From Bias to Bridge: A Decade in the Making - SIETAR USA 2025

This November I will be presenting at SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research) USA 2025, November 11 – 15 in Portland, Oregon at the Embassy Suites Downtown and online.
https://sietarusa.org/2025-Conference

My session, “From Bias to Bridge: A Personal and Professional Journey into Neurodiversity Across Cultures,” will take place on Thursday, November 13.

This conference is special to me on a deeply personal level. Ten years ago, in 2015, I came to Portland as an intern at the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication (SIIC). That experience introduced me to a global community of interculturalists who shaped my journey in ways I could never have predicted. Now, returning a decade later as a presenter feels like coming full circle and also stepping into a new chapter.

In my work as a Korean Japanese intercultural trainer and coach, I have spent years exploring how culture shapes what we call attention, communication, and professionalism, and how neurodiversity adds important complexity. Too often, systems ask people to adapt themselves rather than inviting us to rethink environments. My Reflective Forum at SIETAR will open space to pause, reframe, and explore together how we can move from bias to bridge in our classrooms, training rooms, and workplaces.

What excites me most is the chance to reconnect with mentors and friends from 2015, meet colleagues I have collaborated with online over the past decade, and join new voices in this vibrant community. SIETAR has always been a space where personal growth meets professional practice, and I look forward to contributing to that shared spirit in Portland.

If you will be attending, in person or online, I would love to connect.

#sietarusa #interculturaltraining #neurodiversity #inclusion #coaching #portland #globalcommunity