Owner La Keomanivong (in red) poses with her team at La Kitchen during an Access Plus Capital news conference on Jan. 30, 2026. Photo by Frank Lopez

A first-of-its-kind study launched Friday aims to ensure Southeast Asian entrepreneurs in Fresno County are seen and counted in funding and policy decisions.

The Southeast Asian Business Study was announced at a morning news conference at La Kitchen, a Lao and Thai restaurant that opened five years ago in Southeast Fresno at 6105 E. Kings Canyon Road.

Led by Access Plus Capital through its SCALE Fresno program, the study uses a community-centered research model to gather data through online surveys translated into multiple languages for business owners.

Fresno County is home to one of California’s largest Southeast Asian populations, including approximately 37,291 Hmong residents, 20,182 Filipino residents and growing Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and Burmese/Myanmar communities. Yet many Southeast Asian businesses remain undercounted in traditional data systems, limiting their access to capital and culturally responsive business support, said Access Plus Capital officials.

“This study is an important step to making that vision real,” said Tate Hill, president and CEO of Access Plus Capital. “The study is designed to surface gaps between visibility and access. When businesses are aggregated, misclassified, or missing from the data, they are also missing from capital flows, program design, and policy solutions.”

Hill said these issues stem from systemic problems, not a lack of entrepreneurship. The study is not the endpoint but a call to action, he added.

The online survey is currently being finalized and will be sent out in approximately three weeks. The study findings will be published after the after completed in June. 

The project explores metrics including historical barriers to conventional lending, the impact of cultural industry specializations and the accessibility of technical assistance. Organizers aim to create a roadmap for tailored business coaching and flexible financing.

The event was attended by Fresno Councilmember Brandon Vang, Hill, The Fresno Center President Pao Yang and Toulu Thao, president and CEO of Hmong Inc.

Thao said Southeast Asian communities come from a culture of trading goods, food and labor, which doesn’t always align with U.S. work regulations and policy. The trade of labor is common in Southeast Asia, with children and family friends helping on farms and in restaurants.

“This study takes into consideration how we can work on a positive side and make sure we do not violate law but also use the cultural assets,” Thao said.

Anusone Keochai, treasurer of the Laotian American Community of Fresno, said Southeast Asian entrepreneurs contribute significantly to the community — from restaurants to markets, trucking companies and professional services — but face limited access to capital, language barriers and often don’t know where to turn for technical support.

“Being counted means being seen. It means our stories and struggles and our successes are finally reflected in data that drives decision making,” Keochai said. “We strongly encourage all Southeast Asian business owners to participate in this study.”

La Kitchen is owned by La Keomanivong, her husband Brian Keomanivong and Paul Tean. 

“La Kitchen is not just a restaurant to us, it’s a place where culture, family, and community come together,” Brian Keomanivong said. “Hosting this event here is special—thank you all for supporting small businesses and believing in the power of our community.”

The study was first announced during the Fresno Hmong New Year Celebration on December 26, 2025. Friday’s event marked the formal launch of data collection efforts.

The findings are expected to serve as a cornerstone for regional efforts to increase local small business ownership by 30% by the end of the decade—a goal set by SCALE Fresno, an initiative launched in May 2025 with $1 million in funding from the James Irvine Foundation.

SCALE Fresno brings together more than 20 community and business-serving partners to support small business growth through access to capital, capacity building and community connection. Key partners in the Southeast Asian Business Study include The Fresno Center, Hmong Inc., the Laotian-American Community of Fresno, United Khmer Cultural Preservation and the Asian Business Incubator & Resource Center.