AACC Recognizes AANHPI Community Achievement at its Annual “Jewels of Asia'' Chamber Awards Gala

The Asian American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) hosted its 13th Annual “Jewels of Asia” Awards Gala on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, MD. This year’s event was its largest-ever attended and hosted by Joy Wang, morning reporter, at WUSA - abc7 News on your Side. Each year, AACC brings a fresh perspective to its signature event honoring AAPI business achievement and individual accomplishment while preserving its event traditions that celebrate Asian-Pacific culture. Supporting and recognizing small businesses, corporations, non-profit organizations, and individual AAPI business leaders in the Greater Washington, D.C. region is at the heart of AACC’s mission. Kishan Alexander, Senior Vice-President, at World Insurance served as this year’s Gala Committee Chair and is the Chamber Board’s Vice-Chair. John Lin, President and CEO, at CapStar Commercial Realty and AACC’s Board of Directors’ Chair played a pivotal role with Dr. Cindy Shao, AACC President and Founder, in reviewing nominations for all award categories to determine this year’s recipients.     
 
Guests were treated to an afternoon runway-style Fashion Show featuring AAPI local designers and their creations leading up to the Gala’s Reception. The Fashion Show was repeated during the Gala and also included Maryland and Virginia pageant winners. AACC introduced its new Power 30 Awards Program that honored 30 deserving AAPI business leaders who excelled in performance and service to the community. These awards were characterized by exceptional businesses with annual revenue ranging from $1 to $100 million+. Each awardee is featured in the Program Book that can be accessed online HERE.
 
The Chamber continued its tradition of recognition in specialized categories for Chamber members that have contributed to the advancement of AACC’s mission and those who made an impact through diversity engagement and corporate social responsibility. This year’s prestigious awardees are:           
 

The spirit of partnership and collaboration were components embraced during the Gala that helped promote respect and solidarity amongst the entire AAPI business community. AACC’s event was perfectly positioned in AAPI Heritage Month to showcase the notable contributions and successes made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our region and beyond. The Gala continued to offer professional networking, three keynote speakers, remarks from legislative officials, cultural demonstrations, a silent auction, and plenty of award’s recognition. 
 
AACC was honored to receive video remarks from U.S. Senator Mark Warner representing the Commonwealth of Virginia supporting the chamber and its premier celebration of AAPI business achievement. In addition, the Gala welcomed Maryland’s Secretary of State, Susan Lee, to the stage and was presented an official Citation commemorating the event from Maryland State Delegate Chao Wu of District 9A. This year’s distinguished keynote speakers were Timothy Chi, CEO, at The Knot Worldwide, Matt Murray, U.S. Senior Official, at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Dr, Rajan Natarajan, Founder and CEO, of Global Alliant, Inc. Dr. Cindy Shao. AACC President and Founder, presented the Presidential Volunteer Service Awards from The White House Initiative on Asian-American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) to recipients who have given their time to the advancement of the chamber’s mission.      
 
Attendees and the public can view highlights and relive memories of the 2023 “Jewels of Asia” Awards Gala captured on video at: 2023 Jewels of Asia Gala Recap - YouTube  
 
AACC’s 13^th Annual “Jewels of Asia” Awards Gala was made possible through the generous support of our top sponsors that include:  Live! Casino & Hotel;  M&T Bank; Employer Incentives.com; United Solutions; PNC; Dominion Energy, WORLD Insurance Associates, LLC; 22^nd Century Technologies, Inc.; I.M. Systems Group, Inc.; Atlantic Union Bank; Whiteford; Baltimore Business Journal; abc7 News on your Side; WQER 96.7, Business Monthly; Blooms; Timely Partner; and  Noel Pro Sound, LLC. We appreciate all our cherished sponsors that help advance our mission and vision for the future. AACC looks forward to continuing the Awards Gala tradition where “Building Bridges for Business Success” will be celebrated once again May 2, 2024 at the Crystal View in Fairfax, VA.                       
 
About Asian-American Chamber of Commerce (AACC):
The mission of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) is to encourage, facilitate and support the economic growth and sustainability of the Greater Washington, D.C. regional community and the nation by building bridges and serving as a resource for the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) business community.  
 
For more information about AACC and its events, please visit: www.asian-americanchamber.org.  AACC is a not-for-profit 501 C (6) organization.  For media requests and questions, contact Dr. Cindy Shao, AACC President, at (703) 752-6292 or contact@asian-americanchamber.org.
 
Address:   Asian American Chamber of Commerce
8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 450
Tysons, VA 22182