The Minority Business Development Agency to Host 2024 National AANHPI Business Summit at U.S. Department of Commerce
May 13 2024 - 12:08PM
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development
Agency (MBDA) is celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and
Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month by hosting the National
AANHPI Business Summit. The summit will take place on Wednesday,
May 15, 2024, from 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. ET in Washington D.C. in
collaboration with the National Asian/Pacific Islander American
Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE).
“Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian-owned
businesses are essential to the fabric of our society, and our
Nation’s economy,” said Eric Morrissette, Acting Under Secretary
of Commerce for Minority Business Development. “Not only is the
Department of Commerce making historic investments in our Nation’s
small, mid-size, and large minority businesses enterprises through
initiatives like the CHIPS for America Program, but MBDA is
investing time, effort, and resources into the AANHPI business
community to ensure they have what they need to participate in
these opportunities. This Business Summit gives MBDA the
opportunity to meet with the community to discuss what matters
most: their businesses, their communities, and their overall
success.”
This Business Summit will commemorate the contributions and
achievements of the AANHPI business community and its entrepreneurs
over the past year, and will feature elected officials,
dignitaries, and corporate partners in attendance. The Summit will
feature discussions on access to capital, opportunities in
artificial intelligence (AI), and navigating the contracting
process.
“Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
(AANHPIs) are the fastest growing ethnic group in the country.
Through their entrepreneurial spirit, cultural diversity, and nod
to innovation, they greatly enrich their local and national
economies. This is evident by the fact that one in ten businesses
in the country are owned by an AANHPI,” said Chiling Tong,
President & CEO of National Asian/Pacific Islander American
Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE).
“This is a historic time for federal investments in business
communities. By connecting AANHPI small business owners to
available resources through the conversations at this Summit, our
community can be actively engaged in policy to allow AANHPI
entrepreneurs to maximize their potential.”
The Summit will include three separate sessions:
- PANEL I:
“Understanding AI and its Business Applications.” In this
session, we will explore a spectrum of AI solutions designed to
elevate your business by automating repetitive tasks, providing
predictive insights, enabling personalized customer experiences,
optimizing supply chain management, improving risk assessment, and
much more. We will also learn how to avoid pitfalls associated with
these new technologies.
- PANEL II:
“Mastering Public and Private Sector Contracting.” This
session will explore the key stages of contracting including
request and intake; creation and authoring; review and
collaboration; negotiations and approvals; signing and
finalization; tracking and compliance; reporting and auditing;
along with amendments, addendums, renewals, and termination of
contracts.
- PANEL III:
“Attracting the Right Capital for your Business.” During
this session, participants will learn how to better identify,
align, and leverage both traditional and alternative funding
sources from banks, venture capitalists, and private equity firms
to government grants, accelerators, and crowdfunding platforms. The
session will also spotlight the Minority Business Development
Agency’s $100 million Capital Readiness Program (CRP), which helps
minority and other underserved entrepreneurs to access capital,
build ecosystems of entrepreneurship, and create new jobs and
economic opportunity.
Keynote Speakers include Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo;
Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves; Olivia Zhu, Senior Policy
Advisor, AI, White House Office of Science and Tech Policy; Eric
Morrissette, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority
Business Development; Elham Tabassi, Associate Director for
Emerging Technologies Information Technology Laboratory, National
Institute of Standards & Technology; Kendee Yamaguchi, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Field, International Trade
Administration; Chiling Tong, President & CEO of National ACE;
and Thear Suzuki, Global Client Service Partner for Ernest &
Young (EY).
About the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
The U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development
Agency is the only Federal agency dedicated to the growth and
global competitiveness of U.S. minority business enterprises
(MBEs). For more than 50 years, MBDA’s programs and services have
better equipped MBEs to create jobs, build scale and capacity,
increase revenues, and expand regionally, nationally, and
internationally.
About the National Asian Pacific Islander American Chamber of
Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE)
National ACE’s mission is to serve as a strong advocate of
AANHPI business interests and advance the goals and aspirations of
AAPI business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders.
National ACE strives to do this by promoting issues that impact the
AANHPI business community, improving the economic development and
impact of the AANHPI community, advancing coalitions, enhancing
community building, and fostering the next generation of AANHPI
business leaders. Learn more at www.nationalace.org or
www.aapistrong.com.
- 2024 National AANHPI Business Summit Press Release
Gabriel Cushing
Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
gcushing@mbda.gov