Announcements and News
ElevAsian Founder/CEO Andy Goldberg received the Edward F. O’Connell Inspirational Service Award from the Chinese Culture Connection at its annual gala.
April 10, 2026
Andrew Goldberg has decades of experience providing entrepreneurship training, mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, and small business ecosystem capacity building to help under-resourced entrepreneurs start, stabilize, and build successful businesses.
Andrew Goldberg 拥有数十年的经验，致力于为资源相对匮乏的创业者提供创业培训、导师辅导、同伴互助学习以及小企业生态系统能力建设支持，帮助他们创办、稳固并发展成功的企业。
February 4, 2026
ElevAsian’s Andy Goldberg selected to join NETI fellowship to support wave of baby-boomer small business owners expected to retire in coming years.
ElevAsian is proud to announce Andy Goldberg, Founder & CEO, has been selected to join the Northeast Transition Initiative Fellowship Program, joining business experts from across the region who aim to expand their knowledge of exit planning and employee ownership to support a growing number of small business owners who are nearing retirement age.
Thousands of small business owners across Massachusetts plan to retire in the next few years, and most do not have an exit plan and don’t know who to turn to for help. This gap in knowledge and resources leads to unnecessary business closures that threaten business, job preservation, and growth in our communities.
The NETI Fellowship Program aims to address this crisis by building a skilled and informed network of service providers and community advocates who can support small businesses in exit planning and employee ownership transitions.
Andy Goldberg is one of 25 fellows who are economic and workforce development practitioners in the public sector, nonprofits, and municipal entities across the Northeast.
The NETI Fellowship, whose 3rd cohort kicked off on February 4, is a 9-month-long program that will lead fellows through the basics of exit planning, employee ownership models, and the steps and process to transition existing companies; conduct surveys and research to understand business-owner demographics in their local communities; and more.
“We are very proud of our Fellowship’s 3rd cohort,” said Rob Brown, Director of CDI’s Business Ownership Program, and a leader of the Northeast Transition Initiative. “Together this cohort brings decades of experience supporting small businesses and the communities they serve. As business owners age, their needs are changing. We are honored to be able to support our fellows to expand their knowledge and skills to meet those changing needs. Helping business owners plan for their future and expanding awareness and assistance for employee ownership transitions ensures that our communities will stay strong, resilient, and continue to grow for years to come.”
December, 2025
2025 ElevAsian End of Year Annual Appeal
Dear friends,
2025 has been ElevAsian’s most exciting and successful year since its launch in 2021. Milestones included:
6th cohort is 100% larger than the 5th; 20% of applicants were declined
21 applicants for 15 spaces in Lowell pitch contest
All social networking events sold out
20 applications for 12 spaces in next cohort
4th cohort reported increases between 5/24 and 5/25:
8% in number of employees
141% in sales
54% in financing
121% in wealth
Building the small business ecosystem is in ElevAsian’s DNA. We partnered with:
Nectar Community Investments in April to hold an access to capital workshop
Middlesex Community College and ElevAsian Cohort & Mentorship Program alumna Invested, Vested LLC to organize a pitch contest in Lowell in June, which showcased 15 dynamic and inspirational entrepreneurs. The pitch contest included contestants from New York City and Nashville via Zoom.
ElevAsian has ambitious plans in store for 2026, which include the following new ventures:
Ideation-Stage Track: a shorter, accessible format designed for early-stage founders still developing clarity, confidence, and minimum viable product thinking.
ElevAsian Circle: a membership program with monthly founder labs, peer accountability pods, curated mentorship, toolkits, and pitch showcase access.
ElevAsian Showcase: a structured pathway to feature alumni ventures and attract funders.
ElevAsian has also suffered a serious blow with the loss of its largest funder. In a herculean effort to right the ship and lay the foundation for expansion, we have submitted $425,000 in grant applications as of 10/8/25 with a goal to raise $100,000 by 12/31/25.
"ElevAsian plays a critical role in supporting Cambodian American entrepreneurs and providing a pathway for upward economic mobility, fostering innovative and new businesses, and providing AAPI women with
opportunities they may not have had otherwise. In partnership with the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, I have seen the impact of their work firsthand, and am proud to support their work."
— State Representative Vanna Howard, 17th Middlesex District, Lowell & Tewksbury, 1st Cambodian woman elected to a U.S. state legislature
Help us sustain the programming that Rep. Howard and many other people familiar with our work praise. What your donation pays for:
$2,500 — pitch contest cash prize
$1,000 — cohort & mentorship program scholarship
$500 — cater social networking event
$250 — 1 social media ad campaign
Thank you for your generous support.
Best,
Andy Goldberg
May 20, 2025
ElevAsian was honored to attend the QARI 2025 Annual Gala, where our Founder and CEO, Andy Goldberg, was graciously invited as a guest.
Pictured (right to left): Mr. Philip Chong – President & CEO, QARI; Ms. Bo Toun – ElevAsian alumna; Ms. Lorraine Tse – ElevAsian alumna; Mr. Andy Goldberg – Founder & CEO, ElevAsian; Ms. Julie Pagano – President, Quincy Chamber of Commerce; Ms. Lily Hsu – QARI Board Chair; and other distinguished guests.
April 18, 2025
ElevAsian and Nectar Community Investments Launch Finance Matching Pilot Program
ElevAsian and Nectar Community Investments have partnered to launch a new finance matching pilot program designed to expand access to capital for growing small businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
As part of the initiative, eligible companies that meet Nectar’s investment criteria were invited to attend an online information session held on April 18 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The session introduced how the program connects qualified entrepreneurs with potential financing opportunities to support their next stage of growth.
The program is intended for business owners whose financing needs exceed their current capacity for self-funding and who are actively seeking pathways to scale. Participants learned about the structure of the pilot, eligibility requirements, and next steps for consideration.
This collaboration reflects ElevAsian’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the small business ecosystem by increasing access to capital, resources, and strategic financial partnerships for underserved entrepreneurs.
March 18, 2025
Meet ElevAsian’s New Community Engagement Coordinator, Ren Lanzi!
My name is Ren Lanzi, and I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Community Engagement Coordinator at ElevAsian!
I first joined the organization as a graphic designer, working on website content and promotional materials. Over time, as I continued collaborating with Andy and the team, I took on additional responsibilities in social media strategy, event photography, and marketing. This journey has led me to my new role, where I now focus on strengthening ElevAsian’s community connections and helping expand our reach.
A bit about me—I have a background in marketing and graphic design, earning my bachelor’s degree in Marketing with a specialty in Advertising, followed by a master’s in Graphic Design from Boston University. I’m passionate about creativity, community engagement, and supporting Asian entrepreneurs.
I’d love the opportunity to connect and explore ways we can collaborate to further support our communities. Please feel free to reach out anytime—I’d be happy to set up a time to chat!
Looking forward to working together!
December, 2024
2024 ElevAsian End of Year Annual Appeal
Dear Friends,
The end of the year presents a wonderful opportunity to take stock of what has happened in the previous 12 months and plan for the future. 2024 has been an eventful and exciting year for ElevAsian. The new year has been bracketed by 2 exciting milestones.
We received great news that our nonprofit corporate application was approved by the IRS on January 8, 2024.
We have scheduled our first seminar. The Asian Small Business Finance Summit will be held at Suffolk University on December 12, 2024. ElevAsian is organizing this event in partnership with the SBA, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, Asian Business Empowerment Council, Massachusetts Asian Restaurant Association, ACE Next Gen and Indian Society of Worcester. JPMorgan Chase is underwriting the summit and the Boston Business Journal will cover it.
In the spirit of collaboration, we partnered with Boston Little Saigon and VietAID to hold our 5th pitch contest in the heart of the Vietnamese community in Dorchester on May 21.
Contestants competed for the largest kitty ($17,000) of any pitch contest since ElevAsian started organizing pitch contests in January of 2021. We are planning to hold our next pitch contest in Quincy in partnership with local Asian-serving organizations in the first quarter of 2025.
ElevAsian has tapped into a deep need for people, who lack social capital, to feel like they belong to a community of like minded people. Consistent with every networking event, alumni hosted and catered the most recent get-together, which took place on November 19, and alumni from every previous cohort, current cohort participants, mentors, instructors, families, and friends attended. ElevAsian has tapped into a deep need to belong to an affinity network.
We are charting an ambitious course for the new year. We plan to:
Hire a full-time community engagement coordinator, who will become the customer facing ElevAsian point person.
Hold statewide business pitch championship (more prestige, exposure, $$$).
Develop a series of master classes on focus group tested topics of interest to alumni, pitch contestants and our larger small business network.
Develop earned income by licensing curriculum.
Open online course, pitch contests, and all ElevAsian programs and services to all minority and women owned businesses domestically and internationally.
You can shape the evolution of ElevAsian by contributing before year’s end. Your generosity will help ElevAsian secure grants, which depend on the percentage of individual donations as a percentage of the total. Please donate now by clicking here! (add donation link)
On behalf of our board, alumni, partners, and other stakeholders, we wish you the very best New Year!
Best,
Andy Goldberg
ElevAsian Hosts Successful Asian Small Business Finance Summit in Partnership with SBA and ICIC
December 12, 2024
ElevAsian recently hosted the Asian Small Business Finance Summit in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), bringing together entrepreneurs, financial experts, and ecosystem leaders to expand access to capital and financial knowledge for small business owners.
The summit featured a distinguished panel of small business finance experts who shared insights on funding pathways, capital access strategies, and resources available to underserved entrepreneurs. The discussion highlighted practical tools and real-world guidance for business owners navigating growth and financing decisions.
A key highlight of the event was a fireside interview with Gilbert Tsang, CEO of MEM Tea Imports, who shared his entrepreneurial journey and discussed how the SBA 504 loan program helped him anchor and scale his tea business.
The panel was moderated by Vivian Young, Global Head of API Affairs at JPMorgan Chase, who guided a thoughtful conversation on equity, access to capital, and the importance of financial inclusion for AAPI and underserved business communities.
Through events like this, ElevAsian continues to strengthen the small business ecosystem by connecting entrepreneurs with critical resources, expertise, and networks that support long-term business success.
