Joanne Gutierrez (she/they) AKA “Rad” Ajumma is the founder/facilitator/dreamer of Ajumma Rising. They were born and raised in Chicago and the Chicagoland area by hardworking South Korean parents. Joanne Ajumma was rebellious since birth and had nicknames like “gangsta” and “little monster”. She was an outcast amongst other Korean kids growing up and as a result strayed away from the Korean community. Now that Joanne Ajumma is all grown up, she yearns for the sense of community that only other Korean American ajummas can provide through Jeong. She is very much in love with the diverse group of ajummas in the group that let loose and live life without allowing stereotypes to define who they are.