ThaoMee Xiong leads the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) nonprofit, a statewide network of roughly 6,200 Asian American leaders. During Operation Metro Surge, Xiong accepted the governor’s invitation to help design the state’s Truth Commission and led the St. Paul-based CAAL in coordinating legal defense and navigation for affected families. At the Legislature, she championed the Invest in Asian American Women Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses bill, described as the first dedicated state investment of its kind in Minnesota, now funded through back-to-back appropriations: $200,000 in 2024 and $500,000 in 2025. She also developed and launched the CAAL Ignite Fund, a small-business grant program.