From Access to Scale: Supplier Diversity, Procurement, and AAPI Entrepreneurship

Hosted by the Chicagoland Chamber’s Emerging Leaders Program

Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with the Chicagoland Chamber’s UNITY series for a conversation on access, procurement, and what it truly takes for AAPI-owned businesses to grow and scale in Chicago.

From supplier diversity and procurement pathways to partnerships, readiness, and community investment, this discussion moves beyond buzzwords to explore how opportunity is actually created inside real systems. Moderated by Megan Nakano, Executive Director of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, the conversation brings together leaders across entrepreneurship, corporate engagement, and community investment to unpack where access breaks down, what works, and how businesses move from initial interest to sustained opportunity.

Discover practical insights on supplier readiness, navigating institutional buyers, building credibility, and converting relationships into repeatable growth. The discussion will also reflect on the AAPI leadership experience, including visibility, storytelling, and navigating barriers that still exist in professional and entrepreneurial spaces.

Designed for emerging leaders, founders, and professionals alike, this UNITY program offers actionable takeaways, honest perspectives, and a clearer roadmap for building access that leads to scale.