Carol Wei is the founder and president of the Mid-America Asian Culture Association, a nonprofit organization with goals to cultivate interest and attention for Asian cultures and to connect, assist and promote Asian-owned businesses. She has been recently honored with a small business advocacy award and a national recognition for her Asian community leadership. Carol was selected the “2014 Kansas Minority Business Advocate of the Year” by the Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Minority & Woman Business Development. She was chosen for the award based on her dedication to promoting Asian-owned businesses and the Asian business culture in the metro Kansas City area through her organization’s annual festival and other events and activities. Carol recently received a national “2014 Small Business Influencer” recognition in the Leadership category. Carol emigrated from China to America in 2007. In 2014, Carol organized, managed and produced the first MAACA “Asian Cultural Festival.” The festival showcased Asian arts, foods, activities and performances. In 2015, she invited Ambassador of Bangladesh Mohammad Ziauddin to come to Kansas for a meeting with governor Sam Brownback, and to give a speech at the 2015 Asian Cultural Festival. This eventually opened up visa service to Bangladesh in Kansas.