THE ACC AMPLIFIER: SPRING INTO OPPORTUNITY: WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE ASIAN CHAMBER THIS MARCH

Riding the Momentum of the Year of the Fire Horse

As we step into March, I’m energized by the momentum building across our Asian Chamber community. We began the year together in celebration of the Year of the Fire Horse—a rare cycle that symbolizes strength, courage, and forward motion. That spirit is visible everywhere I look, in our members who are expanding, hiring, and innovating; in our partners who show up consistently; and in the connections being formed every day through the Chamber.

I want to extend sincere thanks to everyone who joined our Lunar New Year Reception at Blossom Hotel Houston. Your presence—along with our supporters, consular officials, and community partners—made the evening a meaningful reminder of what we can accomplish when business and community move together with purpose.

Looking ahead, we have important opportunities to connect and invest in the next generation. Our Asian Chamber Golf Tournament on Monday, April 6 at Wildcat Golf Club will bring Houston’s business leaders together to build relationships while raising funds for scholarships and educational programming through the Asian Chamber Foundation. I hope you’ll join us on the course—whether as a player, sponsor, or supporter.

We also encourage you to share the information about the Asian Chamber Foundation Scholarship for graduating senior high school students and celebrate with us at the AAHNPI Luncheon on Friday, May 1, when recipients will be recognized.

Finally, if you’re new to the Chamber—or want a refresh—please attend our Membership Information Session on Friday, March 6 to learn how to maximize your membership and plug into our 2026 programs and events.

Thank you for being part of this community. Let’s keep moving forward—boldly and together.

Warmly,

Fan Chen

Chair, Asian Chamber of Commerce

Small Business Nugget:

A Tax Break Many Texas Businesses Should Know About

Texas small businesses received some good news this year. As of January 1, 2026, the state significantly increased the business personal property (inventory) tax exemption—from $2,500 to $125,000. This means many small businesses may pay little to no tax on equipment, furniture, tools, and inventory up to that amount.

For many locally owned small businesses, this change could free up capital to invest back into their operations, hire staff, or expand services. If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to check with your accountant or tax advisor to see how this new exemption may benefit your business this year.

Member Spotlight:

Sands Resorts International

Please join us in welcoming Sands Resorts International as a new member of the Asian Chamber of Commerce. Sands Resorts International is a global leader in developing and operating world-class integrated resorts. The company is committed to creating a positive impact in the communities it serves by generating valuable business and leisure tourism while contributing meaningful economic benefits to local regions.

Through its innovative resort destinations, Sands helps create vibrant places where people can live, work, and visit. By combining luxury accommodations, entertainment, dining, and world-class amenities, the company has built a reputation for delivering exceptional guest experiences while strengthening the communities that host its properties.

Since 1981, Sandals Resorts International has also helped shape the Caribbean’s all-inclusive hospitality industry by offering guests more luxury, innovation, and choices than any other beach resort brand. Sandals and its family of resorts are located on some of the most sought-after beaches in the world, including Jamaica, the Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Antigua, Curaçao, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Turks & Caicos.

From romantic couples-only getaways to family-friendly vacation experiences, Sandals Resorts continues to set the standard for excellence in hospitality. Across every destination, the brand shares a common vision — an unwavering commitment to quality service and a promise to exceed guest expectations.

To learn more about the evolution of this industry leader, discover the journey of Las Vegas Sands—from its bold beginnings on the Las Vegas Strip to its transformation into a global leader in luxury hospitality and integrated resort development.

The video below highlights key milestones, visionary leadership, and the company’s international expansion into Macao and Singapore with iconic properties such as Marina Bay Sands and The Venetian Macao.

Video: The Business of Integrated Resorts

Asian Chamber Celebrates Lunar New Year at Blossom Hotel Houston

The Chamber recently hosted a Lunar New Year Reception at the elegant Blossom Hotel Houston, bringing together members, consular officials, community partners, and supporters to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Horse.

This festive gathering is one of the Chamber’s signature traditions, providing an opportunity for business and community leaders to connect while honoring cultural heritage and shared prosperity.

The 2026 celebration marked the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse, a rare occurrence that happens only once every 60 years. In Chinese astrology, the Horse symbolizes strength, energy, courage, and forward motion. When combined with the element of Fire, the year represents passion, momentum, and bold action.

These powerful qualities reflect the entrepreneurial spirit and determination of the Asian Chamber’s members and partners. As the Chamber looks ahead to the year, the Fire Horse serves as an inspiring reminder of the innovation, resilience, and leadership driving Houston’s diverse business community forward.

Tee Up for Scholarships at the Asian Chamber Golf Tournament

Join us for the Asian Chamber Golf Tournament, a great opportunity to connect with fellow business leaders while supporting scholarships and educational programs through the Asian Chamber Foundation.

The tournament will take place on Monday, April 6, 2026, at Wildcat Golf Club, bringing together entrepreneurs, corporate partners, and community leaders for a day of golf, networking, and friendly competition.

Registration is $325 for members and $350 for non-members, or $1,200 for a team of four.

Most importantly, this event helps fund scholarships and educational initiatives through the Asian Chamber Foundation, investing in the next generation of leaders in our community. Businesses and individuals are encouraged to register a team, explore sponsorship opportunities, and join us for a great day on the course while supporting a meaningful cause. ⛳

Asian Chamber Foundation Scholarships Now Open for Applications

The Asian Chamber Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2026 scholarship program, which provides financial assistance to outstanding graduating high school seniors in the Greater Houston area.

Each year, the Foundation awards up to ten scholarships valued at $2,000 each to students who demonstrate strong academic achievement, leadership, and a commitment to their communities. Scholarship recipients are selected based on several criteria, including academic performance, GPA, community service or employment experience, school involvement, and a written essay.

Since launching the scholarship program in 2005, the Asian Chamber Foundation has remained committed to supporting the educational aspirations of Houston-area students. For many years, the Foundation awarded at least $10,000 annually in scholarships. In 2022, the program expanded to provide $2,000 awards per student, increasing the Foundation’s annual scholarship support to as much as $20,000 for ten deserving scholars.

We encourage parents, grandparents, family members, educators, and community supporters to share this opportunity with the graduating seniors in their lives. Your encouragement can help a student take the next step toward achieving their educational goals.

The 2026 scholarship recipients will be honored at the Asian Chamber AAHNPI Luncheon on Friday, May 1, 2026.

If you know a graduating senior who could benefit from this opportunity, please help us spread the word and encourage them to apply.

Apply for Scholarship

Beyond Uncertainty: Middle Market Strategies for 2026 Success

By: Hong Ogle, President, Bank of America Houston and David Batson, Market Executive, Bank of America Global Commercial Banking South Texas

As we make headway into 2026, middle market leaders are navigating a familiar mix of opportunity and uncertainty. In conversations with the private and public companies we serve, we find they’re not waiting for perfect clarity. Instead, they are making targeted, strategic moves to help their companies grow.

As Houston (and the country) continues to see increased activity in the middle market private equity space, three themes have emerged for continued success in 2026: Expanding digital reach, leveraging M&A for transformation and prioritizing employee financial wellness.

Digital Success Starts with Outcomes, Not Tools

The most successful digital journey starts with the client, not the technology. This includes B2B companies, where clients now expect the same seamless digital experiences in business as they encounter in their personal lives, making client journey mapping a critical first step.

An effective approach involves clarifying the client engagement moments that matter most: from discovery and buying to onboarding and service. The client experience and data flows should be designed around these critical touchpoints. This means defining what data to capture, assigning clear data ownership and standards and providing relevant teams with a single, secure view. When the right people have the right information at the right time, decision-making accelerates and satisfaction increases.

A good digital strategy will also help improve employee experience, freeing up employees’ time from manual and tedious tasks and creating more room for higher-value, innovative and creative work. This can help attract more digital-savvy employees who can leverage AI, provided data is clean and governed and leaders keep humans in the loop for critical decisions.

Consider Shaping the Future Through M&A

Deal activity is expected to continue in 2026, and mergers and acquisitions can be a powerful tool to accelerate growth and support succession planning. Specifically, M&A offers several strategic avenues for growth and resilience:

Diversifying into adjacent products or services can broaden a portfolio and deepen client relationships through additional offerings.
Consolidation can strengthen a company’s competitive position by expanding distribution and removing duplicative costs.
Cross-border deals offer a path to faster market entry and local expertise.
Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) allow owners to sell all or part of the business, while keeping stakeholders invested in the company’s success.

Prioritize Your Team’s Financial Wellness

The financial health of your employees can impact the financial health of your overall company. While many employers remain focused on offering traditional benefits – such as retirement and health care – employees are asking for a more holistic approach to their benefits package.

Employers must think of financial wellness benefits as more than a perk; these resources can help quell employees’ financial anxieties. The 2025 Bank of America Workplace Benefits Report found that personal debt is a significant source of strain for employees, with 46% saying it actively causes them stress and 35% saying it interferes with their focus and productivity at work. In a particularly competitive labor market, offering these benefits can help drive job satisfaction, talent retention, work productivity and more.

To help meet employees' financial wellness needs, employers should begin to look beyond traditional benefits. Our research found that employees are looking for unique resources to support their financial health, including:

Retirement education and planning
Learning how to generate income in retirement
Online tools to measure and improve financial wellness
Financial guidance and resources on emergency savings, mortgages and paying for college

And while nearly all employers feel responsible for their employees’ financial well-being, less than half offer financial wellness programs to support it. Closing this gap could be a critical step toward building a more engaged and resilient workforce.

In the face of continued uncertainty, middle market companies that embrace a customer-centric digital strategy, consider growth through strategic M&A, and prioritize the financial wellness of their employees will be best positioned for lasting success throughout 2026 and beyond.