12
Austin South Asian | July 2020
Chair-Elect Ahmed Moledina Of GAACC Encourages Businesses To Join By Sumaiya Malik @sumaiyasaidthis
importance for all Asian businesses.
Ahmed Moledina, CEO of Soal Technologies and Commissioner for Small and Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Committee, is now Chair-Elect of the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC).
To start with, Asians are so diverse that having an alliance across ethnicities is especially beneficial.
Though his tenure as Chair will start in 2021, his association with GAACC is not new. Moledina has been on the Executive Committee leading development for the Chamber for five years.
According to the City of Austin’s Asian Quality of Life Commission, “Asian American ethnicities
He has also been the Vice Chair of Southwest Region of Aga Khan Foundation for 11 years. According to Moldedina, joining the GAACC should be of utmost
SAIVA
From March through May 2020, SAIVA completed its mask project which resulted in more than 3500 masks being delivered to various critical medical centers throughout the Austin area, including Baylor Scott & White, Seton, Dell Medical School, and several cancer clinics.
ing crocheting and sewing, to put
senior citizens’ mental and motor
Through advocacy, connections, and education, the GAACC promotes Asian interests within the city. In explaining this interaction, Mr. Moledina said, “A lot of times, the Chamber has information from the City of Austin ahead of public release.”
Moreover, Moledina explained how being a member of the Asian Chamber allows members to trust each other while doing business. Individuals can also become members for a nominal fee, in which case the chamber becomes a resource for that individual if he needs to work with any kind of business.
Unlike most of SAIVA’s volunteer projects, this was done remotely due to the prominence of COVID-19.
The volunteers were able to utilize their wide range of skills, includ-
As a result, not only are there a diverse array of businesses involved with the GAACC, but the nonprofit is also the leading partner for driving local economic growth for Asian American commerce.
He gives the example of a recent $40,000 grant from Travis County for small businesses. With foreknowledge of the opportunity, the GAACC was able to help prepare Asian businesses to be potential recipients of such money.
This project was done through SAIVA’s Ma-Dada program, which engages South Asian senior citizens within the Austin community by bringing them together through volunteer activities with various different organizations.
The prominence and risk of Coronavirus paused SAIVA’s in person operations and meetings for its senior citizens, who often face feelings of social isolation. This project mobilized and gave them the opportunity to continue volunteering together while giving them a sense of purpose.
are hugely varied and there is not a one-to-one relationship between countries and ethnicities. Participants…. [of] Asian American communities [include]: Afghani, Bangladeshi, Asian Indian, Bhutanese, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Iranian, Iraqi, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Lebanese, Malaysian, Myanmar, Nepalese, Palestinian, Pakistani, Punjabi, Sikh, Sigaporean, Syrian, Taiwanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Zomi.”
together these hundreds of masks to be dispersed to medical professionals and patients in need. Other similar, impactful projects through SAIVA include therapy dolls and making pillows for cancer patients. Such projects help to stimulate the
skills while simultaneously empowering them with the knowledge that they are making a difference in the community. Visit www.saiva.org to inquire to join our virtual weekly programs that include, cooking lessons, stories, yoga, meditation, music lessons, etc.
“We just crossed the 2000 members mark!” exclaimed Moledina, but clarified that individual members feel the closeness because the “staff knows each and every business owner; it’s still a small community.” Moledina’s personal experience is a great example. “I benefitted when the recent Paycheck Pro-
tection Program (PPP) came out, I went to a member bank and got work done from them,” he said and added, “Trust is important in business relationships. You start interacting, trusting, banks, lawyers, accountants… When this group interacts with each other, trust is established.” The Small and Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Committee, which Moledina currently is a part of, has nine commissioners each with a two-year tenure. It helps small businesses to become MBE (Minority-Owned Business Enterprises) and WBE (WomenOwned Business Enterprises) certified. “My committee is advising the city to get more businesses to be certified,” said Mr. Moledina who remains in touch with small businesses. When asked how a person can be a part of the board or a commission within the city, Moledina said, “You have to be engaged.” He reflected on his own path, “My goal was to be better for the community. But it did not happen overnight. He remembered how he had applied for a commission five years ago and did not make it. Then he got engaged with city endeavors and attended public meetings in the city. It required a lot of education and volunteering and the desire to give. His first year in GAACC, Moledina had joined as an individual member for $25. Later, he decided to make his company a member. “You get value; Grow in career and education,” he summed up and added, “While [Chamber] mandate is business growth, personal growth is inevitable. “ For more information on the GAACC, visit https://www.austinasianchamber. org.