| Article#1: SAI Named One of Washington Technology's Fast
50--February 2000 Article#2: Asian American Entrepreneurs Open Up
Opportunities in New Technologies. March 2000
Article#3: Systems Applications, Inc. Appoints New Chief
Executive Officer-- July 2000
Asian American
Entrepreneurs Open Up
Opportunities in New
Technologies.
[By Asian Fortune]
Northern Virginia
-- Asian American entrepreneurs in the
nation's capital area are gearing up to make full use of their location and existing
resources in their bid to grow and prosper their companies in the new technologies
that are rapidly changing the economy and way of life.
Moving strongly into the information
and knowledge technologies, Asian Americans are also the fast rising stars of the Silicon
Valley East blossoming in the Greater Washington DC area, more specifically in the suburbs
of Northern Virginia and the Gaithersburg-Rockville area of Maryland.
A Prestigious powerhouse of Asian American info tech entrepreneurs,
meeting last February 29th at the tower Club in Vienna, VA caught the praise of
Mark Warner, managing director of Columbia Capital, considered the largest high tech
venture capital fund in the Mid-Atlantic region.
The co-founder of Nextel and a 1996 Virginia candidate for the US
Senate challenged the Asian American business community during their seminar to carve for
themselves a piece of the opportunity pie in the new high tech economy of the nation's
capital area.
The seminar was organized by The
Greater Washington Monte Jade Science ant Technology Association ( www.mj-dc.org ), an energetic builder of technology and business
bridges between American and overseas. business groups, venture capitalists and bankers as
well as high start-ups and brick-and-mortar companies.
"Asian Americans need to take more risk and work
together," Charles C. Chen told Asian Fortune in a virtual interview. The world is
changing. No one can do it all by himself or herself. Asian Americans must have higher
goals and a higher vision. Remember, your competitors are not just someone who looks like
you.
Charles Chen leads the Greater Washington Monte Jade Chapter and is the president
and CEO of Systems Applications, Inc. (a Northern Virginia info-tech company specializing
in computer software applications development and database design).
He does what he preaches. he started SAI in May 1987 with a
vision to help businesses a achieve success, a goal driven by the company motto Striving
for Excellence. In nine years, with 64% of its clients based in the telecommunications
industry, SAI was recognized in the Fast 500 with a regional technology award. the
recognition became a yearly regional and national award in 1996, 1997 and 1998. In 1999, SAI won
pride of place among the fastest growing and most dynamic companies in the United States, according to Deloitte & Touche,
giver of the Fast 500 awards.
The Virginia Chamber of commerce selected SAI as one of the states Fantastic 50. companies
in 1998 and 2999. In 19997, Charles Chen founded information technology Advanced training
Corp. in Voienna, Virginia to provide comprehensive training tracks on Microsoft, Oracle
and Internet-based applications. The training center was founded on Mr. Chen's vision of
developing IT professionals to fill the growing need for technical expertise.
INFORMATIONAL
EXCHANGES
Monte Jade, at community level,
organizes informational exchanges like seminars and outreaches to Asian American and other
ethnic groups in an effort to reduce the knowledge divide in the info-tech industry. Last
fall, the local chapter held its annual conference along the theme "New Technologies
for the New Millennium."
It was the capital area's major
Asian American business conference on the high tech revolution, broadband communications
and the "continual blossoming," of the Internet. The fall conference was
designed "to help members prepare themselves to take advantage of these new
opportunities and the benefits that new technologies bring," said Jerry Hung, chair
of the Monte Jade National annual conference 1999.
The location of Asian American
info-tech businesses in the Washington area is seen as a major ingredient to
success. "The Washington metropolitan area is a major center for biotech,
information technologies and telecommunications," noted Mr. Hung. "Our
members represent the core of these industries so as an association we hope we can all
benefit from shared experiences and visions of the future."
The "take-off of new
technologies from our own backyard," added Mr. Chen, should have a beneficial impact
for businesses based in the area and for people living in the nation. s capital domain.
"The rapid growth of the
internet and telecommunications companies such as American Online, UUNet and MCI WorldCom.
Have boosted the local economy and revolutionized the way we live. This area now had the
most Internet traffic in the world and is one of the fastest new technology growth areas
in the nation," he said.
The accomplishment of the
Internet in the last. Five years dwarfs what took the telephone in 70 years or the radio
in 40 years and television in 15 years to accomplish: connecting millions of people.
"Never before have we seen
such a rapid acceptance in technology," he noted. "Never before have we
seen such a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to reach their dreams and goals."
IT'S EXPANDING
FRONTIER
Bringing other Asian American
businesses into the forefront of this expanding frontier is a desired goal of Monte Jade,
Mr. Chen said "Can the Internet unite Asian Americans at the edge of this new
technology field at the beginning of the 21 st century?"
No, said Mr. Chen:
"the Internet itself will not unite Asian Americans. The Internet is just a tool to
make communication easier. To unite Asian Americans, we have to change our concept and
open ourselves to others like us."
The Asian "hard work"
ethic, he added, is only one of the important elements that will drive one to success in
any endeavor. "Having a dream, a vision, high goals and having the tenacity to
perceive failures as the springboard to success are also very important elements to reach
the ultimate success in life."
Exemplifying the goals of Monte
jade, Charles Chen's company has helped the greater community by opening doors to
info-tech training and info-tech placements with consulting companies as well as his own
SAI.
"I have been able to help
many people to change their lives and dreams," he said. "people used to work in
restaurants, they were taxi cab drivers with dreams of getting into the IT industry. They
were able to enroll in IT training programs and change their careers. It is a great
feeling to see many of my employees able to raise families and buy house, able to reach
the American dream."
A seasoned and accomplished high
tech executive, Charles Chen has been serving George Mason University Minority Advisory
Board for the last four years to raise scholarship funds for minority students. In the
Monte jade Board for the last two years he has been helping to help bring Chinese and
Asian technology professionals and businesses into the mainstream.
GIVING BACK TO
COMMUNITY
"It is great joy to pay back the
community," he said.
The Monte jade February seminar
is also part of the newly created "Chinese American CEO/CXO Forum," which is a
vehicle to bring together technology companies and local community businesses needing
support.
Co-hosts of the seminar were the Chinese American
Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, the
Taiwan Benevolent Association of Greater Washington DC, the Chinese American professionals
Association of metropolitan Washington DC and the Washington Chinese Transportation
Association.
Mainstream corporations such as Merrill
Lynch have thrown their sponsorship support to Monte Jade's educational seminars. Asian
American IT groups in the area have also joined in push the bridge-building goals in info
technology, biotechnology, space sciences, engineering, telecommunications, environmental
sciences and engineering as well as business development.
The group communicates and assists its
members through monthly seminars, quarterly newsletters, networking events, workshops and
trade fairs on topics critical and relevant to business growth and management.
Since its founding in 1991 by a
group of Chinese American professionals and corporations, it has enjoyed . popular support
and respect. from local Chinese American and Asian communities, the Washington official
establishment and private and diplomatic sectors. It has chapters throughout the United
States and Europe and has a vast array of Chinese American technical professionals and
businessmen as members and resources.
Monte Jade has currently 210
individual members and 40 corporation members. The association provides its members with
insights into starting their own businesses improve management of their existing companies
and help in conducting business in the ever-growing international marketplace.
For more information on either Monte Jade or
SAI, please visit their respective websites or e-mail queries to Charles Chen at his
e-mail address-
info@sai-us.com
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