Hi, I'm Amanda Liaw!
I was born and raised in Singapore. I moved to the United States to pursue filmmaking at the University Southern California in Los Angeles and am currently based in Washington, DC where I work to strengthen and change existing narratives about the local nonprofit field. I use she/they pronouns and my last name is pronounced (Lee-ow).
Things I'm excited about:
Storymaking to build community and transform ourselves in shaping our futures
Art as critical connections
Food, gardening, and learning about the land I move on
Dancing to find strength and grace in my body
What I'm doing:
Communications, marketing, and community engagement with Spur Local (formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy)
Trust-based philanthropy and collective giving through the Next Gen Giving Circle and Awesome Foundation DC, and as a Steering Committee member for Philanthropy Together's We Give Summit
Anticapitalist writing with After the Storm Magazine and previously with AAJIL
Democratic socialism and organizing with Metro DC DSA
What I'm curious to learn about and practice:
Worker Co-ops and Solidarity Economy Models, Public Banks, Community Land Trusts, Participatory Budgeting
Food Justice
Generative Somatics
Writing & Art
Harnessing the Power of Community to Transform Public Safety – an op-ed I co-wrote uplifting local nonprofit DC Justice Lab published by 730DC.
Personal Histories: Abridged – a creative nonfiction piece I published in Mixed Mag.
On Actual Freedom: Examining the Revaluation of Value in Martin Hägglund's This Life – a nonfiction piece I wrote for the Washington Socialist.
The Role of Art and Communal Imagination in Our Movement Work – a nonfiction piece I wrote for the Washington Socialist.
Higo Field Food – a website I designed for Higo.
What Resilience Means to Me – an article I wrote for Wolf Tribe, a corporate culture consultancy.
Macy Grim Therapy – a website I designed for Macy Grim.
Eryday Philosophy – a newsletter I started that's currently on hiatus.
Room 048 – a short film I created about the passing significance of a single hotel room in the lives of five of its former occupants.
Bodies – a multimedia website that explores the physical and narrative self in understanding what constitutes gender identity.
Digital Asia and Activism – a Scalar book that interrogates questions about what constitutes the digital and how the digital defines "Asia" not only as a geographical place but also as a political concept.
Medium – an archive of writing.
WordPress Blog – an archive of writing.
When the Wind Blows – a short film I produced as part of Temasek's 20/20 Short Film Project.
Stories That Matter – a promotional video I created for Straits Times Schools.