One of the oldest ethnic Chambers in Wisconsin, the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce started to get the government’s attention.
“The reason it started up 20-plus years ago was we were a neglected community that the government overlooked,” says marketing manager Jim Lee. “(Hmong business owners said), ‘Let’s build equity and come together.’ And that’s when the state said, ‘Okay, maybe we should look into these guys.’”
The HWCC has grown considerably since then, especially in the last few years.
“I got to see all the transitions and to see us go from a small team of three with a small budget to now a multi million dollar budget and a much bigger team,” says Lee, who joined the Chamber staff eight years ago. “It has been really interesting for me to see how our hard work has impacted the community.”
Part of that growth has been a rapid buildup of statewide presence. Though the Chamber has always been statewide in scope, its headquarters has always been in Milwaukee. In recent years, though, it’s opened offices in Waukesha, Eau Claire, Appleton and Green Bay, and will soon have boots on the ground in Madison.
The growth of the Chamber has mirrored the growth of the Hmong population – and wealth within that population.
“When our people came here 40-plus years ago, they were all just kind the typical immigrant refugee status,” Lee says. “And as a generation changes, (there are) more opportunities, more education. Now we have millionaires who are Hmong. It’s really cool to see how a population really grows over 50 years.”
The HWCC provides technical assistance as well as capital.
“If anyone ever has any that need help with, for example, marketing or financials, they can come to us, schedule a meeting,” Lee says of the Chamber’s technical assistance. “We don’t do the work for them. We give them the guidance from experience and also provide resources.”
The Chamber also offers small business loans in amounts from $1,000 to $300,000 as a Community Development Financial Institution.
“We take on higher risk clients, because these are people who normally are turned away by banks,” Lee says. “On top of that, we don’t want them going to loan sharks, where they’re stuck with super-high interest rates. “
Businesses don’t have to be Hmong-owned to seek services or join the HWCC; the organization exists to support any underrepresented communities in their entrepreneurial efforts.
Lee says the HWCC is looking into partnerships with similar organizations in other states with large Hmong populations – namely, Minnesota and California. The idea of a nationwide Hmong chamber has even been bandied about.
“The possibilities are endless,” Lee says. “It could be having these offices throughout the nation. We’re big believers of partnership and collaboration.”
Website: https://hmongchamber.org/
Address: 5423 N 118th Ct, Milwaukee
Phone: (414) 645-8828
