Award to be presented at Committee of 100’s 2025 Conference & Gala in Los Angeles April 25-26
New York, NY — Committee of 100, a nonprofit organization of prominent Chinese Americans, today announced that Shirley Wang, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Plastpro Inc., an award-winning manufacturer of fiberglass doors and her husband Walter Wang, the President and CEO of JM Eagle Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of plastic pipe, are being awarded the Committee of 100 2025 Leadership in Entrepreneurship Award.
Committee of 100’s Leadership in Entrepreneurship Award honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional vision, innovation, and resilience in building and leading successful ventures. The award celebrates not just business acumen but also the ability to inspire teams, navigate challenges, and drive meaningful impact in one’s industry and community.
Shirley & Walter Wang
About Shirley Wang
Under Shirley’s leadership, Plastpro was named “Most Innovative” and “Top 100 Manufacturer” by Window and Door magazine. More than 30 years ago, Plastpro built the world’s first and largest state-of-the art, fully automated, 1.2 million square foot manufacturing facility in Ashtabula, Ohio. Plastpro grew into a multi-million-dollar organization due to its commitment to customizing products according to customer needs. While other manufacturers dictated the available specs and designs, Plastpro developed an innovative maintenance-free solution, Hydroshield technology, where all six sides of a door are waterproof and maintenance-free. Among her community efforts, Shirley served as the first Asian woman chair of the UCLA foundation, and helped to raise 5.49 billion dollars for the UCLA Centennial Campaign.
About Walter Wang
As President and CEO of JM Eagle Inc, Walter leads the world’s largest manufacturer of plastic pipe. Headquartered in Los Angeles, his company employs more than 1,600 people in 23 plants throughout the United States and Mexico. Starting as a sales coordinator back in 1990, Walter’s leadership skills were recognized early when he re-engineered the sales process, identified new markets and developed an Internet-based B2B management system. After serving in a variety of capacities, Walter earned the title of president in October 2000. Through significant capital investments and without adding headcount, his company grew annual sales from $200 million in 1990 to over $1 billion in 2005. By tonnage, JM is the world’s largest manufacturer of PVC pipe. In 2025 Walter was featured on the cover of the Forbes 400 issue.
A Commitment to Entrepreneurship & Philanthropy
Walter and Shirley Wang’s generous support has extended to numerous philanthropic initiatives, encompassing disaster relief, social justice, medical and cancer research, education, and technology. Their contributions to educational institutions including UCLA, Columbia University, Brown University and Harvard Westlake School have exceeded $20 million, including funding the creation of scholarships, endowed chairs, lounges, stadiums and buildings. For Covid-19 they donated to the Los Angeles Mayor’s Fund to help families who were impacted by the pandemic as well as over 50,000 face shields to healthcare facilities at UCLA and Cedars Sinai. Their donations to Cedars Sinai established the Walter and Shirley Wang Emergency Department Treatment Area East, and Endowed Chair for Pediatric Surgery. Most recently, The Wangs established the Walter and Shirley Wang Eye Care Center and funded the renovation of the pediatric suite at the Charles B. Wang Chinatown Health Center, expanding access to health care for Asian American immigrants and other underserved communities throughout New York City. Recently, they also donated $25 million dollars to establish the UCLA Walter and Shirley Wang Center for Integrative Digestive Health.
The Wangs were the first and major sponsors of the Emmy nominated PBS documentary, “Becoming American: The Chinese Experience” by Bill Moyers. They also supported the production of “Blood of Yingzhou,” which won an Oscar for Best Short Documentary. They also supported the “Warriors of Quigang,” which was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category and resulted in the Chinese government committing $30 million to clean up the toxic waste around the waterway where the film was set. Their impactful $3.3 million grant to the Gold House Foundation supports and empowers equity and authentic representation of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in media and journalism. They are also supporters of the LA Philharmonic.
The Wangs view sports as a vehicle to promote community pride and cohesiveness. They are proud sponsors of the US Olympic and Paralympic Foundations and LA2028. As the title sponsor of the JM Eagle LA Championship, they engaged in a multi-year partnership with the LPGA and were the first to double the purse for this event, helping to elevate women’s sports. In 2024, The JM Eagle LA Championship, Presented by Plastpro, won the 2024 LPGA Tournament of the Year. The Wangs also founded the New Taipei Kings, a professional basketball team in Taiwan.
The Wangs have donated millions to relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Syrian Refugee Crisis, and the Maui fires. In response to the devastating LA wildfires in 2025, they donated $1.5 million to support firefighters and first responders and have pledged another $5 million to rebuilding efforts in affected communities.
The Wangs funded the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum exhibition at the California Science Center and donated millions to the DEA Foundation youth program, serving over 65 cities nationwide, and sponsoring the Summer Night Lights LA Parks Program to curb gang activity amongst youngsters. They have also donated body cameras for police officers of the LAPD. Their donations to Asian Americans Advancing Justice have funded multiple staffing positions including six pro bono lawyers dedicated to aiding abused women and combating anti-Asian discrimination.
About the Conference & Gala
For more than three decades, Committee of 100’s Conference & Gala has drawn hundreds of distinguished academics, policymakers, businesses, and next-generation leaders from across the U.S. for a series of discussions, debates, keynotes and networking sessions under the common goal of advocating for and promoting the full participation of all Chinese Americans in American society.
This year’s must-attend event will take place in Los Angeles on April 25-26 at the Fairmont Century Plaza. In addition to the general sessions, the 2025 Conference will have two concurrent tracks to cover important content on domestic issues faced by Chinese Americans in the U.S. and foreign relations. The evening of the 25th will be topped off with a black-tie celebratory Gala, where Shirley and Walter will be honored.
Registration for the 2025 Conference & Gala is now open.
Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting [email protected].
Accredited media interested in attending can reach out to [email protected].
About Committee of 100
Committee of 100 is a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and the arts focused on public policy engagement, civic engagement, and philanthropy. For more than 35 years, Committee of 100 has served as a preeminent organization committed to the dual missions of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life and constructive relations between the United States and Greater China. Visit https://www.committee100.org/
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