About the 2025 Arkansas Asian-Owned Business Award (AOBA)

To spotlight the entrepreneurial excellence of Asian business owners in Arkansas, the AAAB is launching the first-ever Arkansas Asian-Owned Business Award (AOBA). Nominations are now open through Friday, November 22, 2024.

Five finalists will be recognized at our annual East Meets West Lunar New Year Luncheon on February 6, 2025, in Little Rock, Arkansas (stay tuned for more event details!). The winner, as well as first and second runner-ups, will receive an awards package that will help boost business visibility and networking opportunities and more.

Eligibility criteria for finalists

  • Nomination: Businesses can nominate themselves or be nominated by another person.
  • Good standing status: Businesses must operate and be registered in Arkansas, as well as be in good standing with the Arkansas Secretary of State. Status can be checked here.
  • 50% Asian-owned: Businesses must be at least 50% owned by an Asian (person having origin or descent from the continent of Asia).
  • Relationship with the AAAB: All eligible businesses with the above criteria, regardless of AAAB membership or not, are invited to submit applications. However, please note that only AAAB members at the small enterprise or large corporation levels will be eligible for consideration as finalists. Be sure to check out our Membership page for more information on how to join!

Areas of judging

Businesses will be asked to illustrate their track record of excellence in the following areas:

  1. Business growth and innovation
  2. Customer satisfaction
  3. Employee relations
  4. Honoring Asian heritage/roots in business
  5. Community impact

About the judging committee

A committee of business owners and professionals from across Arkansas will review applications, select the five finalists, and make recommendations for the winner for the AAAB board of directors’ approval. Our distinguished line-up of judges includes Marie Bruno of North Little Rock, retired Executive Director, Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation/Arkansas Capital Corporation, and Co-Owner, Bruno’s Little Italy; Nhiem Cao of Fayetteville, Founder, C12XL LLC; Esperanza Massana Crane of Little Rock, Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development, Arkansas Economic Development Commission; and Dr. Bao Hoang of Magnolia, Assistant Professor of Management, Southern Arkansas University, and Founder and CEO, SPACE ASEAN.

Q&A

Questions about the Asian-Owned Business Award (AOBA)? Please see below for frequently asked questions or contact [email protected].

1. My business doesn’t have an AAAB membership/I’m not sure if the business I’m nominating has an AAAB membership. Can it still be considered as a finalist in the competition?

All businesses who meet the eligibility criteria above can be nominated for the Asian-Owned Business Award, regardless of AAAB membership or not. However, only businesses with AAAB membership at the small enterprise or large corporation levels will be eligible for consideration as finalists. If you are nominating your business and interested in joining the AAAB as a member, be sure to check out our Membership page for more information!

Not sure if the business you’re nominating is an AAAB member? No worries! As the AAAB reviews nominations, we will confirm membership status and reach out to businesses if they want to join.

2. What do you mean by “Asian-owned”?

At least half (50%) of the business must be owned by an Asian–a person having origin or descent from the continent of Asia. For more information, please see here.

3. Is the Asian-Owned Business Award only open to certain types of businesses or industries?

No–the AAAB welcomes nominations for all businesses, regardless of size and industry. We recognize and celebrate the diverse range of entrepreneurs in Arkansas!

4. Can only brick-and-mortar businesses be nominated for the competition?

No–the competition is not limited to businesses operating in a physical location. We welcome nominations for online businesses as well!

5. What kind of information is needed for the five areas for judging?

The Asian-Owned Business Award will recognize businesses who have demonstrated excellence across a broad range of areas: business innovation and growth, customer satisfaction, employee relations, honoring Asian heritage/roots in business, and community impact. We encourage businesses to illustrate their achievements with a mix of quantitative and qualitative examples. Please provide as many examples as you can–this will help the judging committee better understand your accomplishments!

In the nomination form, we’ve included a few helpful examples for what you can highlight in each category. These are just examples, though, and might not be directly applicable to all businesses.

6. Can I edit responses after my nomination has been submitted?

Yes, nominations can be edited/updated even after they have been submitted. However, please note that any edits must be completed by midnight on November 22.