Heritage Gala

May 1, 2026 | The Biltmore Los Angeles

Benefiting Scholarships
Women In Tech, Entertainment & Sports Program

SOLD OUT

Every year on May 1st, Asian Hall of Fame hosts an invitation-only Heritage Gala black-tie benefit for women’s scholarships. This year’s gala is sold out and will welcome 150 guests honoring Chairwoman Melinda Rogers as Woman of the Year. The Rogers family established the Union Rock Company in the early 1900s and it became the largest sand, rock, and gravel enterprise in the world. Their contributions were pivotal in constructing the infrastructure of Southern California, including projects that became the Pasadena Freeway, The Grapevine, and The Wedge at Newport Beach. Chairwoman Melinda Rogers upholds her family’s five-generation legacy of service, humility, and cross-cultural friendship for the betterment of the community and country.

A dynamic fireside chat is hosted by philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis (Inductee 2007), moderated by KTLA reporter Ginger Chan. Mrs. Lewis, whose late husband Reginald Lewis was the founder and CEO of TLC Beatrice and recognized as America’s first Black billionaire, shares her life experiences in her memoir, “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun? An Asian American Story of Love, Marriage, Motherhood, and Running a Billion Dollar Empire.”

Guests will receive commemorative memoirs autographed by Mrs. Lewis. Bringing timeless elegance to life is our inaugural Heritage Costumes Fashion Show showcasing Miss Asia titleholders. Music by Grammy Classical Artist Maki Mae, alongside 200+ Night Market gifts make the evening a truly memorable experience. All guests will receive a raffle ticket and souvenir stamp book.

Chairwoman Melinda Rogers with brother William Rogers, Destination Hawai’i 2026

Fireside Chat with Loida Nicholas Lewis

Featuring Distinguished Author & Inductee

Mrs. Lewis is Chair and CEO of TLC Beatrice, LLC, a family investment firm. A lawyer by profession, and admitted to practice in the Philippines and New York, Mrs. Lewis was the first Asian woman to pass the New York bar without attending law school in the United States.

After she won her discrimination case against the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), she worked as General Attorney in the New York Federal office from 1978 to 1988. She co-authored “How To Get A Green Card” which is now in its 14th edition and is a bestseller in its genre.

Mrs. Lewis served as Chair and CEO of TLC Beatrice International, a $2.2 billion multinational food company with operations across Europe from 1994-2007. She assumed its leadership after the sudden death of her husband, Wall Street financier and the first Black billion-dollar dealmaker, Reginald F. Lewis. Presently, she is also the Chair of The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation which has given over $37 million in grants since its founding in 1987.

Her memoir, “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun? An Asian American Story of Love, Marriage, Motherhood and Running A Billion Dollar Empire” was released in March 2023 and was #1 in Amazon’s new releases for 8 weeks. In March 2024, the audio version of the book, narrated by herself, was released on Audible, Audiobooks.com and Kobo. In May of the same year, she launched The Loida Lewis Podcast, available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Connect with Mrs. Lewis @intro.co/LoidaLewis.