As published in the World Journal – August 26, 2014. Recently, several Chinese businesspeople and leaders of Chinese communities in the Washington metropolitan area shared their professional and entrepreneurial experiences to a group of young adults from Taiwan. During the discussion, they emphasized the value of giving back to communities.
Antonio Doss, the District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Washington Metropolitan Area District Office, noted that Asian small businesses create one million new positions and provide 28 million positions every year, an indispensable part of the U.S. economy. He further added that there are large numbers of successful Asian companies in the Washington metropolitan area.
DSFederal is among the most rapidly growing companies owned by Asian-Americans. Sophia Parker, the CEO and co-founder of DSFederal, is a Taiwanese immigrant. In her opinion, the loveliest part of American society is that Americans stress the importance of giving back to the community, which later became her business philosophy. She has several charity projects in Afghanistan and Africa that benefit children and women.
Zhixiang Li, the chairman of the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC), spoke about his unusual career path. He graduated with a degree in architecture and civil engineering, worked in an engineering consulting firm, and taught at a university. He then successfully established an information technology company, a venture that contrasted with his previous professional experience. Mr. Li sold his company before the 2008 economic crisis and began advocating for the development of Chinese communities. Mr. Li used his own experience to encourage young people still searching for their career objectives to explore different areas – and to remember to give back to the community.
Herbert Tran, the president of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in the Washington metropolitan area; together with Huiling Zhang, the co-founder of an international law firm, also encouraged young people to step out of their comfort zones and experience the world. They answered young people’s questions about working visas and other legal issues on the spot.
Susan Au Allen, National President and CEO of the U.S. Pan-Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) Education Foundation, offered advice on how to be confident and charismatic. Asian women are often seen as quiet and introverted and they are also not confident because of their cultural background. She emphasized the importance of young Asian people showing confidence and developing leadership instead of avoiding risk in their careers.
About DSFederal: DSFederal is a woman-owned consulting firm that specializes in research support, enterprise IT solutions, business process improvement, and training for Federal government agencies. The company has received awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration (Top Woman-Owned Small Business), the Washington Business Journal (Top Small Technology Company), and SmartCEO (Cornerstone Award.) Clients include the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Transportation, Defense, and Agriculture, among others. Projects range from mobile app development to training solutions to customization of software and processes in support of multi-billion dollar efforts for HHS agencies. www.dsfederal.com