About Us

It’s hard to believe we’ve been around for a whole decade.

Ten years ago, an eclectic group of AAPI entrepreneurs came together at what was then called the “Circles” conference in Las Vegas. Back then, there really wasn’t an organization for Asian-American entrepreneurs. There are just certain things only other Asian-American entrepreneurs get: disappointing your parents by quitting your steady corporate job; working on a hundred ideas at once; figuring out how to get over yourself and delegate; knowing when to start an S-corp and how much to pay yourself; and asking, “Can I expense the ACE NextGen retreat?” (The answer is yes.)

Being in a room full of people who understood that journey was rare, energizing, and instantly meaningful. There was an amazing energy in the air that could barely be contained (much to the chagrin of the people presenting). 

In the early days, our mantra was Connect, Elevate, and Give Back. In our first decade, we’ve done a great job of connecting through retreats, local chapters, conferences, and of course plenty of witty group chat banter.

This year, our focus is Elevate. To borrow a line from comedian Ronny Chieng: “We don’t say Happy New Year. We say, ‘HOPE YOU GET RICH!’” We’ve kind of adopted that as our unofficial Elevate battle cry. The fact it’s “hope YOU get rich” is a testament to the values of our community; we’re always trying to help others. Our goal isn’t just to grow our businesses financially, but to also elevate our lives and our community. When good people with good values build wealth, they do good with it.

And one day soon, this letter will begin with: We’re giving back.

Dale Ting
Board Chair, ACE NextGen Board of Directors