- ACEL Northeast Wisconsin looks to increase visibility, support for Asian American and Pacific Islander professionals in Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh and beyond.
- Group will host launch event at Hinterland Brewery from 5-7 p.m. March 9.
ASHWAUBENON – A national group founded to mentor and develop current and future generations of Asian American and Pacific Islander professionals will launch its eighth chapter in Northeast Wisconsin this week.
Asian Corporate Leaders & Entrepreneurs Northeast Wisconsin (ACEL) will introduce its plans, programs and mission during a launch party from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Hinterland Brewery, 1001 Lombardi Ave., near Lambeau Field in Ashwaubenon.
The event, like the group, is open to residents of the New North region, which stretches from Fond du Lac north to Marinette and from Manitowoc to the western edges of the Appleton and Oshkosh metro areas.
Pre-registration online at Eventbrite is required.
Increase belonging, visibility
The Northeast Wisconsin chapter of ACEL’s roots go back to 2020 when AAPI professionals in the region wanted to better support each other, increase their sense of belonging and impact the community.
Northeast Wisconsin’s core counties saw a 35.3% increase in residents who identify as Asian American and Pacific Islander between 2010 and 2020. In Green Bay area public schools, 9% of students identify as AAPI.
Barbara Koldos, the ACEL chapter’s president, pointed to a 2021 Wello well-being survey that showed the region’s non-white residents’ sense of belonging in the Green Bay area lagged behind white residents’ sense of belonging.
Visibility and professional support will help young adults and students of all backgrounds feel they belong, help current AAPI professionals develop and play a part in broader efforts to retain and attract more working-age professionals to Northeast Wisconsin, Koldos said.
“It’s important for us: They need to belong, to be here,” Koldos said. “We need to do…
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