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Recognizing and commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, The Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia (AACCGP) is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by Narasimha “Nick” Shenoy in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Regarded as one of the most influential Asian Americans in Pennsylvania, Mr. Shenoy founded the Chamber with the very purpose of helping Asian Americans become financially and socially successful; and
WHEREAS, For the past decade, the Chamber under his leadership has been the voice representing 13,000 Asian-owned businesses in Philadelphia and has fostered many important relationships Asian Americans and Non-Asian communities; and
WHEREAS, The Chambers’ main mission is to provide technical assistance and educational services to the start-ups, and advocate for the growth of Asian American businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals. The Asian business community in Philadelphia represents a great diversity of Afghan, Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, Burmese, Indonesian, Pakistani, Laotian businesses to name a few; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, the Chamber has served as the liaison between the Federal, State and local governments and other Chambers of Commerce, nonprofit organizations and promoted awareness of the challenges Asian American businesses have as well as wealth and opportunities they bring to the Greater Philadelphia area; and
WHEREAS, The Chamber’s collaborative work and the tireless advocacy with the Diverse Chambers Coalition and the Inclusive Growth Coalition led to the passage of the Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) and wage tax reduction bills in the Summer of 2022 which will greatly aid small businesses in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, AACCGP’s motto is “Making Connections that Matter” which is reflected in all the programs and networking initiatives it offers to its members and partners over the past decade; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Khine Zaw Arthur succeeded Mr. Shenoy as President and CEO of AACCGP in October 2021; and
WHEREAS, The Chamber currently hosts 12 membership networking meetings, 8 education and technical support workshops (online/in-person), 5 signature events and 4 financial literacy programs that support more than two thousand entrepreneurs and businesses annually; and
WHEREAS, In addition to providing technical assistance in various Asian languages, the Chamber meets with managers of the City’s commercial corridors (CDCs), police departments and elected officials regularly to help mitigate the challenges that the businesses face; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chamber reinforced its commitment to serving small business owners by connecting them with grants and funding relief through hosting numerous panel events and informational webinars; and
WHEREAS, As a leading advocate for Asian American businesses, we commend The Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia (AACCGP) for its dedication to working with all stakeholders in supporting the growth and prosperity of the Asian American business community which is integral to the City’s socioeconomic development; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes and commemorates the 10th Anniversary of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia.
RESOLVED FURTHER, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia (AACCGP) as evidence of the respect and admiration of this legislative body.
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