Led a high-profile cultural conservation and anti-gentrification campaign in Vancouver’s Chinatown, covered by The Economist, CBC, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, and more. Played a key role in mobilizing public opposition to the controversial 105 Keefer condo development, including frequent media appearances and public communiciations, and developing a letter generator that helped citizens feedback more easily submit feedback to the City of Vancouver. After the City reversed its decision on 105 Keefer in 2023, organized weekly summer cultural events, Occupy 105 Keefer, which evolved into the independent non-profit Chinatown Together. Today, SaveChinatownYVR continues as a newsletter and platform for community-led engagement on gentrification and cultural conservation.

Select Media

• The property battle in Vancouver’s Chinatown (The Economist)

• The real estate war on the west coast that’s tearing Vancouver neighbourhoods apart (Maclean's)

• Lobbying to save Chinatown's heritage (Vancouver Sun)

• Fighting for a Vancouver that Puts People First (The Tyee)

• In battle over future of Canada's largest Chinatown there are fears of a 'freeway of condos' (National Post)

• Local activist Melody Ma talks being a catalyst for social engagement (Georgia Straight)

• Chinatown events challenge gentrification (Georgia Straight)

• CCHSBC’s Paul and Eileen Lin Commemorative Lecture - Chinatown and Beyond: Transforming Our City After The Apology (Chinese Canadian Historical Society)

• A New Generation of Activists Assist in Chinatown's Next Chapter~Melody Ma (Viewpoint Vancouver)

Lead the documentation of oral histories of low-income Chinese seniors in Vancouver’s Chinatown, often regarded as the neighbourhood’s “intangible heritage,” yet routinely neglected by museums and archives due to intersecting marginalizations. Oversaw executive production of the film project, including fundraising, assembling the team, and providing project administration.

Founded and led Vancouver Chinatown’s grassroots arts and culture organization that resisted gentrification and cultural erasure. In its first year, produced nearly 40 free, multilingual, intergenerational public events, including a Cantonese opera production, Hakka kirin dance revival, a 20th anniversary commemorative lecture by the sculptor of the Chinese Memorial Monument, multiple film screenings and panels of Big Fight in Little Chinatown documentary, Uyghur dance workshop, lion dance and kung fu workshop, community talent show, a winter solstice festival, outdoor film nights, and mini night markets. Built a registered society with an independent board, secured sustainable funding, and established a team of regular contractors to deliver year-round programming. Advanced cultural equity and public advocacy by enabling the first-ever participation of a queer Chinese group in the Chinatown Spring Festival Parade, advocating for the reopening of gated access to Sun Yat-Sen Park, and raising awareness of private control over public space in Vancouver.

Select Media

• 2SLGBTQ+ group excluded from Vancouver Lunar New Year parade (CBC)

• 'Holding on by a thread:' Push to revive the Chinese unicorn dance comes to Vancouver (Vancouver Sun)

• Rare Chinese unicorn dance reawakened in Vancouver (CBC)

• 'Reclaiming our space': Chinatown seniors return to mall for tai chi a year after staff kicked them out (CTV)

• ‘You don’t need to gatekeep Chinatown’: Community members wants park hours extended, gates unlocked (CTV)

• Vancouver's Chinatown Memorial Monument turns 20 amid change in neighbourhood (CBC)

Produced a series of youth-driven cultural events in Chinatown in partnership with hua foundation, Youth Collaborative of Chinatown, and Chinatown Today, with support from the City of Vancouver. Programs included hua foundation’s weekly courtyard market, YCC’s Hot + Noisy Mahjong at Chinatown Memorial Plaza, and Chinatown Today’s large-scale outdoor film night. The series piloted how grassroots cultural programming can activate public spaces, while also establishing a shared community event equipment inventory and exploring long-term shared storage solutions for local organizations. Successfully increased visits and cultural connection with Chinatown.

Select Media

• Hua Foundation's Choi Project brings back popular B.C. produce program in Vancouver's Chinatown (Georgia Straight)

• Vancouver Area Farmers Organic Choy Supports Business, Culture, and Good eats (Toronto Star)

• 「華埠電影夜」下周六戶外上演唐人街夏日活動期吸引年輕人 (Ming Pao)

• Hua基金會今擺攤賣華埠特色文具 (Ming Pao)

Led a parody website and satirical campaign critiquing real estate developer Westbank’s Fight for Beauty exhibition, spotlighting the practice of art washing in Vancouver. Held an "alternative tour" of Westbank's exhibition with local artists and gave an alternative tour guide speech. The campaign generated widespread public dialogue, media coverage, and debate on the intersection of art, displacement, and development.

Select Media

• 'Displacement is not beautiful': Critics slam Westbank's Fight for Beauty exhibition (CBC)

• Real Estate Developers as Curators?: Westbank’s Fight for Beauty (Peripheral Review)

• Fight For Affordability | Local groups hold alternative tour of Westbank’s ‘Fight For Beauty’ (The Mainlander)

• Westbank’s Vancouver House is not “A Total Work of Art”…but a piece of work (speech)

Appointed to advise City Council on arts and culture policy as the youngest member and among the few people of colour on the council. Successfully led research and advocacy that resulted in City Council eventual adopting Cultural Sustainability as the fourth pillar of sustainability. Initiated Indigenous liaison representation on the council and organized the first youth engagement event, enabling emerging cultural leaders to observe council proceedings and connect with committee members.

Select Media

• Vancouver City Council Unanimously Supports Motion to Include Culture as Fourth Pillar (BC Alliance for Arts and Culture)

• Council votes to give Vancouver a cultural pillar (Vancouver Sun)

• Sean Bickerton, Norman Armour among new additions to Vancouver’s Arts and Culture Policy Council (Georgia Straight)

Initiated and led the campaign opposing the controversial new City of Vancouver logo. Mobilized designers and creative sector workers to sign a collective open letter to the Mayor, sparking a major public debate dubbed #LogoGate. The campaign’s momentum quickly compelled the Mayor's office to reverse the logo decision within a single weekend.

Select Media

• City of Vancouver, can we talk about this logo? (Open letter)

• 'It is an insult': City designers 'deeply disappointed' with new Vancouver logo (Vancouver Sun)

• 'Kind of feels like an alternate Canucks logo': Vancouver design community rallies against city's rebranding (CBC)

• 'Blandcouver' does it again: New logo ridiculed as lame attempt to rebrand the city for lowest bid (National Post)

• Local design community pens open letter to city council following approval of new logo: "This is not our Vancouver" (Georgia Straight)

• ‘It’s an insult to design and creative sector’: open letter raises questions about Vancouver’s new logo (Global News)

• Vancouver ditches widely-panned logo rebrand, cites costs (CBC)

Led a national program for Business for the Arts that connected young professionals with arts organizations through patronage and board service, overseeing eight chapters across Canada. Successfully launched boardLink, a national board-matching program linking emerging leaders with small- to medium-sized arts organizations. Strengthened chapter sustainability by reducing attrition and supporting leadership continuity. Convened and facilitated national in-person strategic planning sessions with chapter leads. Served as a jury member for the prestigious Arnold Edinborough Award, a national recognition for young professionals’ engagement with the arts, awarded to leaders including former Heritage Minister Melanie Joly.

Select Media

• ArtsScene Vancouver's boardLink Live connects local arts organizations with young professionals (Georgia Straight)

• Arts & Culture Volunteer Event: Professionals Looking to Make a Difference (Daily Hive)

• Vancouver Opera’s Young Patrons Circle (Vancouver Magazine)