PLANO, Texas (July 14, 2020) — With the COVID-19 crisis hitting small and medium-sized businesses particularly hard, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) together with its Pan-Asian nonprofit partners, is supporting a variety of initiatives aimed at helping Asian American-Pacific Islander (AAPI) entrepreneurs sustain their companies.

Toyota’s assistance allows nonprofits to disseminate information on government and other resources available to entrepreneurs and aid them in keeping their businesses going until a normal operating environment returns.

“It is crucial to support Asian American/Pacific Islander business owners and ensure they know about the resources available to them and how to access them,” said Al Smith, group vice president and Chief Social Innovation Officer, TMNA. “For this reason, we are committed to supporting resources for the community as for many, this could mean the difference between surviving this crisis or closing their doors permanently.”

The initiatives that Toyota is supporting with its partners include:

• The Asian & Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE)
  • Created a new website, www.ACESmallBusiness.org, to serve as the organization’s COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Resource Hub, providing in-language resources.
  • Hosting regular targeted virtual gatherings through webinars, conference calls, and online community meetings to communicate the most accurate and timely information available from federal, state, and municipal government agencies. Topics include: financial assistance, the prevention of the transmission of COVID-19, and providing resources and services to underserved and disadvantaged AAPI businesses that have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic.

• Ascend Pinnacle
  • Supporting the fourth Annual Asian Corporate Directors Pinnacle Summit Month-Long Virtual Series, attended by 250 corporate directors.
  • Compiling the Ascend COVID-19 Resource Guide tailored to the needs of the Pan-Asian workforce and joining 100+ corporations and partner organizations to sign the Ascend COVID-19 Action Agenda as a supporting company.

• Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS)
  • Developing a landing page with COVID-19-related resources, community updates, and news from corporate partners.
  • Creating weekly teleconferences featuring leading Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
• Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholars (APIA Scholars)
  • Providing 22 APIA Scholars with two-year scholarships to support higher education.
  • Creating a digital welcome package to congratulate and welcome these 22 APIA/Toyota Scholars, connecting them with their new Toyota family.
  • Supporting APIA Scholars’ wraparound services, which include a COVID-19 resource guide and one-on-one support. These services support Scholars through their higher education and early career development.

To further assist Asian American Pacific Islanders during these extraordinary times, Toyota is also working with the Japanese American National Museum, Asian American Journalists Association, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, and the U.S.-Japan Council to support their year-round programs to empower and offer resources to the AAPI community.