Ping Yu and Lead Associate Bonnie Peters with the Career Achievement Award for their bodies of work, impact, and mentorship; and Chief Scientist Dr. Kakoli Kim in the category of Tech, Research, Business Achievement.
With the SASEsalutes awards, SASE recognizes the dedication and sacrifice of those in the SASE community with U.S. military service. In 2021, SASE recognized Lead Associate Manoj Ram in the category of Professional Service; and Associate Martha Boyter, Lead Technologist Clifford Datan, and Army SPC Harry Ho, senior software engineer, as Promising Professionals.
In 2020, the Filipino Young Leaders Program in Carson City, Nevada, became a grantee of the Booz Allen Foundation Innovation Fund, part of an overall initiative to support creative solutions addressing the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding and pro bono consulting supported the Caretaker Project, a virtual help desk service that connects Filipinos to vital legal and wellness services, debunks misinformation, and warns against fraud and scams during the pandemic.
During May 2021 AAPI Heritage Month, Booz Allen employees donated over $5,000 to organizations centered around the COVID-19 crisis in India, #StopAsianHate organizations, and the Center for Asian American Media—among the many ways Booz Allen supports AAPI communities year-round.
To support businesses impacted by the pandemic, Booz Allen worked with the Asian Business Association of San Diego (ABASD) on a pro-bono project to develop The State of Asian & Pacific Islander-Owned Businesses in San Diego County: 2021-2022. Booz Allen’s team led the economic impact study by performing research and data analysis, along with helping build dashboards to convey these critical results to local civic leaders.
The study, which included a survey of local businesses, revealed that:
“We believe that this report will help inform the community and local decision makers on the work ahead to secure equity in our economy, and ensure every business in San Diego County is back on track,” Jason Paguio, ABASD president and CEO, said in the foreword of the report.
Creating a more equitable future.
