Austin’s Asian Chamber Recognizes Local Leaders and Businesses at the 2025 GAACC Business Awards
The 2025 GAACC Business Awards. Photo by Kelly Zhu
TxDOT CIO Anh Selissen delivers the keynote address at the 2025 GAACC Ovation Gala - November 15th, 2025. Photo by Kelly Zhu.,
2025 GAACC Business Awards Presented at Ovation Gala
AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, November 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC) presented the 2025 GAACC Business Awards to eight area businesses and individuals at the organization’s annual Ovation Gala, held at the Hyatt Regency Austin on November 15th. These prestigious recognitions are awarded annually to Asian-owned, Asian-led, or Asian-oriented businesses, organizations, and individuals who embody forward-looking growth and prosperity among Greater Austin’s Asian and Asian-American communities.
Nominations were submitted by the GAACC community between July 26th and August 19th, 2025, for recognitions presented in the Business Awards’ four established categories, along with the inaugural Hospitality & Culture Award.
For the first time among GAACC Business Awards, the winner of the new Hospitality & Culture Award was selected via a community vote. The voting period ran from October 15th to October 29th, 2025, generating nearly 300 submissions among eight nominees.
The winners of the Community Organization/Leader of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Emerging Business of the Year, and Business of the Year awards were selected by members of the GAACC’s Ovation Gala Planning Committee and Board of Directors.
The winners of the 2024 GAACC Business Awards are:
2025 Community Organization of the Year – Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI)
2025 Entrepreneur of the Year – Cristina Imperial Carl
2025 Hospitality & Culture Award – Joi Conti Photography, LLC / TAYO NA
2025 Emerging Business of the Year – Town Square North West Austin
2025 Business of the Year – Firefly Aerospace
The recipient of the 2025 GAACC Excellence Award is Anh Selissen, Chief Information Officer for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). This award signifies excellence in business, community engagement, and cultural visibility. The winner is selected by the Ovation Gala Planning Committee. Selissen also delivered the Ovation Gala keynote address, speaking about her experiences coming to the United States during childhood as a refugee from the Vietnam War and now leading one of the world’s largest and most complex transportation networks.
AAPI community leader and MagRabbit Founder & CEO Thanh “Tommy” Hodinh was presented with a GAACC Community Impact Award by Board Chair Minh Tran, recognizing Hodinh for his decades of community service and leadership across Central Texas. A second GAACC Community Impact Award was presented to GAACC Past Chair and SOAL Solutions President & CEO Ahmed Moledina in recognition of his years of leadership and service to the GAACC and the wider APPI community in Greater Austin.
The annual GAACC Ovation gala celebrates Asian-Pacific American accomplishments across Central Texas. This year’s Ovation Gala was co-emceed by Jenni Lee and Jessica Cha from KVUE News and included performances by Sangat Singh, Nagavalli, Sway With Pray, ATX KDC Dance Crew, Mahi Dance, and DJ Alireza, For more information about Ovation 2025 – Illuminate The Night, visit www.ovationgala.org.
Erich Pelletier
Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce
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