About Us

Our Story

As bilingual students navigating both sides of Chinese cultural traditions at home and Western healthcare settings, we witnessed firsthand how language, misunderstanding, and bias could shape the quality of care patients receive. Wanting to address these inequities and create space for culturally informed care, we created The Cultural Health Equity Initiative (CHEI)

CHEI began as a small educational project and has grown into a youth-led nonprofit serving communities across the Bay Area through culturally responsive workshops, podcasts, and donation drives.

We believe that awareness builds empathy, and empathy inspires change. By empowering people to recognize and challenge inequities in healthcare, we aim to help build a future where every patient feels understood and valued.

Meet the Founders

We are The Cultural Health Equity Initiative (CHEI), founded by Jaslynn Lee, a junior at Palo Alto High School, and Yuyou Zhang, a senior at Gunn High School.

Our shared vision is to create a world where every patient feels seen, heard, and understood, no matter their background. Yet the reality is that the healthcare barriers faced by minority communities often go unnoticed. Growing up in well-resourced areas, it’s easy to take accessible care for granted. But as we began examining the root causes of health inequities, we recognized how multifaceted the problem truly is—from systemic discrimination to the everyday unconscious biases that shape clinical interactions.

That’s why we founded CHEI: to learn, advocate, and take action. By promoting cultural humility, advancing awareness, and empowering youth to lead change, we aim to bridge the gaps caused by health disparities.