Brian Kao

bkao[at]accountabilitymn.org

Brian joined AccountAbility Minnesota in April 2012. He is responsible for the statewide Claim It! campaign aimed at increasing the number of eligible taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit and utilizing free tax preparation services. Brian came to us from the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, a state agency, where he served as an adviser to state and public leaders on issues pertaining to the Asian Pacific community in Minnesota. There he also helped organize several stakeholder engagement projects, such as the first ever Asian Pacific Town Hall in Minnesota and a community-wide dialogue on the health of refugees from Burma. Brian has previously worked for many non-profit and government organizations, such as the University of St. Thomas, YMCA, and AmeriCorps VISTA.

A passionate advocate for social justice issues, Brian is a fluent speaker of Mandarin and has traveled, studied, and worked in Taiwan. Brian holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in Public Policy and Leadership from the University of St. Thomas.