Full Name
Susan Allen
Job Title
National President & CEO
Company
US Pan Asian American Chamber of COmmerce EF
Speaker Bio
Susan Au Allen came to the United States from Hong Kong on an invitation from the White House in
recognition of her volunteer work for people with disabilities. She received her Juris Doctor from the
Antioch School of Law and LL.M. in International Law from Georgetown University. During her 17 years
with Paul Shearman Allen & Associates of Washington, DC and Hong Kong, she became nationally
recognized for her work on immigration, international trade and investment.
Upon receiving her law degree in 1984, Susan founded the US Pan Asian American Chamber of
Education Foundation (USPAACC) with a group of business and civic leaders in Washington, DC and
California, to bring the diverse Pan Asian American business and professional people together as one
unified voice in business, commerce and trade. In 2001, she became a nationally known immigration
lawyer after winning two Federal cases for her immigrant business investment clients, took sabbatical
leave from her law practice, and became the full-time USPAACC National President & CEO.
An effective advocate for small businesses in the US Congress, the Executive Branch, corporate
America and the media, Susan achieved a new level of influence when President George H.W. Bush
appointed her to the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States.
Susan has been a frequent guest at the Executive Branch and Congressional forums that address
issues affecting America’s small, minority and women business communities. She plays an important
role in shaping the national agenda on the economy.
Under Susan’s leadership, USPAACC has grown from an acorn to the oak tree it is today. Now the
country’s preeminent, most established, and effective national organization for Pan Asian American
businesses, USPAACC has educated a generation of Asian Americans on minority business
development, later called supplier diversity, and continues to open doors to business opportunities in
Fortune and government contracting for Pan Asian Americans and other minority and diverse
entrepreneurs. Always a firm believer in creating a level playing field, Susan was the first to reach out to
the Hispanic, Black, LGBT, women, and disability business communities to build coalitions toward a
common goal – equal opportunity for all.
Susan serves on the Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity & Digital Empowerment of the Federal Communications Commission, the National Business Inclusion Consortium, the Chamber Leadership Alliance, and the Kennedy Center Community Board. She has served on Pfizer’s Small Business Advisory Council; Diversity Council of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, International Franchise Association and American Red Cross; Diversity Council of Time Warner, Wyndham International, Premier Automotive Group (Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo and Landrover); Board of Directors of the Virginia Small Business Finance Authority; Diversity Boards of AMTRAK and the U.S. Marine Corps; Commissioner of the Minority Business Opportunity Commission of the District of Columbia; and the Board of Trustees of Excelsior College in New York. She has also served on the President’s Council on the 21st Century Workforce Committee on the Future of the Workplace; the Small Business Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. General Services Administration; U.S. Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council; U.S. Small Business Administration National Women’s Business Council; NASA’s Minority Business Resource Advisory Committee; Women Small Business Summits National Advisory Board; and Washington Board of Trade Washington Initiative. Her op-eds appeared in USA Today, The Washington Times, The Baltimore Sun, Asian Week, and Asian Fortune, and she appeared as a commentator on C-Span, CNN, CNBC, ABC, Fox News, The News Hour, To the Contrary, This is America, and The Editor. Susan was named America’s Top Diversity Advocates together with President Clinton, President Carter, and Oprah Winfrey by DiversityBusiness.com, Women Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal; and one of 50 Most Influential Asian Americans by A-Magazine. Among Susan’s awards are the US Department of Commerce Minority Business Advocate of the Year; Women of the Year by Boys Scout of America Washington Council; Urban Wheels Lifetime Achievement Award; Minority Business Hall of Fame; National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers’ Diversity Advocacy Award; NASA Special Recognition Award for Extraordinary Efforts in Promoting Small Business Programs Nationally and Internationally; AT&T Spectrum Award for Advocacy for Minority Business Opportunity; and Skirt in Power Award from the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Susan writes and speaks fluent Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin). Married with two sons, she lives in McLean, Virginia.
recognition of her volunteer work for people with disabilities. She received her Juris Doctor from the
Antioch School of Law and LL.M. in International Law from Georgetown University. During her 17 years
with Paul Shearman Allen & Associates of Washington, DC and Hong Kong, she became nationally
recognized for her work on immigration, international trade and investment.
Upon receiving her law degree in 1984, Susan founded the US Pan Asian American Chamber of
Education Foundation (USPAACC) with a group of business and civic leaders in Washington, DC and
California, to bring the diverse Pan Asian American business and professional people together as one
unified voice in business, commerce and trade. In 2001, she became a nationally known immigration
lawyer after winning two Federal cases for her immigrant business investment clients, took sabbatical
leave from her law practice, and became the full-time USPAACC National President & CEO.
An effective advocate for small businesses in the US Congress, the Executive Branch, corporate
America and the media, Susan achieved a new level of influence when President George H.W. Bush
appointed her to the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States.
Susan has been a frequent guest at the Executive Branch and Congressional forums that address
issues affecting America’s small, minority and women business communities. She plays an important
role in shaping the national agenda on the economy.
Under Susan’s leadership, USPAACC has grown from an acorn to the oak tree it is today. Now the
country’s preeminent, most established, and effective national organization for Pan Asian American
businesses, USPAACC has educated a generation of Asian Americans on minority business
development, later called supplier diversity, and continues to open doors to business opportunities in
Fortune and government contracting for Pan Asian Americans and other minority and diverse
entrepreneurs. Always a firm believer in creating a level playing field, Susan was the first to reach out to
the Hispanic, Black, LGBT, women, and disability business communities to build coalitions toward a
common goal – equal opportunity for all.
Susan serves on the Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity & Digital Empowerment of the Federal Communications Commission, the National Business Inclusion Consortium, the Chamber Leadership Alliance, and the Kennedy Center Community Board. She has served on Pfizer’s Small Business Advisory Council; Diversity Council of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, International Franchise Association and American Red Cross; Diversity Council of Time Warner, Wyndham International, Premier Automotive Group (Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo and Landrover); Board of Directors of the Virginia Small Business Finance Authority; Diversity Boards of AMTRAK and the U.S. Marine Corps; Commissioner of the Minority Business Opportunity Commission of the District of Columbia; and the Board of Trustees of Excelsior College in New York. She has also served on the President’s Council on the 21st Century Workforce Committee on the Future of the Workplace; the Small Business Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. General Services Administration; U.S. Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council; U.S. Small Business Administration National Women’s Business Council; NASA’s Minority Business Resource Advisory Committee; Women Small Business Summits National Advisory Board; and Washington Board of Trade Washington Initiative. Her op-eds appeared in USA Today, The Washington Times, The Baltimore Sun, Asian Week, and Asian Fortune, and she appeared as a commentator on C-Span, CNN, CNBC, ABC, Fox News, The News Hour, To the Contrary, This is America, and The Editor. Susan was named America’s Top Diversity Advocates together with President Clinton, President Carter, and Oprah Winfrey by DiversityBusiness.com, Women Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal; and one of 50 Most Influential Asian Americans by A-Magazine. Among Susan’s awards are the US Department of Commerce Minority Business Advocate of the Year; Women of the Year by Boys Scout of America Washington Council; Urban Wheels Lifetime Achievement Award; Minority Business Hall of Fame; National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers’ Diversity Advocacy Award; NASA Special Recognition Award for Extraordinary Efforts in Promoting Small Business Programs Nationally and Internationally; AT&T Spectrum Award for Advocacy for Minority Business Opportunity; and Skirt in Power Award from the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Susan writes and speaks fluent Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin). Married with two sons, she lives in McLean, Virginia.
