Стефани Риз признана одной из самых влиятельных филиппинских женщин в мире

Islander named one of the world’s most influential Filipina women Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 26, 2026 From being a podcast host to an international singer, Seattle local, and now Bainbridge Island resident, Stephanie Reese is a well-known name and face to islanders alike. She recently earned the title of one of the most influential Filipina women in the world by the Filipina Women’s Network. Reese is an actress and philanthropist with experience selling out performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall, having performed concerts with Patti LaBelle and Natalie Cole. The islander also performed in roles including a German production of Miss Saigon in London and Paris. However, Reese’s roots grow deep in the Seattle community, where she grew up. From a diverse ethnic background, she is not only gifted with vocal versatility but also with a strong passion to continue to educate others on cultural arts and heritage. In 2023, Reese began a podcast called Citizen Sister. Other than performing, people are Reese’s other passion, she shared. When Reese moved to Bainbridge Island, she realized that through her travels, she met many fascinating people. “As an avid runner, I listen to podcasts on my runs every day and had the idea of creating a podcast where I could bring connectivity to the world by having conversations with the extraordinary people I meet and finding out what makes them who they are,” said Reese. “Not just who they are in the amazing accomplishments they have, but in their everyday lives and how that connects them to all of us and ultimately answers the questions of what makes them citizens of the world.” Reese has interviewed composers, directors, singers, writers, actors and leaders of all kinds, including her own family members. Her sister, Melissa Reese, who’s been a member of the band Guns N’ Roses since 2016, was the first guest on Citizen Sister. In 2024, Reese founded the Bainbridge Island Asian Arts and Heritage Festival, which just completed its third year of celebrations on the island this May. The idea for the AAHF first blossomed many years ago in Reese’s first years on the island. “As it turned out, there really weren’t any all-inclusive Asian festivals in Washington at the time,” she said. “I think this is mostly because different Asian cultures have enough representation to hold their own celebrations.” Nonetheless, Reese had a fire in her heart to expand cultural diversity and celebration on the island. “Bainbridge Island is unique because of its history with the Filipino, Japanese and Indipino communities and that our minority demographic is so small,” she said. “It would be better to have an all-inclusive festival and one that would coincide with AAHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander) month.” After researching and speaking with Bainbridge Island Mayor Clarence Moriwaki, Reese found a gap to fill on Bainbridge Island. It was then that Reese got connected with Arts and Humanities Bainbridge, where she occupies a seat on the board. “It took a few years of really building relationships, friendships and knowing our community before I had the courage to bring it up again,” said Reese. “Eventually, Bainbridge was granted the Creative Arts District, and this gave us a subcommittee and board to AHB that was enthusiastic about exploring the idea of the Asian Arts and Heritage Festival.” Because of her background in performing and producing, Reese had a connection to the largest Filipino Festival in the country, the Pistahan Festival in San Francisco, where she used to sing annually. “No one was sure how to do it or how to get started, including me,” said Reese. But after a quick phone call to her dear friend and president of the San Francisco festival, Al Perez, Reese had a template laid out for her to begin her work on the island. “Every sponsor, performer, vendor and volunteer was a relationship that in year one I personally built,” said Reese. “I understood very quickly that I needed to create real friendships and conversations with people and build the festival together. This was honestly my greatest joy.” Reese will be touring her show, The Asian Monologues, which was part of the AAHF the past two years, to Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles as part of her awardee duties for having been honored by the Filipina Women’s Network, a global organization that highlights and celebrates Filipina women around the world. The Asian Monologues is a show created by Reese as she has collected stories from the Asian American community in past years. Some monologues include dance or poetry, while others remain memories, she shared. “I made an effort to make sure we had local stories that pertained to Bainbridge Island and will do the same for each city I tour, as every city has unique stories from the Asian American communities there,” said Reese. “Woven throughout the show is the story of my own parents, who inspired me to create this show, and their love story.” Reese will also be traveling to Austria this August to perform in a concert for UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), which she participates in annually with other artists from around the world. Living on Bainbridge Island, Reese juggles work, singing and acting, she shared. Reese also holds an annual Christmas concert to raise money to feed children in the Philippines with the organization Feed to Succeed. She also still travels to perform at concerts and shows, while teaching voice lessons locally. Currently, Reese is working alongside Akuyea Vargas and Mark Salanga to remount “Sing Out”, a 15-year-long Bainbridge Island tradition of gospel music as a way to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The event was originally led by the late Pat Wright, the leader of Total Experience Gospel Choir in Seattle. Reese had worked with Wright when she was younger and living in Seattle. After Wright’s passing, the tradition came to a halt, but Reese and Akuyea are committed to bringing it back in 2027, Reese shared.