Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce expands into Green Bay, Appleton. Here is how they can help you
GREEN BAY - The Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce opened Appleton and Green Bay satellite resource offices to increase support for business owners of Asian and other underserved communities.
The state-focused organization’s expansion into northeastern Wisconsin is part of its broader effort to provide localized support, programming and resources in more regions of the state, said Jim Lee, marketing manager for the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce (HWCC).
The Green Bay office is in the Greater Green Bay Chamber’s Startup Hub, at 2701 Larsen Road on the north side of the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College campus in Green Bay.
The Appleton office is at 2631 N. Meade St., Suite 104.
“We are extremely excited to now have offices in both the Green Bay and Appleton areas. The number of Asian-owned businesses in the northeast region of Wisconsin has grown tremendously over the years,” said Maysee Herr, CEO of HWCC, in a media release.
The group last year received $8.4 million via two state Diverse Business Assistance grants, funded using American Rescue Plan Act dollars, to increase staff and resources for small business owners from populations disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. HWCC will primarily focus on Hmong and Asian business owners, but its mission also extends to helping Black, Hispanic, women and other entrepreneurs from underserved populations.
What is the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce?
HWCC was founded in the early 2000s as an all-volunteer organization. Its mission includes increasing Asian business owners access to funding, business development services, educational programming and other resources available for business development.
The group has grown and expanded since then. It now is one of about two dozen Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) in Wisconsin. CDFIs are banks, community organizations and businesses committed to using public funds to leverage more private dollars to invest in businesses in underserved rural and urban areas of the state. The institutions’ shared mission is to increase availability of credit, investment capital and financial services.
Why did HWCC choose Appleton and Green Bay?
The Hmong chamber of commerce has always been state-focused, but limited staff and funding meant it was most effective in Wausau and Milwaukee, where its original offices are, Lee said.
The group used some of the state grant funds to hire staff and open new offices in northeastern Wisconsin, Eau Claire and, soon, Madison. The new offices will enable the chamber to connect with the more than 12,000 Asian-owned businesses in the state.
“Our desire is to support our community and other underserved communities,” Lee said. “With these offices, we can build community there and work with other entities to support entrepreneurs in the area. Us having people on the ground enables us to support our community even more.”
The expansion into Green Bay and Appleton complements existing local efforts to provide more resources and support to small business owners, especially Black, Hispanic, Asian, women and veteran business owners in the area.
The Fox Cities Chamber last year began offering small businesses and nonprofits qualified small businesses and nonprofits free membership. Two Green Bay-area organizations last year received $1.3 million in grants, also via the Diverse Business Assistance program, to help women, minority and veteran business owners. And in fall, the Greater Green Bay Chamber, in collaboration with the city of Green Bay, hired Maria Padilla to serve as diverse small business manager, a newly created position.
Related: Maria Padilla, Green Bay's new diverse small business manager, is excited to connect, help
I’m a small business owner, how can the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber help me?
HWCC focuses its efforts on three things: capital, business support and events.
Capital is especially key. The state grant money included $5 million that seeded a forgivable loan program open to qualified business owners.
Money to start a business or expand operations can be difficult for any small business owner to access. The Federal Reserve in 2022 found lenders often consider small business lending “riskier and more costly” than lending to large firms.
Black, Hispanic, Asian and minority small business owners face an even tougher challenge: Federal Reserve national data showed lenders in 2020 declined 17.2% of minority-owned business credit applications compared with 10.5% of white-owned business applications. Lenders declined 16.6% of Asian business credit applications, second-highest only to the 22.3% of Black business applications declined.
Lee said HWCC’s forgivable loan fund, small business grants and a revolving loan fund established in 2007 all can help entrepreneurs of color overcome that challenge.
“Our mission is to help support them, to help them grow,” Lee siad.
What about the business support and programming?
Peng Moua, a business resource officer, is the organization’s local point of contact for business owners in the Green Bay and Appleton areas.
Asian and other underserved business owners can stop for a consultation and Moua can share resources or programs that can help meet their needs.
“Come to us, we’ll talk it out,” Lee said.
Programming will focus on education, social connections and general community support. HWCC hosts business workshops, networking events, an annual golf outing and the HWCC Business Awards, which brings more than 500 members of Wisconsin’s Asian business community together every fall.
Lee said HWCC staff and members will also look to build connections with organizations already active in the region, like the Greater Green Bay Chamber and the newly formed Northeast Wisconsin chapter of Asian Corporate and Entrepreneur Leaders.
Related: Northeast Wisconsin Asian American professionals group set to launch with Green Bay event
Is there anything HWCC can’t help me with?
One of the few things HWCC business resource officers can’t provide is legal advice.
Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: What to know: Hmong Wisconsin Chamber expands into Green Bay, Appleton
