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 15, 2024. The summit will feature elected officials and dignitaries, corporate representatives, community leaders, and business owners to discuss access to capital, opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI), and navigating the contracting process. This event will take place in person in Washington, DC.
 

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.

 

AI is propelling advancements that can impact many areas of business operations. This session will explore a spectrum of AI solutions designed to elevate your business by automating repetitive tasks, providing predictive insights, personalizing 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.
 

Mastering Public and Private Sector Contracting
 

This session will cover stages of contracting including request and intake; creation and authoring; review and collaboration; negotiation and approval; signing and finalization; tracking and compliance; reporting and auditing; along with amendments, addendums, renewals, and termination of contracts. The Biden-Harris administration has worked to reform the federal procurement process to help meet the president’s ambitious target of increasing the share of federal contracts to small-disadvantaged businesses (SDBs) by fifty percent by 2025. Learn more about how to maximize these opportunities from experts in both the public and private sectors.
 

Attracting the Right Capital for Your Business

 

Attracting capital can be challenging, often requiring entrepreneurs to demonstrate a clear value proposition, develop a compelling business plan, build relationships with potential investors or lenders, have a good credit rating, and continuously adapt to market conditions, all in a highly competitive landscape. 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) to help minority and other underserved entrepreneurs to access capital, build ecosystems of entrepreneurship, and create new jobs and economic opportunity.

The event will conclude with a networking reception.

For more information, and to register for the 2024 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.