“For us, we define "AAPISTRONG" as collectively standing up for one another in the face of challenges. We're extremely grateful for this opportunity, and would like to sincerely thank National ACE for selecting us.”

"There is no Asian grocery store within 90 miles of our city, Waco. And so there's also a lot of flavors that are missing, especially when it comes to Korean, Filipino, Malaysian and Thai...So for most people during the pandemic, they don't have to go over 90 miles to feel like they're at home to get the little things. ACE helped us to stay open and continue to share these flavors.”

“ACE’s AAPISTRONG fund will help us greatly relieve financial stress. We will use most of this grant for payroll, to keep all our employees and to provide better assistance to them financially. This financial support further impacts tens of families of our employees and improves their lives."

“As an AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund grant winner, this means a lot to me and my business. With the grant, I'm able to hire one more full-time worker and 2 part-time workers as we've been suffering a while from short staff during rush hours. It also gives me the working capital to add a new line of Southern Asian featured food items to the menu! And of course, it gives me more confidence to overcome the difficulties this COVID-19 pandemic brings to us."

- Zhen Yang, Owner of Potstickers Plus 1

“During the pandemic, I was forced to shut down my dental practice for months. ACE’s AAPISTRONG Proudly Unstoppable Fund will help me re-hire employees and continue supplying PPE for my staff to safely work as essential workers.”

- Hanh Phi, owner of Nouvelle Dentistry

Founded by Jhoanna Belfer, a Filipina-American poet and former hospitality executive, Bel Canto Books offers a curated selection of fiction, nonfiction and children's books, organized around a theme of the month, in particular celebrating books by women and people of color.

The academy was founded in 2020 by 5x world champion Moku Kahawai and his wife, Keala. Their mission: to create a safe place to fail, cultivate co-elevation and synergy amongst students, and build leaders in our community. Funds will be used to purchase jiu jitsu kimonos for students.

Brim Branding is a boutique design firm with a passion for shaking up style and creative culture. Our authentic design reveals a brand’s true ethos + expression. Delighting clients through our branding tonic, our process and thoughtful aesthetic connect with their ideal customers.

Cha Community's mission is to bridge cultures and to create community through premium boba tea and handcrafted dumplings. Their values are community, diversity, and courage. Cha Community believe that community begins within.

“The fund will keep our staff employed at their normal hours and normal hourly wage without having to decrease their hours or change their schedules. You guys have been a lifesaver to us.”

- Khaled Ramadan, Co-owner of Sunrise Middle Eastern Deli, San Francisco's Sunset District. Family owned & operated since 1984.

“Social distancing during classes limited our capacity so we expanded one of our training rooms to accommodate more students. The AAPISTRONG grant helped us pay for our renovation project. We are very grateful and honored by this gift!”

- Ulysses Marcelino, Master Instructor/Owner, pictured with his business partner and wife Catherine and their daughter, an apprentice instructor.

“We are honored to be one of the winners of the AAPISTRONG grant. With this grant, we will have the opportunity to continue to share our message and mission to support women DJs and provide high-quality work for the amazing DJs on our roster.”

- Tessa Young, Founder of PRISM DJs

“We are a “Food for Good'' company, where refugee women from war-torn countries are economically empowered by cooking for a living. ACE’s investment in Break Bread, Break Borders will help expand our packaged goods offerings in an e-commerce platform.”

- Jin-Ya Huang, Founder of Break Bread, Break Borders

STEM Center USA was founded by sisters Melissa and Lavanya Jawaharlal with a mission to share their love for tinkering and creating and to create the next generation of STEM leaders. ACE’s AAPISTRONG Fund will help equip them for continue remote learning.