IAOTP names Elaine Damschen top global best-selling author for 2026

By AI, Created 9:11 PM UTC, May 28, 2026, /AGP/ – The International Association of Top Professionals will honor Elaine Damschen at its annual gala in New York City for her memoir Made in Vietnam and her work as an author, speaker and business leader. The award recognizes her storytelling around identity, immigration trauma and healing, with the gala set for December 2026 at The Plaza Hotel.

Why it matters: - IAOTP’s recognition puts Elaine Damschen’s memoir, speaking work and business leadership on a global awards stage. - The honor highlights a personal story centered on identity, resilience and healing that IAOTP says has broad resonance for readers and audiences. - The award also underscores the growing visibility of immigrant, women’s and Asian American narratives in memoir.

What happened: - The International Association of Top Professionals selected Elaine Damschen as Top Global Best-Selling Author of the Year for 2026. - IAOTP will honor Damschen at its annual awards gala in New York City at The Plaza Hotel in December 2026. - IAOTP said the recognition reflects Damschen’s impact as an author, storyteller, entrepreneur and advocate for healing through truth and connection. - Damschen is best known for her memoir, Made in Vietnam. - IAOTP included a link to the gala announcement: award gala information.

The details: - Made in Vietnam follows Damschen’s life as a first-generation AmerAsian woman born in the United States. - The memoir centers on her Vietnamese mother, who fled Vietnam just before the fall of Saigon, and her American father, who served during the Vietnam War. - The book explores belonging, mother-daughter relationships, immigration trauma, generational wounds and self-discovery. - IAOTP described the memoir as a story of survival, sacrifice, forgiveness and reclaiming one’s voice. - Damschen has spoken at women’s leadership conferences, trade industry events and storytelling circles. - Damschen is the co-founder of Mainstream Electric, Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, a multi-million-dollar company established in 2000. - She has supported scholarship programs, mentorship opportunities and nonprofit efforts aimed at women in business and leadership. - Damschen earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and teaching and an Executive MBA from Boise State University. - She has also held leadership roles with the Better Business Bureau Great West + Pacific and Nexstar Network. - Damschen lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and is a wife, mother and grandmother. - More information is available on Elaine Damschen’s website.

Between the lines: - IAOTP uses awards to elevate professionals it considers influential in their fields, so this honor functions as both recognition and profile-building. - The memoir’s focus on inherited pain and cross-cultural identity positions Damschen’s work within a wider market for personal narratives about healing and belonging. - Her business background adds a leadership angle that broadens the award beyond literature alone.

What’s next: - Damschen will receive the award at IAOTP’s gala in December 2026. - She is expected to continue speaking and writing around identity, resilience and healing through storytelling. - IAOTP will continue promoting honorees through its annual awards platform.

The bottom line: - IAOTP is elevating Elaine Damschen as both an author and a business leader, with Made in Vietnam at the center of her recognition.