Chiling Tong

Chiling Tong is an Asian Pacific American activist, business advocate, and public official whose career spans the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Tong serves as president and CEO of the National Asian & Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE), representing the interests of nearly 3 million Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) small business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide. National ACE collaborates with more than 130 affiliate AAPI chambers and partner organizations across the United States to advocate for AAPI and all small businesses, enhance capacity building, and foster the next generation of entrepreneurs and executives.

Tong's path to national leadership includes decades of public service. She served as deputy assistant secretary of the International Trade Administration and later as chief of staff for the Minority Business Development Agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she supported minority enterprises and small disadvantaged businesses in obtaining contracts and loans. Earlier in her career, Tong was director of California's Office of Trade and Investment in Taipei, Taiwan, and served as assistant secretary for international trade in the California Trade and Commerce Agency. She has also worked for the California State Senate Minority Leader's Office as chief Asian American affairs advisor and was a television anchor and reporter for China TV, a Los Angeles-based international television station.

Tong's bipartisan influence at the highest levels of government is a hallmark of her career. She was appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by both President Donald Trump and President George W. Bush. In the Obama administration, Tong served as a member of the National Advisory Council on Minority Business Enterprises. She has also served as a member of the Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, director of the Congressional Awards for young leaders, a member of the Census Bureau National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations, and a member of the Small Business Administration's Council on Underserved Communities. In recognition of her contributions to minority business development, Tong was named Advocate of the Year by the U.S. Department of Commerce and honored at the White House.

Beyond her government and advocacy work, Tong is the founding president of the International Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes civic awareness and public service among AAPI college students. She has built a nationwide network of chapters consisting of entrepreneurs and community leaders to advance civic awareness, public service, and economic effectiveness within the AAPI community. Tong was also an Ash Center research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. She was appointed as one of eight commissioners to examine the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, funding, and operating a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., possibly as part of the Smithsonian Institution.

Tong's voice continues to resonate on the national stage as an advocate for small business and economic equity. As National ACE president and CEO, Tong has joined national leaders in business, technology, and public policy at the Aspen Ideas Festival to discuss entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic mobility in the American economy. In response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AAPI small businesses, Tong formed a business recovery and resiliency initiative through National ACE, helping AAPI entrepreneurs navigate challenging economic periods. Her cross-sector experience and dedication to empowering underrepresented business communities position her as an authoritative voice on entrepreneurship, economic development, and public policy.