Our Team

Erin Valentino

Co-Founder + Co-Director

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Erin is a graphic designer and mom to two lovely girls. Her youngest is from Nanchang, Jiangxi, China. She loves to spend time outdoors with her family and she is currently studying Mandarin at her local Confucius Institute.

Cassidy Sack

Co-Director

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Cassidy is an adoptee from Chongqing, China, who joined Nanchang Project in the autumn of 2022 as the organization’s first adoptee in a leadership role. Previously, she volunteered three years for The Roots of Love. Cassidy enjoys meeting fellow adoptees and is excited to help implement new ideas and programs with Nanchang Project! She loves plant-based cooking and spending time with her pup Noodle.

Xavier Huang

Development Manager

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Xavier is an orphan from Jiangxi province and is an uninvited settler on the unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples (colonially known as Victoria, B.C.). X is a prolific writer with creative non-fiction work to be published in August of 2023 and a fantasy novel on the backburner. Xavier is passionate about community and people, and they work for the Vancouver Island Human Rights Coalition (VIHRC) where they provide free legal education about disability, accessibility, and the legal duty to accommodate in British Columbia, Canada. Xavier is thrilled to join the Nanchang Project as a Grant Writer and hopes to conduct their own birth family search along the way.

Jolanda Blaauw

Birth Family Registration Coordinator

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Jolanda is a mom to three daughters from China, one adopted from Jiangxi and two from Guangxi. In addition to her contributions to Nanchang Project, Jolanda volunteers for International Child Search Alliance (ICSA). She and her husband are the owners of a supermarket.

Abby Le

Translation + TAP

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Abby was adopted from Jiangxi, China, raised in Massachusetts, and recently moved to Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from the University of Michigan, where she studied statistics and math, and she currently works in data science. In her free time she enjoys dancing, figure skating, reading, and playing with her cat Kumquat. Abby is looking forward to connecting  with and helping fellow adoptees through volunteering with the Nanchang Project.

Abigail Rose-Craver

Fundraising, Partnerships, Outreach

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Abi is a transracial adoptee from Chenzhou, Hunan. She and her younger adoptee sister were raised in the Philly suburbs. Since 2018, Abi has worked as a development writer and she's excited to bring her skills and experiences to Nanchang Project team to help fellow adoptees connect with their heritage. She loves baking, Zumba, meeting other adoptees, and snuggling with her rescue pup.

Brontee Colleen Xianglu Forfar

Book Project + Grants and Research

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Brontee is from Jiangxi, China, and now lives outside T’karonto (Toronto) on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee, Wyandot, and Anishinaabe peoples. She is an avid reader and writer and has published two articles on adoption. Brontee has a Master of Arts in Social Justice and Community Engagement and is passionate about advocating for adoptee rights and uplifting adoptee voices. She is excited to join Nanchang Project, be in community with fellow adoptees, and help support their search journeys.

Catherine Van Weele

Web Development

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Catherine is an adoptee from Guangdong province. She attended San Diego State University where she majored in Political Science, minored in Economics, and received a Certificate in Human Rights. Catherine currently works in the nonprofit marketing and communications field. Catherine grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys watching C-dramas, trying new restaurants, and practicing yoga in her free time.

Elowyn Collins

Origins Searches

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Elowyn was born in Chenzhou, Hunan, and raised in Oregon, USA. Throughout her schooling, she was a student in a Mandarin language immersion program for about 15 years. She is proud of her Chinese heritage and does what she can to learn more through language, food, and more. Elowyn is currently an undergraduate student studying international and global studies with an Asia region focus. 

Emily Donovan

Origins Searches

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Emily was adopted from Nanchang, Jiangxi, and was raised in South Jersey, USA. She works with veterans as a registered dietitian, and spends her free time at the gym and trying new foods. She is excited to dive deeper into the adoptee community and help others find connection to their roots and heritage. 

Emily Gruber

Grants and Research

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Emily was adopted from Jiangxi province in China. She currently lives and works in New York City, where she enjoys taking walks around the park, going to shows, and trying new foods (and taking photos of said food). Emily is excited to be a part of Nanchang Project and support the adoptee community and adoptees’ journey of identity expression and connection.

Emma Sampson-Green

Content Creation

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Emma is an adoptee from Yiyang, Hunan, and was raised in Louisiana, USA, with her identical twin. She is currently attending college majoring in history with a minor in Chinese. She is planning on pursuing a graduate degree in a related field with the goal of teaching at the college level. She spends her free time hanging out with her dog, reading, and listening to music. 

Julie Myhal

Web Development

Julie was adopted from Nanning, Guangxi, China, and grew up in New Jersey her whole life. She graduated college with a B.A. in Design and Public Relations and has always had a love for art and creativity. Outside of work Julie enjoys dancing, crocheting, running, and learning new things. Julie is excited to become more involved in the adoptee community and connect with fellow adoptees.

Katelyn Connor Lin

Blog + Book Project

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Katelyn was adopted from Hanchuan, Hubei, and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, with a younger sister who was adopted from China. Katelyn holds a BFA in Dance and a BA in Media Advertising. She discovered Nanchang Project during research for her choreographic work, which investigates the unprecedented, multi-faceted experience of being a Chinese-American, transnational, transracial adoptee. Katelyn is thrilled to be working to connect adoptees with their roots and uplift and amplify adoptees’ diverse experiences and voices.

Katie Hurst

Fundraising, Partnerships, Outreach + Social Media

Katie is an adoptive mom with six kids, three from China. They are from Shenzhen, Xinyang, and Nanfeng. Katie is a lifelong learner who has been fundamentally changed by adoption. She is a strong advocate for family preservation, trauma-informed parenting, adoption, and honoring adoptees' voices to reform adoption practices.

Laura Harper

Graphic Design

Laura was adopted from Jiangxi province when she was just over a year old. She grew up in London, Ontario, with her adoptive parents and her sister who was adopted from Fujian province. Laura currently resides in Ottawa, Ontario, where she works as a graphic designer. She hopes to use her skills to connect other adoptees with their biological families, helping gain a sense of closure and fulfillment in connecting with their roots.

Lia Nagge

Adoptee Support + Origins Searches

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Lia was adopted from Nanning, China, and was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, as an only child. In 2021, she graduated with a BA in history and is currently planning on pursuing a graduate degree in genetic counseling. In her free time, Lia enjoys thrift shopping, spending time with friends, and attempting to re-create recipes from the Great British Baking Show. She is excited to join this fantastic team and help connect fellow adoptees to their birth families.

LiQian Shoag

Adoptee Support + Translation

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LiQian was adopted from Shaanxi and grew up in Washington D.C. She loves to hang out with friends, try new foods, travel, and draw. She is an undergradudate student studying Asian American studies who is very passionate about advocacy, specifically related to mental health, racial justice, and their intersections. She joined Nanchang Project to connect with other Chinese adoptees and have the space to advocate for as well as learn from the adoptee community.

Louise Birgersdotter

Adoptee Support

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Louise was adopted from Yugan, Jiangxi, China, and raised in Sweden. Since 2021, she has been in reunion with her birth family and keeps in touch with them daily. Currently a university student, Louise is majoring in Chinese and completed a study abroad in Beijing for a year. During the 2023 Chinese Labor Day holiday, she met her birth family in person for the first time!

LuLu Grant

Origin Searches/Book Project

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LuLu grew up near Seattle, USA but has called Mexico home for the last decade. When she’s not teaching English to Chinese children, you can find her reading, studying Mandarin, or writing. LuLu was adopted from Fuzhou, Jiangxi. She found her birth family in 2022 and visited them for the first time in 2024.

Mayana Holland

Fundraising, Partnerships, Outreach

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Mayana was adopted from Nanning City in Guangxi province, China. She grew up in Connecticut in the USA with her older sister who was also adopted from China. She holds a BA in Government and Classical Studies and is in graduate school pursuing an MBA. Mayana joined Nanchang Project because she is passionate about connecting with other adoptees and helping to uplift their voices and experiences. In her free time, Mayana enjoys reading, baking, and live music.

Mei Li Isaacson

Book Project + Translation + TAP

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Mei Li was adopted from Xiaogan, Hubei. She grew up attending a Mandarin/English bilingual immersion school, and now loves sharing her love of the language through teaching others (including some Chinese adoptees!). She is excited to join the Nanchang Project and use her Mandarin skills to contribute to the adoptee community. Outside of teaching, Mei Li loves dancing Cuban salsa.

Michael Zhu

Fundraising, Partnerships, Outreach

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Michael Zhu was born in Nanjing, China, in Jiangsu province. He grew up in the mid-west of the United States and is a recent graduate, about to begin his career in consulting. Michael's interests outside of work include reading, photography, and rock climbing! He hopes to reconnect with his heritage, and contribute to the Chinese American community at Nanchang Project!

Minel Cannucciari 

Grants and Research + TAP + Web Development

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Minel is a transracial, international adoptee from Guixi, Jiangxi. From her work in marketing and online community management, she understands the power and importance of community. Therefore, Minel is looking forward to working with and supporting fellow Chinese adoptees with Nanchang Project! In her spare time, she enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, watching reality TV shows, and kickboxing.

Rebecka Rubenbauer

Graphic Design + Web Development

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Rebecka was adopted from Jiangxi province in 1996 and grew up in Sweden, but is now living in the UK where she works as a graphic designer. She started searching for birth family in 2018 and has since then helped out in various adoptee initiatives. Rebecka joined Nanchang Project for their latest trip to China in 2019 as an adoptee ambassador.

Remy Carter

Grants and Research

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Remy was adopted from Tongling, China, and grew up in the Northern Colorado region. She works in project management for a defense contractor and holds a B.A. in Psychology and an MBA. She loves plants, hanging out with her two cats, and traveling to new places. Remy joined Nanchang Project to learn from other adoptees and help build a community.

Rosalie Palin

Graphic Design

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Rosalie was adopted from Duchang, Jiangxi. She grew up in Québec, Canada, and is currently studying in a graphic design program. She loves to draw and learn about genetics since she has another background study in science. Rosalie loves to go on backpacking trips and do activities with her dog Penjing such as paddleboard and camping. She joined Nanchang Project to connect with her biological roots and to help other adoptees to find their families.

Ruby An-lu Bronaugh

Grants and Research

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Ruby 安路 is a transracial, transnational adoptee from Shanghai, China. Raised in the Beach Cities of Southern California, they recently moved to Austin, Texas. They love indie games, knitting, embroidery, art history, and going on picnics with her dog, Laika. They are pursuing their Master’s degree in library science, hoping to work in archives and databases. She is excited to help Nanchang Project in amplifying adoptee voices and creating safe spaces for adoptees to explore their roots.

SarahWen Williams

Content Creation

she/her, they/them

SarahWen is an adoptee from Guangxi, China, and raised in North Carolina, USA. She is currently an art teacher to retired people in her community and finds lots of enjoyment in teaching them about art. When she is not sleeping, she enjoys creating art, hanging out with friends, and playing video games.

Sophia Bird

Content Creation + Translation

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Sophia is a transracial, intercountry adoptee from Beijing and grew up all over the west coast states. She graduated from the University of Oregon’s Chinese Flagship Program, majoring in Global Studies and Chinese Language with a minor in East Asian Studies, and is excited to continue her education at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. Outside of school and work, she loves music, art, poetry, and photography.

Taylor DePetris

Graphic Design

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Taylor is an adoptee from Hunan, China, and was raised in the mid-west of the United States. She grew up around art and creativity which eventually led to her day job as a 3D designer at an advertising agency. Outside of work she enjoys playing with her pup Terra Bear, learning to crochet, and simply draw. In 2022, she started volunteering her illustration skills to China Children’s International for their social content. Now she is expanding those talents to The Nanchang Project. Taylor hopes to continue to make beautiful work that helps spread awareness for adoptees as we search for our connected roots.

We also appreciate the time spent by our former Nanchang Project volunteers. Visit our Formers Volunteer page to learn more about them. We appreciate everyone, past and present, for their contributions to our organization. 谢谢!