Juliette is also a singer, and she has been performing the National Anthem solo for the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers. Reno Aces. Sacramento River Cats. and for the APA Heritage Awards since she was 5 years old. Juliette’s musical journey commenced at the age of 4 under the tutelage of Danielle Charbonneau and Marie Therese Ellis. Juliette currently studies the violin with Dr. Ruth Lenz. Juliette has participated in masterclasses with Professor Desiree Ruhstrat. and she receives mentorship from Andrea Lenz and Scott Faulkner. Juliette takes orchestra classes with Laurentiu Norocel and she is the youngest member of YSO, led by Dr. Jason Altieri. Juliette also takes piano and voice lessons from Nancy Rodolico. Further, Juliette takes guitar and ukulele lessons from William Barclay and studies music theory with David Haskins. Juliette’s musical achievements underscore not only her exceptional talent but also her commitment to pushing boundaries and setting new milestones in the world of music. Yet, perhaps Juliette’s most extraordinary artistic endeavors began at the incredibly young age of eight months with abstract painting. By the age of 3, Juliette’s artistic prowess had already attracted attention. with people approaching her parents to purchase her paintings. She started to paint landscapes and narrative art at the age of four, without any targeted instruction and with an intuitive ease that is notable. She has been giving painting tutorials on live television, including on the Rachael Ray Show on ABC? News and on her You Tube Channel (youtube.com/julietteleong) since age 4. Juliette also teaches painting classes in-person to children and adults, including at Reno Farmer’s Market to William Land Elementary teachers, at Juliette’s Art and Music Studio, and at Juliette’s pop-up shop, Sparks Senses by Juliette.
Juliette’s paintings have been exhibited at the Reno Tahoe International Art Show two years in a row. Discovery Museum San Jose, The Reno Generator. and others. Juliette demonstrates her highly intuitive, curious nature by making shockingly astute observations and predictions, much of which are expressed through her art, poetry, and music.
Juliette regularly paints current events. such as “Amidst California’s Wildfires”, “View from Sheltered-In Place”, “A Socially D1stanced Playdate”, to name a few. There’s a remarkable story behind every one of Juliette’s paintings. At 4.S years old, Juliette started to write poems to accompany her paintings. Her first poem. “Traveling Dandelions”. was published in Young Mensan Magazine Fall 2021 issue. Juliette’s first illustrated book on the topic of, “compassion” was done before she turned 5 years old.
Competitively. Juliette was the 1st place winner of the U.S. Kids Cover Art Competition at 4 years old, and at 6 years old, she was the finalist at the Art Battle. Art Battle is an international live speed-painting tournament where adult artists get three 20-minute rounds to complete their best work. They’ve had over 2,000 events the cover of two national magazines. Young Mensan Magazine and Humpty Dumpty Magazine, three separate times. Her paintings have also been featured nine different times in various publications. including Child Art Magazine. At 7 years old, Juliette’s original paintings are selling for over $12,000 each. Juliette is currently an illustrator for Young Mensan Magazine. With the proceeds from the sales of her paintings. Juliette has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Asian American Donor Program to help blood cancer patients find a bone marrow match. This child philanthropist has also contributed to Race to Erase MS. Ladies Who Rock 4 A Cause. Oakland Public Education Fund, Art in Action, Mensa Foundation, Kate Smith Elementary, APA Heritage Foundation. Asian Inc.. Asians Are Strong, and others. She has guest-starred in podcasts as a child philanthropist and talks about her motivation in painting- to save lives.
Juliette has already donated over $130,000 to numerous non-profits. As the popular expression goes, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Juliette’s interest in philanthropy came from her parents’ involvement with the community. Juliette’s mother, Willa, a University of Notre Dame alumnae and general counsel to GeneHarmonics, is on the board of 1990 Institute, a nonprofit that creates and supports educational programming and mobilizes collaborative leadership networks to improve mutual understanding. promote a constructive environment for international relations. and champion the fair and equitable treatment of all people. Both Willa and Jonathan are Honorary Deputy Sheriffs of the Alameda County Sheriff Department.
Juliette’s father, Jonathan. is the founder and chairman of Asian American Donor Program (AADP). a non-profit organization that has facilitated more than 800 bone marrow transplants and has saved over 600 lives. Influenced by Jonathan’s work with AADP. at 5 years old, Juliette became the spokesperson for AADP, gives engaging lectures on blood cancer without any notes. and has even published a paper in Mensa Magazine on the issue.
Jonathan is a serial entrepreneur and community leader with over 35 years of experience in retail, multinational dealings, government relations and public policy forums. Jonathan has served on over 30 boards, both public and private and nonprofit. A short list of board positions includes California Earthquake Authority (appointed by Governor Davis and then appointed by of Ch1na. Jonathan is also the founder of JLA Risk Services with clients such as Pacific Gas Transmission, City of San Francisco, Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Port of Oakland, and East Bay Municipal Utility District. This represents only a fraction of Jonathan’s Governor Schwarzenegger). Asian Inc., Institute wealth of experience. Jonathan and Willa are of Global Health (UCSF). Institute of New members of the Band of Angels, Silicon Valley’s California, Asian Business Association, Oakland oldest and most well known angel investment Business Development Corp., The 100 Club, Asian American Theater Company, and others. Jonathan also served as Vice Chairman of the National Marrow Donor Program and served with Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. E. Donnall Thomas. Jonathan was on the White House Commission appointed by President Clinton. Further, Jonathan was appointed by President Clinton and then appointed by President Bush as a delegate to the White House Small Business Conference. Jonathan was a member of the Caltrans Small Business Advisory Council to increase participation by small businesses in statewide Cal trans contracts.
As a leader of the community, Jonathan was the recipient of the ABC7 Awards of Excellence and the World Journal Community Service Awards. Jonathan received the “Excellence 2000 Award”, along with Jackie Chan. from the \J.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Jonathan was also honored as one of five “Unsung Heroes” in the Bay Area by KQED. Jonathan received the Asian Heritage Award, which honors those who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of humanity. Jonathan recently received the Presidential Award for his work and dedication to the community.
Additionally, Jonathan is the owner of restaurants in the Bay Area including the famous Sam Wo, Urban Tortilla, Noosh, Legends Bar, Lion’s Den. Luna Azul, Quiet Storm and Jalapeno Grill. Jonathan also founded JLA Global Inc., an international trading company and national distributor and it initiated activated charcoal sales from Norinco to the U.S. markets. Jonathan was the President and Chairman of lsys Controls Inc. organization. The Band has funded 400+ companies with 97 profitable M&A exits and 171POs.
Inspired by her parents, Juliette has embraced an entrepreneurial spirit, establishing three business ventures of her own: Juliette’s Arts and Music Studio, where she teaches painting classes and hosts painting parties; Sparks Senses by Juliette, a pop-up shop that encompasses a multisensory experience for her customers, with engagement of all five senses; and Kids Teach U(university), a platform where kids become teachers! Go to Julietteleong.com for more information.
Despite her prodigious talents, Juliette remains a typical child, enjoying a range of activities, from playing Roblox to horseback riding. bike riding, and trampoline parks. Juliette’s other hobbies include gardening, rock climbing, roller skating, cooking, acting, and playing the piano, guitar and ukulele. Her aspirations include becoming a surgeon, teacher, violinist, painter, inventor, and composer, with a vision to contribute to cancer research and wildlife conservation.
The Leongs actively support Juliette in her diverse endeavors, making a concerted effort to align their schedules with her performances and activities. They strategically plan vacations around Juliette’s performances at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Oakland Coliseum, Greater Nevada Field, Herbst Theatre, Susanville Symphony, St. Francis SF, Mark Hopkins SF, to name a few. During the summer, the family adjusts their vacation plans to accommodate Juliette’s participation in summer camps, business fairs, and filming schedules for movies and commercials.
Upcoming events in Juliette’s schedule include a performance at the Ferry Building in San Francisco on March 3rd in celebration of Women’s History Month. Simultaneously, she will be exhibiting her paintings at the Camden Community Center in San Jose.
Juliette is gearing up for business fairs related to her pop-up shop, Sparks Senses by Juliette, scheduled to take place in Danville, CA, and Los Altos, CA on the weekends of March 17th and March 24th. In April, Juliette will be performing at a benefit concert hosted by CNN chief national security correspondent. Jim Sciutto. in Washington D.C. In July, Juliette is set to make her debut with the TOCCATA-Tahoe Orchestra and Chorus, marking another milestone in her musical journey. Additionally, she will be making her debut with Classical Tahoe in the same month.
The Leong Family was also on ABC’s reality show, The Parent Test, where 12 of America’s best parents from around the country came together to explore various parenting challenges and share potential solutions. The Leongs advocate for an approach to parenting that encourages trying new things and actively getting involved in the community. Their advice, “Try something new and get involved” reflects a proactive and open-minded approach to parenting, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and engagement. The Parent Test can be streamed on Hulu.
Jonathan and Willa actively contribute to their community in Reno through routine volunteering at Catholic Charities St. Vincent Dining Room. This essential facility serves a daily, free hot cafeteria-style lunch to over 400 people. Additionally, Willa and Jonathan extend their support to various cultural and artistic institutions in Reno. They are patrons and supporters of The Reno Philharmonic, Reno Chamber Orchestra, Reno Pops Orchestra, and Art for Recovery.
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