The HarYanny Team
Our Team
What began with five friends has grown into a thriving network that cultivates student leadership rooted in faith and love. By connecting Indonesian-American student leaders, we empower each other to take initiative by organizing volunteer trips, networking with partner organizations, and engaging directly with communities in need. Our partnerships with nonprofits, churches, and dioceses offer students opportunities to lead projects that make a tangible impact under a shared mission. At the same time, we honor our culture and heritage by fostering deeper connections to our roots and carrying forward traditions of service and community. Through this network, our leaders are not only giving back to their culture but also shaping a legacy of compassion, responsibility, and cultural pride that inspires cross-cultural relationships.
Our Founders
Cathan Yap - Founder, National President, North Carolina President
I believe life is a sacred gift from Christ, with every person perfectly created in the image of God. As Founder, National President, and NC President of HarYanny, I dedicate my work to ensuring that children, regardless of disability, background, or culture, experience hope and unconditional love. My mission is to expand HarYanny globally by building chapters and uniting youth leaders under a shared vision of faith-rooted compassion. I oversee HarYanny’s legal framework, coordinate international volunteer initiatives, and guide student teams to live out our vision in our focus communities. With these efforts, I create a network of leaders who uplift the overlooked and provide both impactful support and a faith-centered vision. My deepest commitment is to ensure that every child I serve finds safety, dignity, and the assurance of God’s unbounded love through HarYanny.
Michelle Yap - Co-Founder, National Vice President, Arizona President
I’m someone working to ensure that Indonesian orphans and children, regardless of background, receive the care and opportunity they deserve. Through our initiatives in education and healthcare, I work to increase awareness and equity, empowering local communities. Collaborating closely with local caregivers’ inputs, community leaders, and volunteers, I coordinate HarYanny’s national and international efforts, providing support to our legal framework, nurturing youth leadership, and expanding chapters across the nation. Through HarYanny, I am dedicated to fostering an environment where love is present in action and every child can grow within a circle of care that celebrates humanity and reflects God’s compassion.
Catherine Yap - Co-Founder, National Treasurer, Arizona Vice President
I serve with a faith-rooted commitment to bring hope and love to Indonesian orphans and children in need. I work to ensure that they receive the love and support they deserve, regardless of background and belief. I coordinate chapter initiatives throughout Arizona, partner with local communities, schools, and churches, manage networking, outreach, fundraising, and community engagement work. I bookkeep donations received nationwide and manage fund allocation with Indonesian local caregivers to ensure that children are receiving the supplies they need. Founded by faith and led by love, our shared mission is to make every child feel seen, valued, and embraced by God’s grace.
Jennifer Tejawijaya - Co-Founder and Colorado President
I’m someone who believes that meaningful change doesn’t come easily, but it always begins with action, no matter how small. I trust that our steady, intentional, and faith-filled steps forward will bring such lasting impact. This belief is the foundation of my work with HarYanny, where we connect volunteers, churches, and local leaders to serve underrepresented Indonesian communities. I lead with an understanding that our faith and love will overcome any distance as it moves beyond words into service. beyond words into service.
Thomas Tambunan - Co-Founder and Colorado Vice President
Love should guide every action. From nurturing relationships, uplifting others, or serving through volunteer work beyond ethnicity, religion, or circumstance. As a leader at HarYanny, my mission is to help share that love across the world, especially with the marginalized or overlooked in underrepresented communities. My work focuses on building relationships between volunteers, churches, and local communities in Colorado. With every initiative, I want to remind others that faith is lived through service that empowers others.