Simply Mithai Brings Indian Sweets To A New Generation: AAPI Businesses Shaping America | Forbes

Americans of Asian ancestry have been part of the story of the United States for over a century. Despite a long history of setbacks ranging from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to the more recent wave of COVID-19 related hatred and violent attacks, AAPI communities represent one of the fastest-growing demographics in the country.

For many AAPI families, the ability to survive, prosper and build a better life for future generations has been through entrepreneurship - everything from owning a small business to building a national household name.

Simply Mithai is a Chicago-based sweets company founded by Ambreen Ahmed and Liakhat Nishath. Together, this mother-daughter team is combining eastern and western cultures to bring a traditional celebratory treat of mithai to the United States. Ambreen says her mother's culinary background and her father's sacrifices inspired her to follow her dreams as a baker.

In this four-part series, we talked to family-owned and operated businesses where both the elder and newer generations are hard at work, to find out how they started and what the American Dream means to them.

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