Aki Sagi Joins Valley Leadership

Aki is an undergraduate student studying Business Marketing at Barrett, the Honors College and the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. She is extremely passionate about travel, literature, writing, and art and is the editor of an eclectic, on-campus publication called Normal Noise. After university, she hopes to pursue these various interests while she continues her career path in Marketing. Outside of her coursework, Aki is in a few different organizations on campus including Women in Leadership and Business, the United Society of South Asians, City of Poets, and the Entertainment Business Association.

“One of my favorite characteristics of Valley Leadership is the community of diverse, passionate thinkers that it brings together through the mutual goal of tangible and positive social change. “

Now, Aki officially joins the Valley Leadership team as our Marketing Intern. She’ll work with Paige, our Director of Marketing and Communications, to help us share how VL is making a difference on the most pressing issues facing Arizona today.

VL: Why did you decide to pursue a degree in Business Marketing?

AS: I chose to major in Business Marketing because of how creatively diverse the field is. I love working with multi-media art and finding different ways to interact and connect with people. Through my coursework, I’ve found that marketing allows me to do both, as well as have a blast developing new and innovative strategies for core movements in my community! I truly believe that combining art and local activism is a core strategy of marketing, and has the potential to create value in respect to numerous critical issues.

VL: What pressing issue in Arizona are you most excited to take action to address?

AS: I am honored to be a part of any one of the movements that Valley Leadership is currently developing, but I am most excited to contribute to the Impact Maker Teams based on Opioid Overdose Prevention, Racial Justice, and accessibility of Post-Secondary Education. As a student at ASU, I have seen the crippling effects of Opioid usage, as well as the negative stereotypes that cling to addiction. I truly believe that working towards a more accepting environment free of stigma could drastically reduce these adverse effects. Additionally, as someone who is also pursuing a post-secondary education, I know first-hand the support that it provides students as well as the amazing opportunities for enrichment that it offers. I think that working towards a place of equity where higher education is more accessible is vital for the progress of our community as a whole. 

VL: What Principle of Doing most resonates with you right now?

AS: Right now, the Principle of Doing that resonates with me the most is “Driven to Do”. I recently began my third year of undergrad at ASU, along with this marketing internship at VL, and my editor position at Normal Noise. I have a lot on my plate in the best way possible and am extremely passionate about every single one of the projects I am currently working on! Through these various opportunities, I also have the privilege to meet incredibly interesting people who share my excitement for the work we do and are truly invested in initiating needed change!

VL: What do you love most about living, working and playing in Arizona?

PS: For a long time, growing up in Scottsdale, I never realized how lucky I am to live in such a diverse, naturally beautiful, and rich state. However, in the past couple of years, I have really come to admire the extreme diversity of Arizona, through not only its variety of ecosystems, but also its various communities and cultures. From the snow capped peaks of Flagstaff, to the deep hues of Sedona’s Red Rock State Park, to the night life of Downtown Phoenix, AZ is a melting pot of natural ecosystems and bustling social life. As a lover of nature, outdoor activities, and gaining perspective through communicating with diverse groups of people, Arizona is an ideal setting for a variety of wonderful experiences .