Bridging Culture Worldwide Boosts American Samoa Critical Mineral Development with Expanded Investor Advisory

GOLDEN, CO, March 29, 2026 – Bridging Culture Worldwide LLC. (BCW), a prominent Korea-US business intelligence and advisory firm, today announced the significant expansion of its investor advisory practice to support the American Samoa Economic Development Council (ASEDC). This strategic engagement aims to unlock American Samoa's extraordinary potential as a crucial supplier of deep-sea offshore critical mineral resources, establishing a vital non-China solution for global supply chains.

This initiative builds upon a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between ASEDC and Critical Mineral Ventures, where BCW Founder & CEO Don Southerton has been instrumental in developing American Samoa's vast mineral assets. The effort directly aligns with U.S. executive actions focused on critical mineral supply chain security, fostering domestic and allied-nation sourcing, and accelerating the development of U.S. offshore mineral assets. American Samoa's deep-sea polymetallic nodule deposits are estimated to contain 10 billion tons of high-grade ore, offering significant strategic reserves of nickel, cobalt, manganese, and copper.

“The mission remains steadfast: helping American Samoa realize its potential as a strategic supplier of battery-grade critical minerals,” stated Don Southerton. “Bringing this work under BCW’s investor advisory umbrella provides ASEDC direct access to the extensive Korea and broader Asia investor and strategic partner networks we have cultivated over many years.” John Wasko, ASEDC Executive Director, welcomed the expanded relationship, emphasizing that BCW’s full investor network represents a meaningful step forward in this critical development.