
As of 2019, 13.7% of the United States’ population was foreign-born—but as researcher Peter Vandor noted in Harvard Business Review, immigrants make up approximately 25% of startup founders. Just as emigrating and starting life in a strange country involves taking big risks, so does starting a company—and many immigrants see both paths as equally viable, Vandor found, because of an innate higher tolerance for risk.
In my experience as an immigrant and founder, I can confidently say it takes double the work to get there, but immigrants looking to succeed in the U.S. can still build their American Dream. Instead of hiding your differences or trying to fit in, you can (and should) start embracing your diversity as a strength in business.