By JBizNews Desk
For years, many of America’s ethnic and multicultural chambers of commerce operated independently — often representing massive immigrant, faith-based, and minority business communities but lacking the unified structure and coordinated influence needed to compete politically and economically on a national level.
That changed this week.
Business leaders from nearly 65 multicultural chambers of commerce and advocacy organizations formally launched the Multicultural Business Coalition (MBC), creating what organizers say is one of the largest coordinated alliances of ethnic business leadership groups assembled in the United States in recent years.
The coalition brings together chambers and organizations representing millions of businesses, workers, entrepreneurs, consumers, and community members spanning Hispanic, Asian, Caribbean, African, Middle Eastern, Jewish, South Asian, and immigrant communities, with particularly strong leadership roots across New York and New Jersey and broader national and international business relationships.
The formation of the coalition reflects growing frustration among multicultural business leaders who say their communities often face similar challenges — from access to capital and government contracting to regulatory pressure, discrimination concerns, and lack of coordinated representation — yet historically approached those battles separately.
“Everyone realized we were stronger together than fragmented apart,” said Frank Garcia, newly elected Chairman of the coalition. “Individually, these chambers had influence within their own communities. But collectively, we represent tens of millions of people, enormous economic power, and significant civic influence. That changes the equation.”
Following a formal leadership vote, Garcia was elected Chairman and Kenneth Roldan was named President. Duvi Honig, Co-Founder and CEO of the Wall Street-based Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, was elected Secretary and named Co-Founder of the coalition.
Additional leadership roles included Yenisei Bell, appointed Second Vice Chair and serving as President of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Greater New York Chapter; Anupam Dutta of the Indian International Chamber of Commerce, also appointed as Second Vice Chair; Mark Jaffe of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce overseeing legal affairs; James Kim of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce USA leading international relations efforts; Jairo Guzman, serving as Treasurer and coordinating Mexican-American chamber outreach; Manuel Lebrón, founder of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, serving on the board; and Porras Zambrano, a UN Global Peace Ambassador 2026, joining the coalition leadership.
Garcia credited Honig with helping bring together many of the coalition’s diverse leaders through years of outreach and coalition-building between multinational, multicultural, faith-based, immigrant, and business communities.
“Duvi spent years creating relationships between communities that traditionally did not work together in a coordinated way,” Garcia said. “A lot of the trust and communication that made this possible came from that groundwork.”
Coalition organizers say the alliance is designed not simply as a networking organization, but as a coordinated advocacy platform capable of engaging government agencies, elected officials, and corporate America with significantly greater leverage than individual chambers could achieve independently.
The coalition plans to focus on economic empowerment, supplier diversity, minority business development, international trade opportunities, workforce inclusion, public policy advocacy, and combating discrimination affecting multicultural communities and small businesses.
“Today we represent tens of millions of voices. That is real influence,” Honig said. “This coalition gives us the ability to engage government, shape outcomes, and ensure that every community is heard and protected. Together, we are building a unified force that will not be ignored.”
The effort also reflects a broader political and economic shift underway nationally, where multicultural communities increasingly recognize their combined business and voting power can influence policy discussions at the local, state, and federal levels.
“The Multicutural Business Coalition represents the voices of an underserved community.” said Mark Jaffe of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce. “For years, many of these organizations were advocating on similar issues separately. Bringing them together creates scale, coordination, and a much stronger voice when dealing with government, regulators, and major institutions.”
Jaffe added that the coalition intends to focus heavily on fairness, accountability, and ensuring multicultural communities have stronger representation in economic and policy decisions impacting small businesses and working families.
Kennith Roldan, elected President of the coalition, said the organization is designed to move beyond symbolic unity and into coordinated national action.
“Our communities contribute enormously to the American economy,” Roden said. “This coalition gives us the structure to organize strategically, advocate collectively, and engage nationally in ways that simply did not exist before.”
Coalition leaders also emphasized the alliance’s growing international dimension, particularly through immigrant and diaspora business networks connected to Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean, and Europe.
“The economic reach of these communities extends globally,” said James Kim, who will oversee international relations for the coalition. “Together we can strengthen international business partnerships, trade relationships, and investment opportunities while creating stronger economic growth here in the United States.”
“This coalition represents more than business,” added Porras Zambrano, UN Global Peace Ambassador 2026. “It represents unity, peace, economic empowerment, and the ability for diverse communities to work together with mutual respect.”
Organizations represented at the launch included the Asian American Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Bangladeshi American Chamber of Commerce, Bronx Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ecuadorian International Chamber of Commerce, Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, Greater New York Nepali Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce, Korean American Chamber of Commerce USA, Mexican American Chamber of Commerce of Texas, National Association of Small and Local Chambers of Commerce (NASLCC), National Supermarket Association, New Jersey Veterans Chamber of Commerce, New York State Ecuadorian Chambers of Commerce, Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, Peruvian Chamber of Commerce USA, United Bodegas of America, United States Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (USBCCI), World Wide Association of Small Churches, and numerous additional organizations nationwide.
Organizers described the attendee list as only a partial representation of participating groups and said additional chambers are expected to formally join the coalition in the coming months.
Coalition leaders said the next phase will include national policy forums, economic summits, trade initiatives, and direct engagement with federal, state, and local governments.
“This is only the beginning,” Honig said. “When we stand together, our voice carries real weight. We expect to be heard, and we will ensure accountability where it matters.”
— JBizNews Desk
