Welcome to Our Board: Rupal Hollenbeck

The Asian Pacific Fund (APF) is excited to welcome Rupal Hollenbeck, President of Check Point Software Technologies, as one of the newest members of our Board of Directors.

As part of APF’s board, Rupal will help increase our impact by providing her knowledge and expertise to form and advance our strategic goals and increase our impact. Our Board of Directors also serves important roles as ambassadors and advocates of APF’s work, helping to strengthen our development efforts, promote our work, and support our annual fundraising efforts.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in Connecticut as the daughter of Indian immigrants. I earned my undergraduate degree in Finance and International Studies from Boston College and a Master of International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Throughout my life, I’ve spent many years in Asia – learning for a year in Japan, working in Singapore for 10 years, and working in China for 5 years. During this time, I gathered wonderful cultural perspectives, grew as a leader, and raised my 2 children with a global mindset and as global citizens. I developed a deep respect for the cultures that hosted me and for the challenge of adapting and thriving as an immigrant myself.

Rupal with her beautiful family

What inspired you to join the Asian Pacific Fund’s Board, and what excites you most in this new role?

My own Asian experiences as an immigrant stimulated the passion I have for giving back to the communities that welcomed me and ultimately led me to my support of the Asian Pacific Fund and its important initiatives. I’m passionate about supporting traditionally underserved communities, and the Asian Pacific Fund is doing great work to help Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) organizations address a wide range of challenges, from senior care to scholarships and leadership development. The chance to have an impact across APF’s broad network of dedicated organizations is exciting. I’ve had a lot of career support throughout my own life, and it’s been essential to my success – paying that forward is a privilege. I’m looking forward to getting more involved and strengthening the AANHPI communities in the Bay Area through focused philanthropy that connects donors and organizations to the folks who need their support the most.

Rupal at CPX, an annual global cyber security event

As we look towards the next decade for the Asian Pacific Fund, what are your hopes for APF and our AAPI community as an APF Board Member?

My hope is that we’ll be able to expand the reach and impact of the APF to help more people and communities in a coordinated way. APF’s role as a connector among dozens of affiliate organizations means we’re ideally positioned to maximize the impact of resources and projects. As a board member, I’m planning to bring my passion for helping underserved AANHPI communities to initiatives that align with my experience and my expertise to expand what we do now and over the long-term.