Bridge Cultures,
Boost Market Growth

Enabling global teams to grow collaboration and sales

Enabling Global Leadership
and Market Expansion

Welcome to the Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI), a premier global leadership research and development center. We equip leaders and sales teams with the cultural insights and skills necessary to enhance collaboration and grow markets.

Our clients include some of the world's most dynamic and influential organizations. These forward-thinking entities partner with us to turn cultural differences from a potential barrier into a key strategic edge.

Our Distinctive Approach

Led by Joy Chen, former Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles and executive recruiter for Fortune 500 leadership, the Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI) combines unparalleled global leadership expertise with innovative insights from across the social sciences.

Utilizing premier psychometric assessments, we provide your team with the tools to enhance their cultural understanding and competencies. Our training programs are meticulously crafted to empower your people to engage and mobilize team members and clients from all backgrounds and viewpoints.

Join our network of visionary organizations shaping the 21st century.

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Meet your lead trainer

JOY CHEN

A trailblazer in global leadership and cross-cultural market engagement

Joy Chen, CEO of the Multicultural Leadership Institute (MLI), is a trailblazer in global cross-cultural leadership development. Her career path from Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles to executive recruiter for Fortune 500 CEOs and Board members, and ultimately a prime mover in leadership training, underscores her unique ability to elevate leaders and sales teams worldwide.

As Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles, Joy led economic and workforce development for a culturally diverse city whose workforce speaks 90+ languages. Her initiatives to equip Angelenos with the skills they need to excel in the global economy endure as policy benchmarks. Transitioning to the corporate sphere, Joy joined the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles and over seven years recruited global leaders across North America, Europe, and Asia.

The pivot to leadership development was serendipitously sparked by the success of her leadership blog in China, launching her there as a keynote speaker, author, and training organization founder serving millions in Asia and the Americas.

Joy's contributions to global cross-cultural leadership have garnered features in media including the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, CNN and Vogue China.

At the MLI, Joy and her exceptional team deliver state-of-the-art training that merges global leadership expertise with insights from across the social sciences, equipping audiences with the cultural insights and skills to boost collaboration and achieve ambitious growth targets more easily and efficiently.

Tailored Programs for Market Growth

Our programs, available both in-person and online, range from engaging keynotes to in-depth training programs. Designed to transform cultural challenges into market opportunities, they equip you to drive growth across global and domestic markets.
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FOR  LEADERS AND MEMBERS OF GLOBAL TEAMS
Global Leadership Mastery

Gain the cultural insights and skills you need to adeptly manage teams across varied cultures, and enhance your organization's global footprint.

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FOR ALL LEADERS AND MANAGERS
Inclusive Leadership Mastery

Gain the cultural insights and skills you need to engage, motivate and mobilize team members and clients from all cultural backgrounds and viewpoints.

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FOR SALES LEADERS AND TEAMS
Cross-Cultural Sales Accelerator

Equip your sales teams with the cultural insights and skills to adeptly engage diverse clients and expand into new markets, both global and domestic.

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FOR ASIAN PROFESSIONALS
Asian Leadership Accelerator

Empower your Asian professionals to navigate Corporate America’s unwritten rules and build the EQ skills they need to advance and contribute greater impact.

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FOR ALL AUDIENCES
Keynotes by Joy Chen

Engage and empower your audiences to greater leadership effectiveness across global and domestic markets.

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JOY CHEN SPEAKER REEL
Watch Joy Chen in Action

Experience how Joy inspires and elevates leaders and teams worldwide.

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Voices of Success

"Joy is captivating! She brings a unique blend of cutting-edge research, real-life stories and practical insights. I’d recommend her as a leadership speaker for any convention."

Ngan Nguyen
Senior Vice President

"Joy connects deeply with the hearts and minds of every audience member, inspiring and equipping us all to stronger leadership."

Mia Newell
Director

"Joy Chen is a strong and clear voice onstage. Her thought leadership is grounded in research and lived experience that makes for a compelling (and often, humorous!) listen. Her tailored content has propelled thousands of learners. The Multicultural Institute is a must-have resource for those committed to the development of leaders."

Angela Cheng-Cimini
Chief Human Resources Officer

"Before this course, I never really knew where to start unraveling my own invisible barriers to advancement. Through this course, I’ve found my roadmap. Now, I can confidently take back control and drive my career."

Peter Yo
Vice President

"I’ve done a ton of leadership training, seen many courses that rehash the same ideas, or are less actionable, or really long. Joy’s lessons are novel, and they cut to the chase, giving us only what we need to know. I’m super grateful for that."

Lian Huang
Senior Counsel

"Joy's program helps us to unlock the competencies we need to advance our careers, and to connect with other rising Asian leaders, so that we can uplift one another and others alongside us."

Brian Pang
Development Director

"The program provided me knowledge of roadblocks that I didn’t know existed, and that I can now overcome by being purposeful with my actions."

Heather Hansen
Global Consultant

"The program contains practical advice and tools we can use to succeed in corporate America. All are specific to the AAPI community and backed by research and data. It is really great!"

Helen Ahn
Associate Director

"This course made a huge difference in how I approach work. I’ve been sharing the techniques and lessons with coworkers who would find them useful."

Hedi Cho
Supervisor

"I highly recommend the Asian Leadership Accelerator by Joy. It was filled with incredible API-tailored knowledge and many helpful takeaways. I found so much value in the cohort interaction."

Bernice Chao
Creative Lead

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