About
Hello! Welcome to Kasama Collective.
Founded in March 2023, Kasama Collective is a community-led project based in Richmond, VA. Created by two first generation Filipina-Americans, we saw not just a gap in representation, but an opportunity to elevate the Asian American and Pacific Islander community of RVA. Through our shared frustrations with both the rise in anti-Asian hate and the lack of visibility for AAPI talent, Kasama Collective was born as a love letter to the joy we sought after and the community we hoped to facilitate. With a mission centered on community building and support, we provide a platform that highlights AAPI businesses, creators, and entrepreneurs through recurring monthly events and creative opportunities that uplift, empower, and foster a stronger community.
We are on a mission to unify our intersecting identities and provide support centered on community building. As a local business-centric project, our goal is to serve the Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in RVA. As a collective, we aim to facilitate community and amplify shared cultural experiences through interactive, educational, and impactful ways that connect people, and serve as a branch to other area community groups through collaboration.
Our Mission
Our mission is to build an inclusive space for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders celebrating culture through networking, collaboration, & elevating AAPI-owned small businesses, creators, and entrepreneurs. Our core goals include unifying our intersecting identities and providing support centered on community building.
Purpose
What We Do
Facilitate, build, and foster a stronger Asian American + Pacific Islander community through initiatives that bring us together.
How We Do It
Gather at community building events such as mixers, festivals, various collaborations and activations with local businesses
Why We Do It
To bring our community together to inspire, synergize, network, collaborate, and support.
KASAMA • /kah-sah-mah/
root word: sáma
– to join, together
‘Kasama’ represents coming together. The name ‘Kasama Collective‘ is a play on “kasama ko” which translates to “together with me” in Tagalog, one of the many languages of the Philippines.
GINKGO • /ˈɡiNG-kō/
root word: from Japanese
銀杏 (ginkyō)
‘silver apricot’
Ginkgo leaves symbolize longevity and profound endurance. The Ginkgo tree is believed to be the oldest tree in the world and is thus revered for its widely shared symbolism of long life. While the tree is native to Southeast Asia and China, its ability to thrive across the globe speaks to its resilience. It is why Kasama Collective chose it as our logo to symbolize the perseverance of Asians and Pacific Islanders who emigrate from their native countries in search of opportunities. Because no matter where we are, our hope and our goal is to thrive.
Co-Founders
Aubriel Rivera
Aubriel (she/her) is a first-generation Filipino-American Richmond transplant, originally from Virginia Beach. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University (undergrad: class of 2012; grad: class of 2015) and was an active board member of the Filipino-Americans Coming Together organization. Having missed the camaraderie of FACT@VCU and the Filipino pride of her hometown, as well as her natural gravitation to hospitality and curating events, she became passionate about bringing innovative and entertaining events to the Richmond and AAPI community. When she is not planning exciting Kasama events with Roxanne and the Kasama team, Aubriel loves playfully annoying her husband, is an excited mama-to-be, and is a content creating Mortgage Loan Officer, helping people buy their dream home, one Tiktok at a time.
Roxanne Atienza
Roxanne (she/they) is a first-generation Filipinx-American art director and artist based in Richmond, VA. She was driven to create a space for Asian Americans, by Asian Americans having grown frustrated with the lack of representation she saw in her city, and yearned to uplift her community. A native of Virginia Beach, Roxanne ached for the strong sense of community she experienced growing up, and after attending the 2021 Pinayista Summit in Berkeley, CA, she witnessed the impact of building Filipina sisterhood and sought to bring that energy back to her home state.
You can read more about Roxanne and her work by visiting her portfolio here.