In a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurial success, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce recognized outstanding business leaders at its glittering Jewel of Asia annual event on Wednesday evening.
“This evening, we are honoring individuals, small businesses, and corporations with awards for making a significant impact and contribution to Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia and within global communities,” AACC President Cindy Shao said.
The metro area is home to large Asian communities, she noted.
“Awards Gala specifically highlights the outstanding contributions of the Asian American business community, as well as local businesses dedicated to promoting small business growth efforts that lead to notable success, meaningful partnerships, and impactful collaboration, partnerships, and positive collaboration,” Dr. Shao said.
The gala also featured some of the prominent American Dream achievers, who shared their experiences in making it to the top level in their respective fields.
Sanjeev Bhagowalia, Assistant Commissioner and CIO at U.S Customs & Border Protection, spoke about the work his department does in ensuring the safety and security of Americans.
He praised America as the land of opportunity that provided hope and open field to immigrants to succeed in various fields of life. As an Indian-American immigrant, he said he is also proud of his heritage.
Ranitya Kusumadewi, Trade Attaché at Embassy of Indonesia, spoke about the vast business and investment potential that Indonesia offers to foreign investors.
Anil Sharma, head of the 22nd Century Technologies, spoke about his success story and what led to his achievements as an Indian immigrant. He said his company continues to encourage startups to scale greater success.
The 2025 Elite Titan Award recipients included Sanjeev Bhagowalla, Assistant Commissioner & CIO at U.S Customs & Border Protection, Ambreen Javed, President & CEO of Integrated Management Strategies (IMS), Jill Martin, President and CEO of the University of North America, Manish Malhotra, Founder and Executive Chairman of Unissant, Sheryll Manoj, President of AttainX, Inc., Linh Nguyen, Entrepreneur, Investor, and Business Leader, David T. Nguyen, Founder and CEO of US AI, Kaschit Pandya, Chief Technology Officer and Acting Chief Information Officer at the IRS, Vinh Nguyen, Owner of Westgate Realty, Grace Wang, Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting, Michelle Khalilil Yuhas, Senior Vice President, PNC Bank, and George D. Thomas, President & CEO of Connected DMV.
The chamber recognized Sovon Mookerjee, Vice President, Business Development, Capture, Growth 22nd Century Technologies Inc. with Member of the Year 2025 Award.
Small Business Awards went to ISG and Simon Computing companies.
Dr. Nilima Mehra, Executive Producer and President, Global Television Networks, anchored the proceedings at the celebratory event that brought together some of the leading business leaders of the D.C. metro area.
