Luminari Founder, Hilda Pang Fu, Reflects on the First 5 Years

What prompted you to create Luminari?

In the early 1970s, my husband and I came to Pittsburgh and soon later adopted it as our hometown. We decided to pursue our careers and raise our two children here, as Pittsburgh was friendly and continues to be a very livable city.  When other cities offered us opportunities throughout the years, we could not dismiss the kindness we experienced from other residents, as well as the close friendships and professional relationships we developed. Consequently, one of our greatest priorities has been to give back to Pittsburgh, so that it evolves over time as an even better place to live.

I strongly believe that for Pittsburgh to be vibrant, we need to actively harness the diversity of perspectives that exist throughout our region. This will help us to make better decisions, build stronger working relationships, and attract and sustain talent.  

In 2009, I founded Luminari, a nonprofit with a mission to broaden minds, inspire innovations and encourage community engagement.  My vision began with summer programs for teenagers, inspiring them to get into the habit of putting themselves in other people’s shoes when considering an issue. I also wanted to maintain a small and nimble organization that eventually will inspire people of all ages to experiment with different ways of doing things. 

For our teen programs, we go to great lengths to recruit participants from different school districts and backgrounds. In particular, we welcome young people who recently immigrated to this country. The built-in diversity of the participants, coupled with outstanding instructors and professional practitioners, creates enriching experiences that are not available in a typical classroom setting.

What are you the most proud of in the first five years?

Luminari is now offering four mind-broadening programs. They all offer opportunities for teens that they may not encounter in any other formal setting.   I am proud of ALL of them, but there is a special spot in my heart for the first program that we launched back in 2010, the IWant to be an Ambassador! summer camp. I wanted a program to focus on the art and skills of diplomacy, the age-old tool used for building and sustaining working relationships among countries, resulting in peaceful solutions rather than wars. This goes beyond leadership training. It’s about inspiring our young people to apply diplomacy in their immediate environment. Its daily application is critical to long term successful outcomes. 

I am proud of its success and ripple effect after the past four summers in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. I am thrilled with its totally original curriculum, format and inspiring delivery by instructors and business leaders, as well as international diplomats who participate each year. 

Our entire team is encouraged to see that all of our programs inspire participants to act and make a positive difference in their immediate environment. We believe this approach is a far reaching one that creates a powerful ripple effect.

Who are some prominent supporters? Who are some of the

people that make the organization what it is?

Our strength and originality are powered by the creative minds of our “luminari.” Luminari is a collection of people, experts in their professions, who are dedicated to sharing their wit and wisdom to make our little corner of the world a better place. We have created a team that truly enjoys working together and is energized by the creative process. You can see a partial list of our “Luminari” on our website. We are very grateful to the foundations and sponsors who have believed in us since our inception. Their support of our mission has been a critical endorsement.

What’s next for Luminari? What will the next 5 years look like?

Currently, all our programs are designed for teenagers. However, we are planning to offer some adult programs in the near future. I am looking forward to the next phase of Luminari’s journey with a great deal of enthusiasm. We have built a sound and quality foundation and now, we need to remember it is a creative process and not a race. My heart sings when I think about the far-reaching effects we are poised to create over the next five years.