National AANHPI Business Summit in May

WASHINGTON—The United States Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is hosting a National Asian American, Native Hawaiian,  and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) Heritage Month Business Summit at the United States Department of Commerce on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. The summit will feature elected officials and dignitaries, corporate representatives, community leaders, and business owners to discuss access to capital, access to technology, and contracting opportunities within the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act for AANHPI entrepreneurs. This will be an in-person event.
 

AANHPI Heritage Month originated in June 1977, when Representatives Frank Horton of New York and Norman Mineta of California called upon the president to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week. In October 1978, President Jimmy Carter expanded the observance as an annual celebration; and, twelve years later, President George H. W. Bush extended the week-long celebration to a month.

The official designation of May as AAPI Heritage Month was signed into law in 1992. The month of May was chosen to observe AAPI for several reasons, including to commemorate the first Japanese who came to the country in May of 1843, and to mark the May 1869 completion of the Transcontinental Railroad which involved the labor of many Chinese immigrants. The AANHPI community is made up of culturally and linguistically diverse people, representing populations from many countries and islands.
 

The MBDA’s one-day AANHPI business summit agenda includes the following topics.

 

Equity in the CHIPs and Science Act
 

This session will discuss the opportunities created from the CHIPS Act and how this legislation can fill structural gaps and foster equity. The CHIPS Act is a historic $280 billion in new funding to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in the United States. Join us to learn more about this legislation to ensure that AANHPI communities are not left behind in this crucial moment of investment.
 

Investing in AANHPI Businesses
 

This session will bring together financial institutions, corporate leaders, and AANHPI entrepreneurs to discuss the various investments, commitments, and strategies they have undertaken to support and uplift AANHPI small businesses and communities. The discussion will focus on accessing necessary capital, plugging small business owners into resources for growth, and how AANHPIs must be included in the narrative for pandemic recovery efforts and wealth building projects.
 

Staying Competitive in a Digital World

 

It is essential that AANHPI small businesses are fully incorporated into the digital economy in order to remain competitive and access the capital and resources necessary to start, retain, and grow their businesses. This panel will focus on opportunities in the shifting and growing technology landscape that AANHPI entrepreneurs can capitalize on to revitalize and invigorate their local communities despite economic challenges.

A networking lunch will be sponsored by National ACE—National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

For more information, and to register for the 2023 National AANHPI Business Summit, visit MBDA's event website.

The United States Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises.