APPLICATION PERIOD OPEN FOR THE 7TH ANNUAL MINORITY WOMEN LEAD PITCH COMPETITION IN IRVINE, CA
IRVINE, CALIF. (May 8, 2024) — The California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce and National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE) are excited to announce the opening of the application period for the highly anticipated 7th Annual Minority Women Lead national pitch competition. This annual event celebrates visionary minority women and provides a platform for them to showcase their entrepreneurial talents and achievements.
Minority Women Lead brings together entrepreneurial women of color from diverse backgrounds to celebrate their successes and inspire the next generation of minority women leaders. The highlight of the event is the live pitch competition, where grant funding is awarded to five finalists to support their business endeavors. A joint statement from Pat Fong Kushida, President & CEO of the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, and Chiling Tong, President & CEO of National ACE addressed the purpose and importance of this event:
"We are thrilled to launch the application period for the 7th Annual Minority Women Lead event which has brought together more than 12,000 women in attendance since transitioning to a pitch competition for minority women entrepreneurs," the leaders said in a joint statement. "This event is a testament to the innovation and resilience of minority women entrepreneurs, and we are excited to see the incredible ideas and talents that will be showcased this year."
In our previous pitch competitions we saw exceptional talent and innovation, with the following entrepreneurs emerging as winners of a total of $60,000 in grant money so far:
2023 Winners
Melissa Muganzo, Founder of Mindy's Kitchen
Mackenzie Loy, Owner of The Homemade Marketplace
Linda Yoon, Founder of The Yellow Chair Collective
Lena Chao, Owner of Clean Circle
Lara Vu, Founder of Mila's Keeper
2022 Winners
Alex Chester-Iwata, Co-Founder and CEO of Mixed Asian Media
Lavanya Jawaharlal, President & Co-Founder of STEM Center USA
Patricia Garcia, Founder of unithrifts
Gina Shi, Founder of Munchrooms
Lanie Yeung, Founder & CEO of HydroGummy
Applications are now open for this year's competition, and we encourage visionary minority women entrepreneurs to apply for this unique opportunity to gain recognition and support for their businesses.
Key details for the 7th Annual Minority Women Lead Pitch Competition:
Application Period: May 8 - June 10
Application Link: https://nationalace.submittable.com/submit/295450/2024-minority-women-lead
Pitch Competition Date: Thursday, August 8, 2024
Location: UCI Beall Applied Innovation @ the Cove, 5270 California Ave, Irvine, CA 92697
For more information and to apply, please visit minoritywomenlead.com.
About the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce
The CalAsian Chamber was founded in 2010 to give a voice to the more than 754,000 AAPI-owned businesses in California. Today, CalAsian is the largest statewide ethnic chamber in the state and operates three federal business centers, dozens of programs providing technical and financial assistance to small businesses, and a foundation offering leadership and workforce development programs. Learn more at calasiancc.org.
About National Ace
National ACE’s mission is to serve as a strong advocate of AAPI business interests and effect positive change on all issues that enhance and advance the goals and aspirations of AAPI business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders. With over 130 affiliate chambers of commerce and AAPI organization partners throughout the country, National ACE strives to support and promote issues that impact the AAPI business community by improving economic development and impact, advancing coalitions and enhancing community building, and fostering the next generation of AAPI entrepreneurs and executives. National ACE provides a unified voice for the business interests of AAPIs nationally. Learn more at: www.nationalace.org.
