Immigrant Startup Founders, What’s Your Story?
Posted on February 3, 2010
Entrepreneurship, the primary engine of our prosperity in the last two decades, is endangered by our immigration policy, which makes it very difficult for some of the brightest and most motivated individuals to stay in our country. The StartupVisa movement is trying to unleash the power of immigrant entrepreneurs to create jobs, wealth and innovation in the United States. We are a group of entrepreneurs, technologists and venture capitalists passionate about creating visa reform that allows immigrant entrepreneurs to contribute to the US economy by starting new companies.
As part of our mission, we are visiting Washington DC to meet with notable congressional representatives to brief them on the proposed StartupVisa legislation. We have received positive feedback from a number of members of Congress and this trip will help us advance the legislative reform process.
You can help! Tell us your story!
We want to use your stories to paint a picture in Congress about the potential impact of this legislation. Have you battled visa issues while starting your company? Tell us about your immigration woes. Maybe you were almost kicked out of the US? Or perhaps your financing rounds were affected adversely due to visa risks. Maybe you lost out on a fair amount of equity? Maybe you were trapped in your home country and your company suffered. Maybe you are just twiddling your thumbs, and limited from creating real value because you cannot start your company today? We know there are many stories and situations behind being an immigrant entrepreneur in the US. Tell us your story! Quantify the loss. Qualify the distress.
We will use these stories make the case for StartupVisa reform on our trip to Washington DC – March 3rd through 6th. If you wish, we can also anonymize personal information to ensure confidentiality.
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More stories directly lead to more potential impact of our movement in Congress.
Round 1 Call for Stories Deadline: Feb 27, 2010, 11 PM
12 RESPONSES TO IMMIGRANT STARTUP FOUNDERS, WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Adrian Scott | February 3, 2010 at 9:57 pm | Reply
My story is that I have left the U.S. and am now creating jobs primarily in other countries. The country I live in now will let me get work permits for any employees I want to bring into the country for my high-tech startup.
-A
founder, Ryze, pioneer in social networking
founding investor, Napster
…Omar Abid | February 25, 2010 at 3:57 am | Reply
Hi Adrian,
Can you tell us “the country” name.
Also what advantages other than the one you cited? and what reasons made you chose to quit the usa?
Franck | February 3, 2010 at 10:20 pm | Reply
My name is Franck, I’m a french entrepreneur struguling to move on the west coast.
My goal is simple : develop the best business, hire local great engineer and local people. I already incorporated the company and I’m joining a team of two great US citizen people, we are already working together, but getting a visa would help me to achieve a better job by not having to travel back every 3 months…
I understand the risk of opening visa, but I stand that hi educated people willing to invest and create jobs in a country is everything but a threat… It’s a chance, I hope we’ll do the same in Europe (I know so many US citizen facing the same issue as me to go to Europe…)
Rgds
Alexander Torrenegra | February 7, 2010 at 4:49 pm | Reply
Thank you for this effort! I will share my story shortly.
- Pingback: More Visas for Startup Founders
U.S. Founder | February 18, 2010 at 1:02 pm | Reply
I don’t understand this. Let’s encourage existing U.S. Citizens to become entrepreneurs and let’s invest in our own smart people. We don’t need more Visas… we need more focus on entrepreneurship in our own learning institutions. We have over 3 million people living here… we have no shortage of intelligent people.
Qingbo Zhu | February 26, 2010 at 6:54 pm | Reply
I think we should do both. In silicon valley, 50% of the founders are immigrants and the average age of the founders is 40. How many years do those immigrants have to wait before they start their company? How many job opportunities would be created if they could have started earlier?
Q | February 25, 2010 at 1:57 am | Reply
I started outsourcing company and offshore jobs. With this new visa I can get green card and offshore at same time. Win win.
positivemarketingorg | February 25, 2010 at 9:09 am | Reply
As an entrepreneur, helping US tech start ups with marketing strategy, PR/AR and online, it is clear that the passion of immigrants is key (two of our client’s founders are from Europe).
You can lose this easily, as you can see from the comments of the UK press on enterprising tech.
http://tinyurl.com/yznekre. Keep up the innovation and selective immigration.Pat | February 27, 2010 at 1:55 pm | Reply
“we have no shortage of intelligent people”
I sincerely hope you are right, U.S. Founder. Looking at the US companies’ ability to compete globally now, I’m afraid you aren’t.
Satya Ganni | March 13, 2010 at 2:51 am | Reply
I have several Good Ideas and Funding from VCs,but unable to launch myself due to visa restrictions… this Visa would be a heaven for Budding Entrepreneurs like me.
Potential Foreign Entrepreneur | April 5, 2010 at 6:32 am | Reply
This is not “either or”! The US needs all smart entrepreneurs that will eventually create jobs in and for the US