Three of AAPGA's board from left to right: Sith Phousirith, Noke Sivilay and Tuan Schneider

It started with a few busy professionals trying to find time to play golf, and it grew into a business network with nearly 50 members...

“We made a commitment to get together at least once or twice a month to play golf, just to enjoy the game,” says Phouvieng “Noke” Sivilay, chairman of the Minneapolis-based Asian American Professionals Golf Association.
And no, these aren’t “professionals” as in golf pros. Rather, the group brings together lawyers, bankers and other business executives who share a passion for the game.

“First it was eight players, then 20, then 24. It kept growing,” Vice Chairman Tuan Richard Schneider recalls.

The informal group has grown to almost 50 since its beginnings a couple of years ago, he says. As the Twin Cities friends and business associates played together, connections formed. Members of the group began to help one another’s careers. A little advice here and an introduction there opened opportunities for the golfing buddies.

“We all know somebody who knows somebody,” Schneider says.

Somebody helped somebody else put together a business plan. Someone else brokered a deal. As golfers have done since the game began, they formed their own good old boys’ network.

“Our goal is to be the leader in networking and business opportunities in the Asian American community,” says Schneider, 31, a marketing executive at a health-insurance firm. “Golf brings us all together and helps us meet and renew contacts and networking opportunities.”

“Not only do we enjoy the game of golf,” says Sivilay, 28, a vice president for Wells Fargo, “But it can be productive too.”
Having realized the power of networking, Sivilay says, the golfers decided to make the group more formal. Early this year, the AAPGA incorporated in Minnesota as a nonprofit organization, with founders Sivilay, Schneider, Sithisack “Noyh” Phousirith, Jeffrey “Gaum” Syvoraphane and Chanpheng “Nou” Phousirith.

The Twin Cities’ Asian American community is diverse, Sivilay says, and so is the AAPGA. It reflects the area’s Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Thai, Vietnamese and South Asian heritage. Many of the members are American-born or, like Schneider, adopted. They range in age from 18 to the mid-50s.

“We welcome everyone,” Sivilay says.

AAPGA members’ skill levels range from duffers to semi-pro Chi Yang. The Laos-born Yang, 39, of Woodbury, Minn., won the 2002 golf tournament held during the Fourth of July Minnesota Hmong Sports Tournament. The Asian American sporting event is organized annually by the Lao Family Community of Minnesota.

The AAPGA is currently seeking sponsors and planning events for 2007, its first full official season. The founders have big plans, including serving as a clearinghouse for other Asian American groups around the country and opening chapters in different states.

“We’re trying to go national,” Sivilay says. “It’s beyond just golfing groups.”

Charity work will be a key part of the AAPGA’s activities. According to its mission statement, the group aims “to connect Asian American professionals with the local community to support local nonprofits.” The AAPGA plans to help the community by raising funds for scholarships and programs through golf outings.

“Golf seems to be the best way to get everyone out and get everyone connected,” Sivilay says. “We all have a passion for golf. We enjoy it, but we can make more of it than just playing the game.”

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