U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will keynote a Jan. 7, 2011, summit on entrepreneurship and small business growth in Mountain View, Calif., sponsored by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

President’s Advisory Commissioner Dilawar Syed (in photo) will lead this gathering, the first in a series of economic summits to be conducted by the White House AAPI Initiative in order to raise awareness of the Administration’s efforts to encourage entrepreneurs and small businesses to drive economic growth.

The Summit is free of charge, but registration is required. Add yourself to the Facebook event.

Below is the initial descriptions of the panels and sessions.

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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 5, 2009 

President Obama Names Vivek Kundra Chief Information Officer 

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, President Barack Obama named Vivek Kundra the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the White House.

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Sam Yoon, the Korean American city councilor from Boston, has announced that he will join Boston’s mayoral race for Mayor Thomas Menino’s seat in 2010.  Yoon was Boston’s first Asian American city councilor and, if elected, would be Boston’s first non-Caucasian mayor.  Coverage so far in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald following Yoon’s announcement Monday is calling the mayoral big “historic”!

This post by Eugenia in October links to an article in Dong-An Ilbo about the role of Korean-Americans in Obama’s presidential campaign, including Yoon.

More at www.samyoon.com

HOPE Comes to Asian Pacific America:  Join “A Thousand Cranes for Hope” this APA Heritage Month

Dear Friends,

A huge, huge mahalo to everyone for being part of the National Day of Service Project, “The Gift of HOPE!”   

The Gift of Hope’s Washington, D.C. event, and national tie-in, would not have been possible without the leadership of Vida Benevides, ED of APIAVote and President Obama’s AAPI team!

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Asia Society Event - 2/4/09 - “Delivering on the Promise: Advancing US Relations with India”

Asia Society will host a panel discussion titled “Delivering on the Promise: Advancing US Relations with India” on February 4th from 8:00-9:30 a.m. Please join us at Asia Society’s New York Headquarters or online via a FREE LIVE VIDEO WEBCAST. Internet viewers will be able to ask questions and offer comments via email during the webcast. Send your questions to moderator@asiasociety.org.

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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 3, 2009

Duckworth Tapped for VA Assistant Secretary

WASHINGTON (Feb. 3, 2009) - President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate L. Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“Effective communications with Veterans and VA’s stakeholders is key to improving our services and ensuring Veterans receive the benefits they deserve,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Tammy Duckworth brings significant talent, leadership and personal experience to this important work.”

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According to The Harvard Crimson, Harvard students and alumni are participating in a write-in and call-in campaign to Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy for Harvard Medical School professor, Jim Y. Kim, to be appointed U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. Over 700 people have already signed a petition started by Luke M. Messac, a former member of the Harvard College Global Health and Aids Coalition (HCGHAC), urging President Obama to choose Dr. Kim as the best candidate for the position.

Read more at The Crimson as well as at Angry Asian Man, who first scooped the story.

From DHS
Release Date: January 29, 2009
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

President Obama announced today his intention to nominate Ivan K. Fong as General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Secretary Janet Napolitano also announced several key members of her staff: David A. Martin, Principal Deputy General Counsel; Brian De Vallance, Senior Counselor to the Secretary; and Sean Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.

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THE GIFT OF HOPE: 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee’s National Day of Service

January 19, 2009 was the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s National Day of Service, and on this day, Americans, throughout America, and Americans who came to Washington D.C. for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, heeded President Barack Obama’s call for national public service.

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The Michigan Daily has a great article about U-Mich alum and Ann Arbor native Eugene Kang (aka “Reggie Jr.”). As mentioned in the article and in this New York Times Magazine feature, Eugene serves as special assistant to the president, making him a third-level senior staffer who will be “side-by-side” with President Obama during the president’s daily activities. (And he is all of 24-years-old!)

Continue reading at The Michigan Daily.