Founders democratic leadership in healthcare Portland advocacy
Win Mar Lar Kyin
M.B.B.S
MPH
MBA(HealthCare Management)
(Founder)
Win is a physician, public health professional, and community health leader with over 12 years of experience in the healthcare sector, specializing in primary care and public health services for underserved populations. Originally from Myanmar, she dedicated much of her early career to providing medical care and health education in rural and underserved communities, where access to healthcare was limited.
Following the political crisis and violence that emerged after the 2021 Myanmar Military Coup, Win was forced to leave her country in 2021 and rebuild her life in the United States as a refugee. Despite the significant personal and professional challenges of displacement, she remained steadfast in her commitment to healthcare equity and community service.
Win serves as a Health Services Manager at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) in Portland, Oregon. In this leadership role, she manages and mentors a diverse team while overseeing the development and implementation of community health initiatives designed to improve health outcomes for immigrant and refugee populations. Her work focuses on advancing health equity, expanding access to culturally responsive care, and addressing systemic health disparities that affect marginalized communities.
Committed to continuous learning and leadership development, Win is currently pursuing a Healthcare MBA at Oregon Health & Science University, where she is strengthening her expertise in healthcare leadership, systems management, and public health strategy. Her academic and professional journey reflects her determination to better understand the U.S. healthcare system and to become a stronger advocate for inclusive and equitable healthcare policies.
Throughout her career, Win has demonstrated exceptional courage, resilience, and dedication to humanitarian values. Even in the face of political instability and personal displacement, she remained committed to speaking out for democracy, human rights, and healthcare access for the people of Myanmar.
Today, she continues that mission in Portland, working closely with refugee and immigrant communities to improve access to healthcare services, strengthen community health education, and promote democratic leadership in healthcare advocacy.
Through her leadership, Win strives to create more equitable healthcare systems that empower vulnerable communities and ensure that every individual—regardless of background—has access to quality care and dignity.
Pyae Sone Aung (He/Him)
Founder/Secretary
Pyae S. Aung is a community leader, refugee advocate, and nonprofit founder dedicated to advancing equity, opportunity, and community empowerment. Originally from Myanmar, he began his academic journey as a law student before being forced to flee his country in 2013 due to political and humanitarian circumstances. His lived experience as a refugee has profoundly shaped his lifelong commitment to justice, leadership, and service to displaced communities.
Pyae pursued studies in Social Psychology at Wesleyan University, driven by a deep interest in understanding human behavior, leadership, and social change. He is currently completing his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at University of the People, strengthening his expertise in organizational leadership, strategic management, and nonprofit development.
With more than a decade of experience working with refugee and immigrant communities, Pyae has built a reputation as a compassionate leader and effective problem-solver. His work focuses on bridging communities, strengthening support systems, and helping newcomers navigate complex social and institutional structures.
Professionally, Pyae serves as a Housing and Program Coordinator at Lutheran Community Services Northwest, where he supports refugee families as they rebuild their lives in the United States. In this role, he works directly with newly arrived families to secure housing, access essential services, and successfully integrate into their new communities.
Beyond his professional work, Pyae is deeply committed to community building through culture, leadership, and advocacy. As the founder of a Chinlone initiative in Portland, he introduced **Chinlone—a traditional Burmese sport—**to the local community, using it as a platform to celebrate cultural heritage, promote unity, and bring together people from diverse backgrounds.
Pyae is also actively engaged in national and local advocacy. He serves as the Oregon Associate Delegate for the Refugee Congress, where he works to elevate refugee voices in policymaking and promote equitable refugee resettlement policies in the United States. In addition, he serves as a Community Engagement Liaison for multiple Asian communities, strengthening partnerships and encouraging civic participation.
Committed to lifelong learning and leadership development, Pyae holds a Verified Certificate in “Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles” from Harvard University, which further strengthened his approach to adaptive leadership, collaboration, and social impact.
As Founder and Secretary, Pyae brings together lived experience, leadership training, and community advocacy to guide the organization’s mission. His vision is to create a strong and inclusive community that expands educational opportunities for youth, supports vulnerable families, and improves care and dignity for elders.
Grounded in empathy, resilience, and a belief in collective strength, Pyae remains committed to building an organization that connects people across cultures, empowers marginalized communities, and creates lasting positive change.
Myat Thiri Aye
(Founder/President)
Myat is a physician, humanitarian leader, and global health advocate with more than two decades of experience serving vulnerable communities across Asia and the United States. She earned her M.B.B.S. degree in Myanmar (Burma) in 2003 and later completed an International Higher Diploma in Computer Studies from NCC Education, UK in 2005, combining medical expertise with strong technical and analytical skills.
Myat began her career providing frontline medical care as a volunteer clinician at the Muslim Free Hospital and Medical Relief Society in Yangon. Her commitment to humanitarian service became especially evident during the devastating Cyclone Nargis in 2008, when she played a key leadership role in disaster response efforts. She helped coordinate relief operations and managed mobile clinics delivering essential medical care to cyclone survivors in the delta regions of Myanmar.
Her international medical career continued in Singapore, where she worked at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital as a clinical coder and later served as a medical fellow at Changi General Hospital. She then joined a government hospital in Sarawak, Malaysia, as an emergency physician, providing critical care to diverse and underserved populations.
From 2012 to 2022, Myat served as an In-Flight Mission Doctor and Migration Health Consultant with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) under the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). In this role, she led medical support missions for refugees traveling to resettlement destinations. Over the course of a decade, she escorted more than 110 humanitarian medical flights, assisting refugees from Myanmar—including Rohingya and Chin communities—as well as individuals from Sudan, Afghanistan, and other regions experiencing conflict and displacement.
In addition to her international mission work, Myat served as a Senior Executive Medical Officer at a private hospital in Shan State, Myanmar, where she provided emergency care to ethnic communities and mentored local healthcare staff. She later pursued advanced clinical training in Emergency Medicine at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. During her third year in the program, she made the difficult decision to leave and relocate to the United States as the situation in Myanmar deteriorated following the 2021 Myanmar Military Coup.
Since arriving in the United States, Myat has continued her commitment to community service and refugee support. In 2023, she joined Lutheran Community Services Northwest as a Case Manager, working directly with refugee families to help them rebuild their lives and navigate complex systems of housing, healthcare, and social services.
As Founder and President, Myat brings a powerful combination of medical expertise, humanitarian leadership, and lived experience working with displaced communities worldwide. Her work reflects a deep belief in compassion, dignity, and equitable access to healthcare and opportunity.
Myat’s long-term vision is to resume practicing medicine in the United States while advancing research and leadership initiatives focused on refugee health, human behavior, education, and inclusive healthcare systems. Through her leadership, she remains committed to strengthening communities, empowering vulnerable populations, and building a more compassionate and equitable future.