An Arkansas Fish in the National Pond
Dear Readers,
My name is Richard Liu. I am a part-time staff member at the AAAB, and a full-time Senior student at the Little Rock Central High School. I’d like to share with you my trip to Washington D.C recently with the Boys Nation program, and what I learned from this trip to prepare for my future professional journey.
Boys Nation is a highly competitive high school program where only two delegates from each state are selected each year to participate in a week-long experience in Washington D.C where they learn about government, service, and patriotism while meeting state representatives on the Capitol Hill. I was extremely honored to be one of the two delegates from Arkansas this summer.
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My first day at Boys Nation, July 23, was emotionally painful. Growing up, I had always felt like I was in the upper echelon of students, but at Boys Nation, I truly learned what it felt like to be in the middle of the pack. Some of the delegates had started their own companies; others had campaigned for big-name politicians such as Andrew Yang. I felt so overwhelmed by other people’s “success” that I stayed very quiet and barely spoke the first day, and felt worse thinking I must have left a bad impression as a result. That night, I wrote to my counselor back home in Little Rock and told him that I felt anxious, outclassed, and isolated from my peers. My counselor responded with something that really impacted me: first impressions do matter, but never give up after a bad one. We often meet people who are more experienced or renowned than us, and it’s often intimidating at first, but remaining confident and comfortable with who we are is important. Following his advice, by the end of the week, I had created genuine bonds and friendships with many of the people that I thought were unapproachable at the beginning of the week.
In the following days, we engaged in various activities, such as learning the value of sacrifice when visiting Arlington National Cemetery and learning the process of politics. Among them, what caused me to reflect the most is the office election process that I participated in for our mock government. I ran for several roles in the course of several days, ranging from committee secretary to party vice president. Although the result was I lost every election, I practiced the belief that there is no such thing as success and failure, only success and learning, I ended up outperforming many of the people who had defeated me in the smaller elections in the far more prestigious and difficult vice president election, making it to the penultimate round of voting.
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The night before the final elections for vice president, I told myself that I would accept the results regardless if I won or lost. I had done many things outside of my comfort zone: I went up to complete strangers and got to know them, I gave a speech in front of fifty people, and I challenged the same delegates who intimidated me on day one. In the end, I finished 3rd in the primary election - instead of feeling depressed that I lost, I was proud of the progress I had made, and I became motivated to do even better in my future endeavors. Giving 100% of my effort to my work not only resulted in 0% regrets, but also an outlook for new growth.
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I returned to Arkansas at the end of the week with a wealth of new perspectives and experiences. At Washington, I had witnessed quiet, unassuming boys rise up to the highest positions of our mock government and some of the most charismatic delegates became loyal supporters who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help their parties win. From this, I realized the importance of “not judging a book by its cover,” and this gave me the grace to not judge harshly the first impression that I think I put out to the world either.
Not every person at Boys Nation was able to win an election, but every single person there contributed immense value to the program and received an experience that will shape their lifetime, one way or another, as a result.
Onward and upward,
Richard Liu
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Richard Liu is the Executive Assistant at the AAAB and a high school senior passionate about finance and international relations. He can be contacted at his email or his Linkedin.
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Member: The Venue NWA
Membership Type: Small Enterprise
The Venue LLC operates an upscale event center in Bentonville, AR. Located on 404 SW Regional Airport Blvd, it is at the heart of the rapidly growing part of Northwest Arkansas. Its excellent location, easy access to highways, plenty of parking space and two different sized ballrooms to choose from makes it a very attractive choice for weddings, meetings and all kind of gatherings.
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The Venue NWA opened its doors in the middle of the pandemic, June 2020. Despite that, they have had a significant number of events over the past year. To continue the momentum, they are planning several open houses during the next few months while encouraging safe distancing and wearing masks.
The Venue NWA is a wonderful example of a cross-cultural business in Arkansas. During its construction, the Venue bought all of their signs, furniture, light fixtures, and many other items directly from manufacturers in China contacted through the Ali Baba platform. "I encourage all Asian immigrants to get involved and start new businesses regardless of their academic and financial situation. In the USA, we have opportunities for all," says the owner, an immigrant from Bangladesh, who wanted to give back to the Arkansan community.
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When asked about the purpose of the business, the owner stated that "After such a long time so enmeshed in this community, I wanted to create a totally new business focused entirely on creating joy for the people around me. Wedding venues are places where lifelong dreams are fulfilled and happy memories are made, and I was (and am!) really excited to stay active in my community by helping bring those experiences to life for the people of Northwest Arkansas."
You can visit the Venue's website here and interact with their Facebook and Instagram.
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Would you like an opportunity to be spotlighted as a member? Contact us or
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Upcoming "AR-Asia Briefing": Tyson Foods, CCPIT, and Arkansas entrepreneur will speak
The AAAB will be hosting the Q3 "Arkansas-Asia Briefing" event at 8 am CT, Thursday, September 16th. Three speakers have confirmed to join. Tyson Foods VP in the International Business Unit, Brock White, will speak on the Fortune 80 company's global M&A strategies with an focus on Asia. The general representative in the US office of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Zhenge Zhao, will lead the topic of exploring US-China business prospect in the current time. A Vietnamese-Arkansan entrepreneur, Josh Nguyen, will share his journey of starting a wedding photography business while employed as a social media professional full-time. The event is open to register
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Indian American information scientist to investigate covert online influence - American Bazaar
Indian American information scientist Dr. Nitin Agarwal working at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is part of a Department of Defense-funded international research project to investigate covert online influence. Learn more
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Maryann Xu promoted to Chief People Officer for Walmart China
Exciting news! Recently, Maryann Xu has been promoted to Chief People Officer for Walmart China. According to Maryann's Linkedin, Maryann started her career as an auditor at Ernst and Young in 1999, and worked with various major companies throughout her career including Coca-Cola, L'Oreal, and Fonterra. Walmart executive VP Donna Morris said that she was "looking forward to seeing the positive impact [Maryann] will make on our associates in China!" Connect with Maryann
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Investors in China should beware Beijing’s unpredictability - Financial Times
IPOs often attract investors seeking to cash in on the growing Chinese economy without the bother of holding foreign shares. The structure can also lull the unwary into thinking that investing in China is no different than putting money in developed markets. Learn more
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South Korea becomes first major Asian economy to raise interest rates - BBC
The Bank of Korea increased its base rate of interest from a record low of 0.5% to 0.75%. The move is aimed at helping curb the country's household debt and home prices, which soared in recent months. Learn more
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Vietnam factories rethink 'sleepover' approach to stopping COVID - Nikkei Asia
Thousands of Vietnamese have spent the past month living at work, away from their families. Now some companies are questioning the approach and asking the government for vaccines and "safe zones" where workers can live near plants, and for it to take other measures. Learn more
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Alibaba’s #MeToo scandal is warning for China tech - Reuters
The Alibaba scandal has caught many, including its own employees, by surprise. The company boasts that it pioneered a comprehensive and efficient HR system that sends so-called "generalists" to supervise different business operations, with a strong focus on ensuring staff identify with Alibaba’s values and morals. Learn more
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Why is there a chip shortage? - BBC
Today, millions of products - cars, washing machines, smartphones, and more - rely on computer chips, also known as semiconductors. And right now, there just aren't enough of them to meet industry demand. As a result, many popular products are in short supply. Learn more
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