Leadership

Leadership Bios

Tinh D. Phan, P.E, Founder & Chairman, Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce & Virginia Asian Foundation.

As Founder and Chairman of the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Tinh D. Phan (“Tinh”) is also a professional mechanical engineer and Chairman/CEO of four businesses: PNC Corporation, a construction firm; PNC International, an import/export business; PNC Industries, a manufacturer of commercial and industrial aluminum windows and doors; and the PNC Group.

Mr. Phan was Chief Counselor to the U.S Government in South Vietnam during the Vietnam war. In 2004, he founded the Asian American Business Alliance Center (AABAC), which he later renamed it as the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce (VACC).

Mr. Phan is nationally recognized by more than a dozen national, state, and regional governments such as The SBA Award as the 2010 Champion of Small and Minority Business for the State of Virginia, The U.S Post Office’s Cannon Award for Community Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Director‘s Award for Community Leadership, The Valentine Museum‘s History Maker, The U.S Department of Veteran Affairs, the Richmond City Council, the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, to cite a few.

He received dozens of other leadership accolades from corporate leaders, business and professional trade groups, health care facilities, and military organizations.

A Structural Engineer by trade, he studied at the National Institute of Technology and School of Engineering of Phu Tho in Saigon, South Vietnam.

My Lan Tran, Executive Director, Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce & Virginia Asian Foundation

Since 2011, My Lan transformed Virginia’s “Asian American Business Center' into the iconic Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, the iconic Asian American economic development agency with headquarters in Ashland and statewide offices.

Virginia Business Magazine elected My Lan Tran as one of it 37 “Women Wonder “business leaders of Virginia of 2023.

My Lan directed the City of Richmond’s Office of Minority Business Development Minority Entrepreneurship Development for 7 years. Prior to this, My Lan held positions such as International Trade Marketing Manager and Investment Policy Manager at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).

She taught Political Sciences and Asian History at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2012 to 2017. Fluent in Spanish, English, Vietnamese, and French, My Lan represented more than 60 Virginia companies at prestigious shows at the Paris Air Show and the Batimat trade show in Paris. My Lan is Advisor to both the Go Virginia and RVA-757 Connects regional and state economic development programs.

My Lan was bestowed the University of Richmond ‘s Community Educator Award for her efforts representing Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce who has transformed Virginia higher education through the sharing of their knowledge and expertise.

She won the national Rosa Park Transportation Diversity Leadership Award by the Women In Transportation (WITS) Association of the Hampton Roads. She spent 15 years in the workforce development area, credited with transforming the Massachusetts's Workforce Training workforce system, earning her Massachusetts’ Best Employer Services Award of the Year.

She received two highly competitive national awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the SBA 'Champion of Small & Minority Business, from the SBA Region III Office (serving 6 U.S. states: VA, PA, DC, WV, DE, MD) and SBA 'Champion of Small & Minority Business from the SBA Virginia Office.

She earned a Master's degree in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, postgraduate business education credentials from The Thunderbird School of International Management, and linguistics studies at the Université de Caen, France.

DrKajal Kupar, Officer, Regional Director, Charlottesville Office

Dr. Kapur, Principal of Kapur Energy Environment Economics, LLC received a Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University in 1990 and has consulted on energy, environment and economic issues for thirty years. She has supported the EPA's Office of Air Quality and Planning Standards (OAQPS) with economic analyses of air pollution control regulations since 2011.

In 2017 and 2018, she helped develop Energy and Water Evaluation and Recommendations Reports for four EISA “Covered” Facilities located at three National Forests for USDA. She assisted with the development of a Sustainability Implementation Plan and five Utility Invoice Analysis reports for the Army National Guard. She helped localities develop energy conservation recommendations for a Local Climate Action Plan. She has analyzed favorable state, utility level policies/programs that have resulted in the installation of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems for EPA’s CHP partnership.

Dr. Kapur served as the Chair of the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board (SAPCB) and as a member of its Public Engagement Committee.

Srini Bayireddy, Officer, Regional Director, Northern Virginia, Herndon Office

Srini Bayireddy is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Navitas Business Consulting Inc., a minority and woman-owned, SBA 8(a) certified IT Solutions Company that provides a broad range of top-tier IT engineering services for federal, commercial and state customers.

Srini brings over 20 years of government and private sector experience in IT consulting to establish the corporate trajectory and vision of the company. Under his leadership, Navitas has received numerous awards from Inc. 500, Deloitte Fast 50, Tech200, Diversity Business, the Washington Post Top 50 Workplaces in the USA, and Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce in recognition of its excellence in delivery and innovation.

Prior to Navitas, Srini co-founded, invested and held a variety of roles with increasing responsibilities in his previous ventures in the fields of IT consulting and data security services. Along with an established track record of awards and achievements, Srini and Navitas have been featured in multiple publications, including Business Insider, the Richmond Times Dispatch, and Ezine.com.

He holds a master’s in business administration from the School of Management, UT at Dallas and a Bachelor of Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani.

Christine Do, Officer, Regional Director, Northern Virginia, Chantilly Office

Christine Do is the President and Founder of Soft Tech Consulting, Inc., a woman and minority-owned IT consulting firm based in the Washington, DC metro area. Since founding the company in 1997, Christine has led Soft Tech in providing effective, affordable, and cutting-edge IT solutions to both public and private sector clients. With more than 28 years of experience in technology consulting, her expertise spans enterprise systems, project management, and IT strategy.

Under her leadership, Soft Tech Consulting has grown into an organization of highly skilled IT professionals dedicated to supporting mission-critical operations, particularly in government settings. The firm prides itself on delivering enterprise-class solutions to organizations of all sizes, with a strong emphasis on continuous quality and customer support.

Christine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from the State University of New York at Oswego and a Master of Science in Computer Science from The George Washington University. She remains committed to empowering both employees and clients through innovation, excellence, and inclusive leadership.

Arnel Tanyag, Officer, Regional Director, Coastal Virginia, Virginia Beach Office

Arnel Tanyag is a seasoned business coach, consultant, and founder of Tanyag & Company in Virginia Beach, specializing in guiding family-owned businesses in real estate, trades, and construction through growth, scaling, and succession. With over 20 years of experience, Arnel helps clients overcome leadership barriers—such as impostor syndrome—leading to growth gains of 10% to 50%.

His career began in healthcare as a registered nurse, instilling a strong foundation in service and leadership. Transitioning into business, he served in key roles at Drescher & Tanyag and as a Team Nimbus franchisee. As Area Director for BNI-SEVA Hampton Roads, he led 20+ chapters and 500 members, earning awards for growth and retention.

Arnel is known for his customized, strategic coaching that blends operational know-how with mindset development. He’s a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and holds credentials in business coaching, referral training, and Positive Intelligence (PQ). A strong advocate for peer learning and referral networks, he leads mastermind groups and equips business owners with tools for sustainable success and impactful leadership.