A wide variety of highly successful immigrant entrepreneurs, small business leaders and aspiring business owners gathered for the first-ever “Immigrant’s Guide to Success in the U.S.” conference in Houston, TX, on June 18. The inaugural event was sponsored by Nissan, who were represented by Houston dealer, Baker Nissan.
The high-energy, all-day event — the first conference dedicated to addressing the needs and concerns of immigrant entrepreneurs in the U.S. — covered critical topics such as raising financing, winning government contracts, opportunities in supplier diversity, and franchising.
The conference also recognized five outstanding Houston immigrant entrepreneurs with Immpreneur Awards:
Bin Yu, President & CEO – Utegration, Inc.
Domingo Medina, Owner, Principal – D G Medina Construction
Maria Rios, President & CEO – NationWaste
Anthony Yeremian, Vice President – Jarvis Software LLC
Philippa Kibugu-Decuir, Founder of the Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa
“I found the conference to be the best resource available for immigrant entrepreneurs EVER !!!! It is my wish that you will continue with future conferences bring value and unlimited opportunities to these valuable new business owners.”— Bruce Walker, President, Walker Investments and Spas International, Inc.
“This incredible gathering of immigrants — both established success stories and aspiring entrepreneurs — shows what a dynamic, vibrant and growing community we have,” said Foulis Peacock, founder of Immigrant Business. “Immigrant entrepreneurs play a crucial role in building the U.S. economy, creating jobs and strengthening our communities, and this conference can help build on that strength, and help anyone with a dream to learn how to create a successful business in the U.S.”
Peacock gave special mention to the conference’s sponsor, Nissan Commercial Vehicles. “This conference wouldn’t have been possible without Nissan’s sponsorship. It’s (Nissan) a great company with a real commitment to support and enable immigrant businesses to succeed in this country. Too often we come across companies that say they support small businesses, but many times it’s just window dressing. With Nissan it’s real, they walk the talk. Baker Nissan sent seven people to the conference. These guys gave up their Saturday to be here and support the Houston immigrant business community. That’s outstanding!”
Kudos for Nissan – Excellent sponsor, especially Baker Nissan, supporting a great cause. I will go that extra mile to work with Baker Nissan for supporting Immigrant business and encourage other immigrants to do the same. — Tapan Adhikar, Entrepreneur
“I urge all the attendees and our readers to support and do business with companies like Nissan,“added Peacock. “We as a community of immigrants need to be supporting the companies that support us.”
The conference featured four forums that offered practical, real-world steps and solutions on the most essential elements for an immigrant starting and growing a business in the US.
“One of most exciting things was being able to start the process of initiating loans right there, at the conference, with some of our attendees,” said David Smith, editor of Immigrant Business magazine and leader of the “How to Raise Financing” conference forum. “All the business leaders and speakers shared a real commitment to helping businesses get started.”
The event was thoughtfully and very well organized, Congratulations! [I am] looking forward to see you guys next year.” — Ravi Patil, Owner, Lsl Properties LLC
“The audience was highly engaged, and knowledgeable because they asked very specific questions, which was very gratifying to see,” added Smith. “Attendees really gained a lot of knowledge that they can now implement in the real business world. There are tremendous resources out there, but the harder part is connecting people to them, and our forum’s aim is to bridge that divide.”
For instance the participants on the Financing Your Business panel gave attendees a valuable roadmap to the world of business funding. They learned that no matter where you are in the process of starting a business, there’s a way to get started, from micro-lending to government back SBA loans to community development programs such as Houston Business Development.
The session was met with such enthusiasm that Jennifer Dale of Lift Fund, formerly known as Accion, which provides microloans for those with relatively little credit or experience, actually began the loan process for four potential new business ventures right after her session.
Attendees of the conference were able to take away many common-sense jewels of wisdom from the speakers and panelists. Local businessman Domingo Medina’s story was one of multiple failures before he became a big success with DG Medina Construction in Houston. His secret was to never give up and to take advantage of the many programs and opportunities that Houston offers minority businessmen, such as contracts at the Port of Houston and the Highway Department. Medina proved like many immigrant businessmen before him that winning a government contract can put your business on the map.
Another notable speaker was Cynthia Mora of FranNet who gave attendees valuable insight into how to succeed with franchise businesses, which offer immigrants access to American business success for those with relatively little business experience and at relatively low cost. A key indicator of potential success, according to Mora, is matching one’s personal skills and personality traits to the business before making an investment — a service that outfits such as FranNet now offer.
All of the speakers and business leaders who attended the conference will continue to provide support and feedback going forward. “The bottom line is, there are a lot of resources out there for immigrant entrepreneurs, and we’re excited to make the connections and help in any way that we can,” said Smith.
“The conference was great and there was a lot of valuable information.” — Anand Sharma, On/Off Shore Technology
Business leaders and speakers who participated in the conference included:
Terence O’Neill, City of Houston Office of International Communities & Refugee Affairs
Anurag Jain, CEO & Founder – Prepay Nation
Marlon Mitchell – President, Houston Business Development Inc.
Bruce Hurta – VP Business Lending, Members Choice Credit Union Small Business
Lending
Jennifer Dale-Flores – Lift Funds
Priscilla Burroughs – Port Authority of Houston
Rhonda Arnold – Chief Municipal & Community Affairs Officer – Houston Airport System
Bob Warren – University of Houston Procurement – Procurement Technical Assistant
Center
Domingo Medina, Owner, Principal – D G Medina Construction
Jewel Smith – Centerpoint Energy
Tanya Makany-Rivera – External Affairs Manager, City of Houston Office of Business
Opportunity
Carroll Coccia – Native American Chamber of Commerce
Cynthia Mora, FranNet
For more photos and information on the conference, visit the Immigrant Business Facebook page.
