Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce hosts first community event featuring cornhole, vendors in Deer District

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Dozens gathered Saturday morning, Aug. 23, outside of Fiserv Forum for a first-of-its-kind event led by the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce (HWCC).

Some joined in on the family-friendly 'Cornhole Craze' tournament, while others explored the area and shopped at the local vendor booths set up nearby.

Kristy Vang, the director of operations and finance for the HWCC, said the event was a chance to put what they work to do daily, on a larger community scale.

“We center on the Hmong and AANHPI small business owners, but we do support the underserved communities so African Americans, Black, Latino, and even rural entrepreneurs, and it’s all across the state of Wisconsin," Vang said. “What we strive ourselves toward is business assistance, financial education, and access to capital because that’s really what the businesses need to start, to grow, and sustain themselves.”

And while the cornhole portion of the event was fun, Vang said it was also meant to encourage people of all ages to come and check it out.

"It’s an opportunity for our families to gather, businesses to shine, and for the community to just make connections," Vang said. “Our purpose really is to provide economic environment for the small business owners.”

While this was just the first event, Vang said she's already working on expanding for next year's and she hopes this will become an annual tradition.

“We’ve got about 10-12 vendors here showcasing a lot of different items from food to services," Vang said. ""This was the opportunity we wanted to create for them."