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On September 14, 2006, the DC Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (OAPIA) hosted a successful Business Forum targeted to entrepreneurs and small business owners from the Asian and Pacific Islander community. Entrepreneurs and small business owners from six different ethnic backgrounds attended the Business Conference at the National Building Museum in which, at one point, the conference suite was packed to capacity with standing room only.  The Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs made simultaneous translation service in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese languages available to attendees with limited English proficiency.  Many attendees raved about the usefulness of the forum and the opportunity to network with other members of the business community.

The goal of the Business Forum was to give small entrepreneurs the tools they need to start a business in the District and for existing small businesses to expand and develop.  The Business Forum featured panel speakers from the DC Deputy Mayor's Office on Economic Development, DC and federal government agencies, and local business leaders. Support for the Business Forum was made possible by the Washington DC Economic Partnership, Enhanced Business Information Center, the Korean American Business Association, Bank of America, and BB&T Bank.

            The Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (OAPIA) and the DC Office of Personnel (DCOP), in collaboration with Asian Fortune, JoongangUSA, KoreaTimes, Manila Mail, Pho Nho Weekly Newspaper, Vietnamese American Television and the District of Columbia Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority hosted a DiverseCITY Job Fair: Promoting Career Opportunities For Asians And Pacific Islanders on Friday, September 8, 2006, to bring together bilingual job seekers and those with Limited English Proficiency with public and private sector employers.

The job fair is part of OAPIA's continued efforts to ensure service delivery for Limited English Proficiency residents in the District and qualified bilingual professionals. It attracted more than 100 agencies from the District of Columbia and federal government, nonprofit organizations and for profit companies.