MBN USA

November 01, 2021

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USPAACC willl participate in the Community Navigator Pilot Program

The U.S. Small Business Administration has named the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation a Tier 1 National Level Grant Awardee for the Community Navigator Pilot Program.

“This is an incredible honor and important national recognition of our efforts on behalf of our Asian American small business community,” said Sue Au Allen, national president and CEO, USPAACC.

The SBA said that USPAACC and seven other organizations will receive the prestigious recognition with an accompanying financial award as a Tier I National Level awardee of up to $5 million for two years.

Through its Community Navigator Pilot Program, the SBA engages with states, localities, SBA resource partners and other organizations in targeted outreach for small businesses in underserved and unserved communities.

To better reach and support these small businesses, including micro and rural businesses, with emphasis on those owned by women, veterans and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, the SBA launched the Community Navigator Pilot Program. It will strengthen outreach to underserved and unserved businesses by partnering with organizations that have established trusted relationships and experiences within their communities.

“The designation will help USPAACC in its ongoing efforts to work with our community partners in delivering targeted, small business outreach to traditionally underserved and unserved communities, especially our Asian American small business community that has borne so much of the brunt of the pandemic in terms of financial and personal costs,” Allen said.

“The SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program aligns perfectly with our 36-year mission of promoting business between Asian Americans and their business partners in corporations, government and the small minority business community,” she continued.  “This includes our 22-year certification program and experience in identifying, vetting and certifying Asian American and other minority businesses that are 51% owned, controlled and managed on a day-to-day basis by one or more Asian American or minorities.”

Allen note that USPAACC also offer other signature annual thought-leadership programs, including the College Hallmark Scholarship Program, One-on-One Prescheduled Business Matchmaking Meetings, Supplier Diversity & Procurement Leadership Caucus, Federal Contracting Town Hall Meetings, Fast 100 Asian American Businesses, Business Executive Coaching: ReadySetGrow, Chief Procurement Officers Forum, What’s Your Pitch Innovation Competitions, Chief Technology & Information Officers Forum, Corporate Employee Business Resource Group Leadership Caucus, Howard University Center for Supply Chain Management + IS Corporate Forums + Student Research Project, and LiveTALK online video broadcasts.

“The record is clear: USPAACC has long championed community outreach as one of our top priorities,” Allen said. “We’ll continue to work collaboratively with our “Spoke” partners in California, Texas, Georgia, New York/New Jersey and Illinois, to fulfill the mission and goals of the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program.””

More details on the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program, and the important national role that USPAACC will play in this new initiative, are available at: https://www.sba.gov/partners/counselors/community-navigator-pilot-program.

“I thank SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman for selecting USPAACC and for her and the SBA’s foresight, vision, commitment and, most importantly, follow-through, to help underserved and unserved small businesses and communities with this important initiative,” Allen said. “The SBA hasn’t just talked the talk; they’ve walked the walk. the Asian American community has taken notice, and we’re grateful.” 

Click here to participate in USPAACC’s Nov. 8-10 CelebrASIAN Business Development Conference, Synergy Forward. During the event, USPAACC will recognize five partnerships between corporate/government entities and Asian and other minority- and diverse-owned businesses.

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