Aurora entrepreneurs from the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community have a new resource heading their way this fall: a free business conference on Saturday, Oct. 17, running from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the APS-Professional Learning and Conference Center at 15771 E. First Ave. The event, called Innovation Unlimited 2026, is being presented by the city and covers everything from digital marketing to how to land contracts with the City of Aurora itself.
According to the City of Aurora, CO
, the conference is a joint production of Aurora's Office of International and Immigrant Affairs and the Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado. Sessions are set to cover starting a business from scratch, accessing capital, digital marketing strategy, and inspiring success stories from AANHPI business owners, alongside a resource fair and networking opportunities. Registration is open at Tinyurl.com/ConferenceOIIA.
The Oct. 17 gathering is part of Aurora's Innovation Unlimited 2026 series this year. The city kicked things off with a Hispanic entrepreneurship conference in January before following up with an African business conference in June, according to AuroraGov.org. The city designs these tailored events specifically to lower barriers to entry for immigrant entrepreneurs, the municipal announcement notes.
A Chamber With Four Decades of Advocacy
The Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado, the conference's co-presenting partner, was founded in February 1984 in Denver as a non-profit dedicated to supporting economic growth for Asian Pacific Islander Desi American businesses, according to the Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado. The organization offers small business technical assistance, networking events, and advocacy across the state, giving it more than 40 years of institutional footing to bring to the partnership.
Pairing that community network with municipal resources brings together the chamber's established business network and the city's technical resources, such as municipal procurement and capital access.
The Office Behind the Series
City leadership began studying Aurora's Office of International and Immigrant Affairs in 2015 and recommended creating it, according to the Denver Gazette. Ricardo Gambetta manages the office; the Gazette reported that he most recently worked in Washington, D.C.
The office's work extends beyond the conference series. On June 25, the office released a report titled “Together We Thrive: Five Years of Progress, A Future in Focus,” according to AuroraGov.org. The office also works on implementation projects related to the city's strategic Immigrant Integration Plan.
Why Aurora Leans Into Diversity Programming
The scale of Aurora's demographic diversity helps explain why the city invests so heavily in this kind of tailored programming. U.S. Census Bureau survey data estimates that one in five Aurora residents were foreign-born. Aurora is among Colorado's most diverse communities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Municipal publications describe the international and linguistic diversity of Aurora's residents and local public school students. This diversity underpins the city's push to foster international trade and small business development across its immigrant communities, the City of Aurora notes.
Building on Past Collaborations
Aurora's international affairs office works on projects reaching local immigrant communities beyond the conference series. The conference adds another regional opportunity for AANHPI businesses and programming.
The venue chosen for October's conference is the APS-Professional Learning and Conference Center, according to Aurora Public Schools. The facility will host the conference. Those interested in attending the Oct. 17 conference can register in advance at Tinyurl.com/ConferenceOIIA.
