Seat at the Table with Olympic Swimmer Apsara Sakbun

Date: September 21

Time: 5 PM - 7 PM

Location: OneAmerica Financial Auditorium

Hoosier (Terre Haute)native and Ball State alum Sakbun is an accomplished athlete and a successful business leader. She represented Cambodia at the 2024 Paris Olympics and had an outstanding performance in the women's 50-meter freestyle.

Balancing her ambition for a successful career with the discipline of being an Olympic swimmer for Cambodia has been a defining part of her journey. At Ball State University, she earned multiple academic honors while pursuing a degree in Business Analytics. An internship at Tesla Energy allowed her to develop data-driven solutions for senior leadership and optimize supply chain logistics. She also led DEI initiatives in collegiate athletics, fostering conversations around inclusion. As an Operations Analyst at Wells Fargo, Sakbun continues to apply that same drive and dedication to everything she does.

Apsara Sakbun, our latest featured guest at A Seat at the Table, is an outstanding leader and athlete who proudly showcased her exceptional swimming skills at the 2024 Olympics. Her achievements in the pool are matched by her dedication to empowering others, as she led inspiring keynote speeches at various Asian American Alliance Inc. events for students and professionals.

We are grateful for the support of OneAmerica Financial, the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, and Indiana University Indianapolis, whose partnerships made these events possible. Their collaboration continues to foster opportunities for meaningful conversations and growth within the community.

These are her thoughts on speaking at AAAI's Seat at The Table

“I am incredibly honored to be invited to speak at the Asian American Alliance, Inc.’s Seat At The Table!

I can't wait to share my journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics—the challenges, sacrifices, and triumphs along the way—and reflect on what it means to represent both my heritage and my community on the world stage.

As a proud Hoosier from Terre Haute with Jamaican and Cambodian blood, it's truly special to come home to Indiana for this special event.

When asked to speak, I had no idea how much it would make me reflect…

A few weeks ago, I was honored to be asked to speak at the Asian American Alliance, Inc.’s Seat At The Table event and the Retreat for Asian Youth (RAY) conference.

I am so grateful for this opportunity, as it forced me to sit down and reflect on the incredible year I’ve had—from competing in the Olympics to navigating my early career at Wells Fargo.

My story is a testament to hard work and living with a purpose. It’s a mindset that has guided me through every lap in the pool and every project at work, pushing me to show up as the best version of myself every day.

I’m inspired to see more spaces being created for Asian Americans, especially women, to thrive in leadership roles. Thank you to leaders like Rupal Thanawala for championing these opportunities and creating platforms that elevate our voices.

After the event, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Noral Parham III to discuss my journey further. Check out his story on our conversation in the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper here.”