Montana State University’s Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship will host a talk with local female entrepreneurs who are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on Thursday, Feb. 3, in Jabs Hall 111 on the MSU campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, will include a meet and greet at 5 p.m., followed by the panel discussion from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Featured panelists are Cecile Heil, co-owner of CC Gourmet, a family-owned food truck that serves authentic Asian-style food; Vivian Hoang, owner of Bella Nails and Spa; I-Ho Pomeroy, owner of I-Ho’s Korean Grill and a Bozeman city commissioner; and Emma Woods, chef and owner of Whistle Pig Korean. MSU associate management professor Virginia Bratton will moderate the panel.

The event, which coincides with the week of the Lunar New Year marking the start of the Chinese lunar calendar, will be held in partnership with the Asian Student Interracial Association (ASIA).

The event is part of the college’s inaugural Year of Celebration, launched last fall by the Jabs Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee, which will include events that aim to be inclusive and represent people of all backgrounds.