ONG SOOK JIN
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about me:

I am Sook Jin Ong (first name: Sook Jin; family name: Ong), and I come from the multicultural cosmopolitan city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I believe the complexity of my tanahair – homeland – in shaping my worldview that became the foundation to grow my understanding of social justice locally and globally. With that, I bring with me curiosity and empathy in learning about the stories that people carry with them, and ways in which I can host and create space for them to grow and thrive.

​My passion is in the stories of how and what we eat, and the intersectionality of our identities and cultures with food. In my seven years of living in Minnesota, I have come to treasure the complex, abundant foodways of this land. 

I just joined Second Harvest Heartland as of January 2021 as their first Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I am excited to bring my passion and experiences here! ​

Prior to this new opportunity, I served as the Director of the Future Services Institute, an initiative of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, focusing on improving human services in Minnesota through innovation, leadership development, research and evaluation. In that role, I brought my practice of blending human-centered design and participatory leadership practices, including that of graphic recording, facilitation, and teaching.

My professional experience spans roles in both corporate and public sectors. I graduated with a master's degree in public policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, and most recently (Fall 2020!) graduated with the University of Minnesota's Integrated Food Systems Leadership Certificate. 

Things I've been up to recently (chronological order): 
  • Summer 2019: I was part of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders' Making Our Voices Effective for Equity (MOVEE) cohort. 
  • Fall 2019 - Fall 2020: I am part of the Integrated Food Systems Leadership Certificate's inaugural Class of 2020. 
  • Fall 2019: I am part of the team that co-created the curriculum for the UMN Extension's Cultivating Powerful Participation workshops to build facilitation skills among people doing food justice work. 
  • At the 2019 Food Justice Summit, I co-presented a deep dive session on Equity-Centered Design for Better Food Systems. 
  • Since May 2020, I chaired the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee for the Schubert Club. 
What's a world without stories? 
I am genuinely curious to hear from you.
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  • sharing food
  • about me
  • my work