By Dr. Melody Garcia

Dennis Huang serves as Executive Director & CEO of the Asian Business Association of Los Angeles (ABALA), a nonprofit representing over 1,100 Asian-American business owners. He earned a B.S. in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona and an MBA from Claremont Graduate University’s Drucker School. He has served on advisory councils including the California Utility Diversity Council and Nielsen’s Asian Pacific Advisory Council, cementing his reputation as a bridge-builder for the Asian business community.

In the story of Los Angeles’s business community, few names resonate with as much purpose and clarity as Dennis Huang. As the Executive Director and CEO of the Asian Business Association of Los Angeles (ABALA), Huang has dedicated his career to advancing the cause of Asian-American entrepreneurs, transforming advocacy into action and vision into measurable impact.

Huang’s path into leadership was shaped by both personal history and cultural pride. Raised with an appreciation for resilience and hard work, he understood early on the struggles faced by immigrant families and small business owners trying to carve out space in a competitive economy. That understanding became his compass. “I saw firsthand how opportunity could change the course of a family’s future, and I knew I wanted to be a part of making that opportunity accessible,” he reflects.

His early career in hospitality management gave him a deep understanding of service, people, and the mechanics of business. But it was his move into nonprofit leadership at ABALA that allowed him to channel his skills into something larger: building systems that championed inclusion, equity, and economic opportunity for the Asian-American community. When asked about the turning point, Huang recalls challenges that became defining moments: navigating policy landscapes, addressing inequities in access to capital, and amplifying the voices of small businesses that were often overlooked.

Under his leadership, ABALA has grown into a force that does more than advocate, it influences. The organization’s work has spanned from supporting equitable digital sign ordinances in Los Angeles, to forging partnerships with public agencies and corporate supplier diversity programs. These initiatives have not only lifted Asian-American businesses but also positioned them as essential contributors to the region’s economy and culture.

For Huang, leadership is anchored in values. Transparency, service, and community empowerment define his approach. “Leadership is not about titles,” he explains, “it’s about lifting others while setting a standard of integrity and vision.” That philosophy has shaped ABALA’s programming, from mentorship opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs to coalitions that bring diverse voices to the same table.

The challenges remain. Asian-American businesses continue to face systemic barriers limited access to capital, underrepresentation in decision-making spaces, and cultural gaps that affect opportunity. Yet Huang approaches these not as obstacles but as opportunities for innovation. By aligning ABALA’s advocacy with national policy and local engagement, he continues to chip away at these barriers, forging a clearer path for the next generation.

Perhaps most notably, Huang sees legacy not as a personal accolade but as a collective inheritance. “What we build today is for those who follow,” he emphasizes. His hope is that ABALA’s work will leave behind not just stronger businesses, but stronger communities, woven together by resilience and shared purpose.

In the mosaic of Los Angeles’s diverse economy, Dennis Huang stands as both advocate and architect. His leadership is a reminder that true progress comes when vision is matched with action, and when culture and community are elevated to their rightful place in the story of success.