Ku Gay Nahpay

Ku Gay Nahpay is a Ramsey County Community Consultant and community volunteer passionate about youth leadership, mental health advocacy, and substance use intervention within the Knyaw (Karen) and Kayah (Karenni) community. Born in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, she spent her early years in Tham Hin refugee camp before resettling in the U.S. in 2007 with her family. She earned her B.A. in Social Work from Bethel University in 2020 and is currently pursuing her MSW with a concentration in Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counseling (LADC) at St Thomas. As the founder of Today’s Leaders, she builds youth leadership skills and bridges the Knyaw diaspora through community engagement. She also does research with the Morrison Family College of Health on youth substance use in Ramsey County, focused on culturally responsive and effective solutions.

Ku Gay has also worked with the Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM), where she supported youth in college and career readiness, leadership development, and service learning model. She was involved in launching the Youth Leaders Fellowship, a program designed to create different pathways for young leaders to develop interpersonal and leadership skills to create positive change in their communities. Now serving as a board member, Ku Gay is focused on building intergenerational connections and exploring ways to strengthen the community across cultural boundaries.