The Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) emerged out of the will of Minnesota’s Asian American community in 2013 when a small group of leaders came together to share their aspirations for creating an organization that would bring leaders from across sectors, generations, and ethnicities together. Throughout 2014, over 300 Asian Minnesotan leaders would come together, hosting multiple conversations using an asset-based approach and human-centered design processes to determine a course of action.

Leaders from across the state collectively affirmed their experiences of exclusion and invisibility, but they had a desire to demonstrate more impactful leadership to make Minnesota work better for all. These leaders created CAAL to be a network that equips and uplifts leaders, develops and takes action on shared agendas, and build across communities towards equity, justice, and prosperity.