New York, NY, June 8, 2006 - Ramon Gil, a fifteen-year veteran of the design and advertising industry, was well aware of the power of networking in business development. He had met many of his clients through his active involvement in the Asian American community. It was with that in mind that he attended seminars and networking events to drum up business for his newly launched marketing company, Fresh Concentrate.

It was at a networking seminar that he realized that while there were organizations to serve subgroups of the Asian American business community in New York City, there was no Asian American Chamber of Commerce, or its equivalent, to give voice to the collective community’s business interests, and to support the growth of Asian American entrepreneurship.

He was inspired to organize a networking group of his own to fill the need for such a vehicle and resource center for Asian American professionals. This idea led to the Asian-American Entrepreneurs Networking Night, a unique opportunity to promote activism, leadership, and shared endeavor in the Asian American business community.

Discussing the idea with friends and fellow entrepreneurs gave him a venue and date from Marni Chua, Branch Manager of the JPMorgan Chase Bank at Rockefeller Center, logistical coordination from Vicki Shu Smolin of VS Planning LLC, food platters from Phil Wong, owner of Vegetarian Paradise II in Greenwich Village, cookies from Karen Lowe of Six Persimmons, and raffle prizes from Glenda Villajuan of Great ExpectAsians Greeting Cards, Colyn Chan of MEI Image Consulting, and Julian Espiritu of ZipCar.

The strong interest from Asian American business owners justified the encouragement from sponsors.

"We were hoping to get 30 people, but instead we got over a hundred RSVPs! And people are still e-mailing us for information on the next one," said Gil. The venue was crowded with professionals representing a wide range of positions in different industries, who gathered to exchange stories and tips, and as Gil put it, to “build relationships, share resources, and give each other some business”.

Media attendance included Asian Diversity Magazine and Asians in America. "I got a lot of favorable comments that there was a need for this kind of event." He is currently exploring potential venues for the next event, which will be an educational experience as well as a networking opportunity.

Ramon's next project is launching a website for Asian American entrepreneurs in New York City, with features including an events calendar, a bulletin board, and a business directory. To learn more, please visit the AEN website.