On July 2, 2024, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) hosted an economic summit. This event took place at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and aimed to connect Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) community members in the Twin Cities and across the region with federal leaders and resources.
At this Economic Summit, there were over 300 in-person attendees who met with Federal Administration Officials, agency speakers, and agency representatives. Much of the action started the weekend prior, culminating in the Economic Summit. The leadership within the community, particularly Commissioner KaYing Yang, was acknowledged for their contributions.
This event was the seventh in a series of regional gatherings that began in Philadelphia in January 2023. It was held in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, U.S. Department of Energy, the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE), and local leaders.