SPARC-ing into 2024: A message from our Co-Presidents

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

Pictured: Friends gather for a group photo at out first community dinner at Han Hot Pot in December 2023.

To our friends and partners, 

When six friends came together in 2021 to talk about how to support our local Asian and Pacific Islander communities, we never imagined that this conversation would one day blossom into the vibrant and intersectional grassroots organization that SPARC is today. 

Wanting to amplify the voices of Asian and Pacific Islander small business owners and celebrate the dynamic cultural contributions of our communities, we had a vision of creating a tool that would allow us to share stories and foster meaningful connections with one another. We realized there was a need for a digital platform to increase access to AANHPI-owned businesses across the U.S. – and so the SPARC Directory was born. This vision has grown over time to include community support through promotion, events, workshops, volunteer opportunities, and creating a community hub for AANHPI business owners.

This year, thanks to the support we received from our friends and partners, and the hard work and passion of our team, we were able to reach some exciting milestones. In particular, we:

  • Welcomed SEVEN wonderful people to our team (including 2 directors & 5 team members) and recently recruited a new Web Designer this January!

  • Recruited FIFTY AANHPI-owned businesses to the SPARC Directory across SEVEN different states

  • Featured FOURTEEN amazing businesses on our social media

  • Participated in numerous conferences and community events

  • Hosted a virtual panel alongside four inspiring AANHPI women about running a digital business (Check out a recording of the event here!)

  • Launched our website, blog, and directory 

  • Reengineered our mission statement and visual concept

  • Forged meaningful partnerships and connections with so many of you in our community!

In the year ahead, we hope to host many in-person events and workshops for business owners and the community as a whole. We will also soon be releasing an online community for the business owners on our directory to share tips, collaborate, build camaraderie, and grow their support base. Our other big goal is to achieve 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit organization, and fundraise to reach new heights on our mission to uplift Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

Thank you for accompanying us on this journey. Sign up for our mailing list and follow along on @sparctogether to discover ways you can SPARC with us! 

Sincerely,

Jennn & Ed 

Co-Presidents & Co-Founders

SPARC Together