American Lending Center Continues Support For Wide Range Of Entrepreneurs
Welcome back to Develop Your Vision.
I have talked before about how important it is to lend a hand to the next generation of entrepreneurs. I’ve been fortunate to be a successful parallel entrepreneur, and I think it is key to my well-being and happiness to give back, helping others find their own success.
By The Book
In 2024, I published my story in the entrepreneurial world in a book called “Crossing The Swamp.” It wasn’t just a narrative of my experiences – it offered tips for all entrepreneurs and the first-generation immigrant population.
I offer my perspective in the introduction this way:
“I’ve developed a strong passion for helping new entrepreneurs develop and grow their businesses in the earliest stages. Since 2018, I have been building unique partnerships with local governments and academic institutions that teach innovation and entrepreneurship. With the desired end result being to mentor entrepreneurs and link them up with investors, these partnerships focus on encouraging startup communities in various ways.”
In the last decade, I have supported multiple accelerators and incubators where young people learn the skills necessary to launch and maintain a successful business. That has included sponsoring The Bill Gross Prize for Entrepreneurship at Caltech.
Community Fund
One of the ways I and my partner Stella Zhang (who also is Chief Operating Officer at American Lending Center) have tried to help is creation of the Sunstone Community Fund (SCF). That fund, set up as a donor-advised fund, provides sponsorships for events and prize money for student pitch contests.
This fund operates through the National Philanthropic Trust. It was created in 2022 and now accepts donations from the public.
Last year, we teamed up with SCF to support the Bill Gross Business Plan Competition at Caltech in Pasadena. In addition to five-figure prizes for the top three teams, all the 15 teams took home $10,000.
Irvine Dream Run
Last year, we also were able to launch the Irvine Dream Run and First Generation Color Run in connection with Irvine Tech Week in partnership with our sister company, Sunstone Management. It was a great day of exercise and comradery, and raised money for the Community Fund to help support more entrepreneurs.
The run is back this year, and we expect it to grow so much we’ve moved it to the Orange County Great Park. The goal is to see 1,000 runners or more join me on the course near the Great Park Balloon.
You can be one of those runners on April 26, or help by becoming a sponsor. To sign up for the run, click here. To find out about becoming a sponsor, email Emily Wang at emily.wang@usa-rc.com.
Start Them Young
You don’t have to be a college student to be an entrepreneur. Many youngsters get a head start by delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, selling lemonade and more.
One great American tradition is the annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale. Young girls learn the art of the sale by setting up stands and selling a variety of boxed cookies.
For the second year in a row, we have supported Girl Scouts in February by helping set them up each Friday at the Airport Tower, where we have our headquarters. This year, two different troops took a Friday each, and collectively sold 150 boxes. It was a great result – and I’m already looking forward to a box of Thin Mints next year.
Support for entrepreneurs of all ages is one way we hope to Develop Their Vision and realize their American Dream.
John Shen
CEO & co-founder
American Lending Center
About American Lending Center:
American Lending Center Holdings (ALCH) manages 13 EB-5 regional centers sponsoring projects across the continental United States. Since 2009, ALCH has raised EB-5 capital for over 100 projects in 31 states and has been featured on the Inc. 5000 list of “Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America” for five consecutive years (2020–2024). ALCH was also ranked among “America’s Fastest Growing Companies” by Financial Times in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
American Lending Center LLC (ALC), a mission-driven California-regulated lender, is a licensed SBA 7(a) and SSBCI lender. Together, ALCH and ALC have supported the creation or retention of over 140,000 jobs in the U.S. economy, underwriting impactful projects that foster economic growth.
Follow American Lending Center on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Copyright (C) 2025 American Lending Center. All rights reserve