San Francisco Bay Area

Johnny Ho, Co-Founder of Perplexity AI, Named Featured Speaker at 2026 AAEOY Conference

The organizing committee of the 2026 Asian American Executive of the Year (AAEOY) Award and Conference is pleased to announce that Johnny Ho, co-founder of Perplexity AI, will serve as a featured speaker at the 2026 AAEOY event. His session will be part of the conference’s Education and Innovation Track, highlighting the evolving role of artificial intelligence in knowledge access, learning, and decision-making.

Johnny Ho is recognized for his leadership in advancing AI-powered information discovery platforms and for helping shape next-generation search and answer systems used by millions worldwide. His work focuses on improving how people interact with complex information through large language models and real-time retrieval technologies.

At the 2026 AAEOY Conference, Ho will share insights on the future of AI-driven knowledge systems, the transformation of digital learning environments, and the practical impact of generative AI tools across education and industry. His talk will also explore how emerging AI platforms are redefining research workflows, productivity, and technical training.

The AAEOY Conference brings together leaders in engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship to recognize excellence, promote innovation, and foster cross-industry collaboration. Organizers say Ho’s participation reflects the conference’s commitment to featuring pioneers who are actively shaping the future of technology and education.

Bio:
Johnny Ho is the Cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer of Perplexity, where he leads product. Before founding Perplexity, he worked as a high-frequency trader at Tower Research Capital and as an engineer at Quora. A former competitive programmer, Johnny is a three-time gold medalist at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). In 2012, he ranked first in the world at IOI, earning a perfect score. He holds a degree in math and computer science from Harvard University and is based in San Francisco.

General Qualifications:

• The nominator must be an employee of a corporation, company, government agency, or organization, or an individual that resides, or with a branch office residing, in the United States.
• The nominee must be an engineer, scientist, educator, or corporate/government leader who has made exemplary contributions or provided commendable support to the engineering and science community and/or the public welfare. The nominee must be a US citizen or a US permanent resident of Asian descent.
• Once selected, the awardee must be present at the ceremony to receive the award.

Nomination Process:

1. Please email the completed supporting documents to nomination@aaeoy.org and cc Dr. David Fong at david_fong@hotmail.com by March 16, 2026. Please follow the requirements outlined below when preparing the nomination package:
    The AAEOY Award Nomination Form needs to be completed. The nominator is responsible for ensuring the nominee accepts the nomination and attends the award ceremony.
    Include typed copies of all supporting documents based on the selection criteria and requirements, save as PDF and submit them electronically.
    Include a half-page nominee biographical profile to be published in the AAEOY award program.
    Include one 3”x 5” photograph (dressed professionally from head to shoulder) of each nominee in
   your nomination package. Photographs should be in PDF, TIF or JPG format with 600 dpi or better
   resolution.
    Include a Statement of Citation of Accomplishment.

2. Submit Your Company or Organization Information (Due by May 15, 2026)

For details, please refer to the Guidelines for 2026 AAEOY Award Nomination and Selection 

AAEOY Nomination Form

AAEOY Nomination Guidelines 

Welcome our AAEOY Sponsors

To complete your company’s sponsorship, please follow the steps below:

1. Please complete the AAEOY Sponsorship Form and e-mail it to sponsorship@aaeoy.org and cc Dr. An-Yu Kuo at anyukuo@gmail.com by March 16, 2026.
   
   For Electronic Fund Transfer, please send the request to sponsorship@aaeoy.org. We will contact you for the bank information.
   To mail a check payable to AAEOY, please contact us at sponsorship@aaeoy.org, and the mailing address will be provided.
   AAEOY is a 501(c) (3) organization. Please email us at sponsorship@aaeoy.org for TAX ID.
   
   
2. Please submit the following company or organization information to sponsorship@aaeoy.org and cc Dr. An-Yu Kuo at anyukuo@gmail.com by May 15, 2026:
   
   Company profile and/or website address. Company logo (PDF, TIF or JPG format, at 600 dpi or better).
   A paragraph-long description of the company to be used for introduction during the ceremony.
   A 2-minute maximum, high-resolution company profile video to be shown at the award ceremony.
   Name/phone number/e-mail address of the company representative who is responsible for this submission.
   If you have a company promotion page in the program book, please provide camera-ready artwork per the following specifications:
   Half Page Ad – Size 8” x 5” (No bleed) or Full-Page Ad – 8” x 10-1/2” (No bleed) Format: PDF, TIF or JPG (600 dpi or better resolution)
   

 

 

Greetings! On behalf of the Asian American Engineer of the Year (AAEOY) committee and the Chinese Institute of Engineers/USA (CIE/USA), we cordially invite you to the 2025-2026 AAEOY Award & Conference, which will take place at Santa Clara Convention Center on September 18-19, 2026.

Established in 2002, AAEOY is a premier national event dedicated to recognizing and honoring outstanding Asian American professionals in Engineering and Science for their technical and scientific achievements, leadership, and public service. Over the years, hundreds of Asian American professionals from leading US corporations, prestigious research institutions, and the US Armed Forces have been honored with these prestigious AAEOY Awards. In addition, the “Distinguished Awards” celebrate Asian Americans who made global influences, with past recipients including Nobel Laureates, scholars, academic leaders, corporate executives, and astronauts. For more information about AAEOY, please visit www.aaeoy.org.

The 2025-2026 AAEOY will feature a diverse range of activities, including a conference, technical and cultural tours, a pre‐award dinner, a VIP networking reception, company talent acquisition and recruiting events, exhibition opportunities, and a delightful gala banquet to celebrate and recognize the achievements of the awardees. With your support, we aim to make the 2025-2026 AAEOY a memorable event that honors the achievements of the nation’s influential minds. By recognizing you and your organization’s profound influence, we invite you to consider sponsoring AAEOY to help us continue providing high-quality services and activities to our community. To assist you in choosing a sponsorship level, we have attached the sponsorship and nomination package for your review.

Founded in 1917, the Chinese Institute of Engineers/USA (CIE/USA) is a non‐profit professional organization of Chinese American engineers, scientists, and other professionals. The mission of CIE/USA is to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) across all communities and to recognize Asian American professionals at the national level through flagship platforms such as AAEOY. Today, CIE/USA operates seven chapters across the United States, fostering the exchange of information among engineering, academia, and business.

Thank you in advance for your support and contribution to AAEOY. We look forward to your participation in the 2025-2026 AAEOY Award Ceremony and Banquet. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Raymond Y. Chen
AAEOY National Council Chair

Tony Liu
Executive Committee Chair

Zee Zhai
Executive Committee Co-Chair