The Milwaukee-based Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce (HWCC) now has an office in Madison, Preisdent Maysee Her said Thursday.
“The AAPI, Asian American Pacific Islander, small business community is growing. It’s been growing. It’s crucial that we’re here,” Her said. “We don’t just serve the Hmong and Southeast Asian community. We have really expanded beyond that to serve the AAPI community, but also just in general, the underserved community. I think our portfolio would speak for itself that we have a very diverse portfolio and we want to keep it that way.”
The HWCC will share office space with the Latino Chamber of Commerce at 2881 Commerce Park Drive in Fitchburg. One staffer will be based there while Her and other staff will commute back and forth from the Milwaukee headquarters a few days a week.
The HWCC provides small business loans, business consultation, events, workshops and more for business owners of marginalized communities. In addition to its Milwaukee headquarters, the organization has a satellite office in Wausau.
Her said anyone starting or growing a business who would like HWCC support should visit HmongChamber.org or call 414-645-8828.
As of the 2010 census, about 50,000 Hmong people lived in Wisconsin, giving the state the third-highest Hmong American population behind Minnesota and California.
