Megan Nakano is the Executive Director and a founding member of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois. Megan has over twenty years of experience developing strategic partnerships between the public, private, and non-profit sectors.  Drawing from her network, she connects corporations and government agencies with Asian American and other minority communities throughout the Chicagoland area. Megan identifies the shared goals between organizations and develops collaborative programing and communications that reflect their core values.

Megan served as Director of the Asian American Alliance Small Business Development Center providing pro bono consulting services to minority entrepreneurs.  Having packaged SBA guaranteed loans in this capacity, Megan next transitioned into community banking.  She served as a commercial lender and the CRA Officer for an Asian-owned bank.  In this role, she partnered with other banks and community organizations to deliver financial education and other support to the underbanked and ensure fair lending practices.

Megan returned to non-profit work as Director of Marketing at the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council (ChicagoMSDC) and a consultant to its Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center. In this role, she counseled Fortune 500 corporate members to help grow and promote their supplier diversity programs through personal introductions to certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), customized match-making events, and targeted communications.  She reimagined and published the quarterly ChicagoMSDC magazine, highlighting best practices in supplier diversity and MBE success stories.

Civically, Megan has served on non-profit boards including the Chicago Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) where she is Treasurer and served as President for 10 years.  Founded in 1929, the JACL is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States.  Megan is President of the Asian American Coalition of Chicago (AACC), an organization representing 16+ Asian American communities in the Chicagoland area promoting civic participation and community service. Megan also sits on the board of directors for Heiwa Terrace, a 200-unit facility providing affordable housing and culturally competent services for seniors and people with disabilities. In 2023, Governor J.B. Pritzker appointed Megan to the Illinois Commission on Equity & Inclusion’s Business Enterprise Council for Minorities, Females and Persons with Disabilities.

Born and raised in Chicago, Megan attended Francis W. Parker School for 14 years. From there, she attended Barnard College and later went on to earn a BA in Political Science from Northwestern University.

With long standing ties to Chicago’s diverse communities, Megan is excited to help companies be better corporate citizens while bringing needed resources to underserved communities and safeguarding their interests through collaborative planning and programming. Contact megan@AACCIL.org to connect.

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