L to R:  John Kim, Shirley Kwan, Linda Toyota, Austin Zhao, Dr. Parvin Bagherpour, Alice Chen, Bede Ramcharam, Catherine Le
L to R:  E. Allan Tiller, Diana Ruhtenberg, John Kim, Shirley Kwan, Bien Tran, Linda Toyota, Bede Ramcharan


The Asian Chamber of Commerce held a vibrant networking event at
Hughes Hangar, sponsored by this year's Emerging Entrepreneur,
Bien Tran.  Over 80 Chamber friends and members dropped by to cool down and mingle.  In this popular hot-spot, business cards were exchanged and old and new friends conversed freely.  The Chamber looks forward to hosting similar events in the Fall to promote our members' businesses. 

Contact Kimberly at [email protected] if you would like to co-host a networking event.  


Photographs by John Kim and Alex Wang 




NATIONAL ACE RECEPTION

The Asian Chamber welcomed National ACE who held its board meeting in Houston hosted by the Consulate General of France. The Chamber is a strategic partner with National ACE who serves as an advocate of AAPI business owners, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders by promoting issues that impact economic development, advances coalitions and effects positive change. Thanks to Amegy Bank of Texas, Houston Community College and University of Houston Downtown for their support.

L to R:  Joel Cowley, Sallie Sargent, Dan Cheney
L to R:  Dr. Noel Bezette-Flores, Bruce Culpepper, Dr. Parvin Bagherpour

L to R:  Bien Tran, Jorge Franz Jr.

Photographs by Gary Malts


THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2015
HOW DO YOU SHOW UP?


Dr. Selda Gunsel
VP Technology
Shell Global Commercial Organization

Selda will share her own reflections and observations from professional and personal experiences in different countries and cultures and will provide insights into how you can add to your toolkit to build a more memorable and positive personal brand.



Sponsored by
Media Sponsor


THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015
 Investment Crowdfunding


    

Youngro Lee - NextSeed
Simon Nguyen - Hair Revolution


Anyone who has started or wants to grow their business knows the challenges of raising money. There's seed money, angel investing, venture capital, private equity, bank loans and crowdfunding. Today, there is a new alternative called investment crowdfunding (crowdfunding, an alternative financing method for small business).  Join us to learn more!

More than 250 people gathered at BBVA Compass Stadium to practice yoga with Albina and Roger Rippy, YogaOne Studios. Proceeds went to the Houston Dash and yoga-based charity, In-Powered. Photo Here.

Yusi An, People Generation is planning Magical Winter Lights - November 20, 2015 - January 10, 2016 at Sam Houston Race Park. Magical Winter Lights will be one of the largest holiday light festivals in Houston, the largest lantern festival to ever take place in the United States and the first interactive lantern festival of its kind.  For more information.

Asian Chamber is a partner with the City of Houston AAPI Health Summit to be held November 20, 2015. Sara F. Blank L.Ac., weMed Wellness Center of Integrated Medicine is representing the Asian Chamber on the City of Houston AAPI Health Summit committee to be held November 20, 2015.

Studio RED Architects, Trung Doan, lifetime member, recently received the 2015 Houston American Institute of Architects award as Firm of the Year. For more info. Trung is also chair of the Asian Chamber Scholarship Foundation. 

2015 Asian Chamber Entrepreneur of the Year, Taseer Badar, ZT Wealth & Altus Health Group of Cos., was a finalist in Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program. Ernst & Young searches for the best entrepreneurs in the U.S. 31 out of the 39 finalists were from Houston. 

Gary Nakamura participated in the White House Initiative on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Community Roundtable in Austin with Linda Phan, Commissioner, President's Advisory Commission on AAPI and Vinh Ho, former Executive Director, BPSOS-Houston.
The U.S.-Japan Council (USJC) hosted the Japanese and Japanese American Business Networking Initiative meeting in Washington, DC. in July. 

Glen Gondo, lifetime member participated in the meeting. The Business Networking Initiative is a dialogue that brings together Japanese and Japanese American business professionals to build relationships on a regional, national and international level. USJC hosted a Capitol Hill reception welcoming several Members of Congress, in which the Members had the opportunity to meet with their corporate constituents. Congressman Al Green (TX-29) attended the reception.  Read more about it here.  Pictures here

Helen Callier, Bradlink LLC, served as keynote speaker for the State of Texas Comptroller's Office HUB Expo last month in Austin, Texas. With offices in Houston and Irving, Texas, Callier leads Bradlink in providing program management, building design and O&M services to government agencies and private clients.

Chris Bracamontez recently presented to the Global Chinese Petroleum Entrepreneurs Association on 'Integrated Logistics for Oil & Gas Projects' which covered challenges and opportunities for the energy industry and ways to improve a project's supply chain.
Join the Asian Chamber today and get connected. You can also renew or upgrade your membership to obtain greater benefits. Please register below or call us at 713-782-7222 for more information.



NEW AND RENEWING MEMBERS
MBE Pre-Certification Workshop
Wednesday, September 2
11 am - Noon

Find out about certification - application, process and documentation

Houston Minority Supplier Development Council
Three Riverway, Suite 555, Houston 77056
Coffee with the Consuls
Doing Business with Australia


When: Wednesday, August 12, 2015 | Breakfast: 8:00 a.m. | Program: 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.

Where: Greater Houston Partnership | 1200 Smith St., Suite 700, Houston, TX 77002

What: Join the Greater Houston Partnership Wednesday, August 12, 2015 for Coffee with the
Consuls: Australia as we welcome the Honorable Kelly Ralston, newly appointed Consul General of Australia. She will expand on the objectives of the Australian Trade Commission, Austrade, and Australia's growing relationship with Houston. Russ Capper, host of The BusinessMakers Radio Show, will moderate the discussion and panelists. More...

Cost: $30 GHP Member | $40 Non-member

Event Contact: Amber Margraves | 713-844-3651 | [email protected]


Houston First Corporation


Houston First Corporation (HFC) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Temporary Utilities Services for the George R. Brown Convention Center and Miller Outdoor Theater Stage Rigging Services. These projects have a diversity participation goal and is listed on the HFC website www.HoustonFirst.Com / select "Doing Business." A pre-bid conference is scheduled for August 21 ,2015 at the Miller Outdoor Theater and on August 27, 2015 at George R. Brown Convention Center meeting Room 380 A at 10:00am.

2015 Family Business Conference - August 20, 2015

Hear from a dynamic line -up of keynote speakers and panelists as they share their success stories. This interactive workshop will offer perspectives from both industry experts and family business owners to address the real issues facing family-owned businesses every day.

Event Details:

Thursday, August 20, 2015
7:30 am - 11:30 am

The Houston Club
910 Louisiana Street
Houston, TX 77002

Registration Fee: Complimentary
Space is limited. 


August 1 through September 7, 2015. Try new restaurants or return to your favorites and enjoy special menus created exclusively for this annual fundraiser benefitting the Houston Food Bank. For more information, click here. A great way to connect with Chamber members by dining out together!





Bien Tran and Linda Toyota will be participating as panelists at the
OCA Leadership Forum on September 25.  Contact Catherine Le for information and volunteer opportunties at [email protected]

  • The Houston Health Department, Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, Asian American Health Coalition and partner organizations, including the Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research, are coordinating an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Health Summit on Friday, November 20, 2015 at the Rice BioScience Research Collaborative. For additional information on submitting proposals for poster presentation, please contact Dr. Beverly Gor, 832-393-4738 or [email protected]. 
     
  •  White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) at www.whitehouse.gov/aapi. Follow on Twitter at @WhiteHouseAAPI for the Initiative; @KiranAhujaAAPI for Kiran Ahuja, the Executive Director of the Initiative; and @JasonTengcoAAPI for Jason Tengco, the Deputy Director of the Initiative. Follow on Instagram @WhiteHouseAAPI.

STRATEGIC PARTNERS
            
PLATINUM SPONSORS
             
         
DIAMOND MEMBERS

CenterPoint Energy, Comcast, Houston Business Journal, Indatatech, Marsh & McLennan Agency, Metropolitan Transit Authority, The College of Health Care Professions, Utegration, Inc., Vethan Law Firm P.C.
LIFETIME MEMBERS

Leeshan Birney, Hon. Theresa Chang, Alice Chen, Donna Cole, Lucy DeVilla, Trung Doan, Harry Gee, Glen Gondo, Shahid Javed, Shirley Kwan, Stephen Le Jr., C.C. Lee, Kenneth Li, Dan Nip, E. Allan Tiller, Don  Wang, Don  Woo, Y. Ping Sun, Jason Yoo

MEDIA SPONSOR: