Female Immigrant Entrepreneurs

A third of the world's entrepreneurial activity is driven by women. With the mass movement of people now commonplace, the role of female entrepreneurs in immigrant communities has become an increasingly important component of the world economy, its productivity, and the struggle against poverty. Throwing light on the dynamics of entrepreneurship generally, and on immigrant and female entrepreneurship in particular, the global Female Immigrant Entrepreneurship (FIE) project is a huge and exciting research undertaking. Written by the project's team of researchers based in prestigious business schools and universities on almost every continent, this important book begins the process of discovering why and how female driven business start-ups often seem to spontaneously emerge in adverse environments. Is it randomness, luck, or chance that determine success or failure, or vital critical forces and the inherent qualities of the women involved? The research emerging from the FIE project points to answers to questions about the integration of immigrant communities, their interaction with host economic and business environments, and the role of women in that interaction. With findings from more than fifteen countries, from the USA with some of the world's oldest and largest immigrant communities, to African countries that are the newest destination for Asian migrants, this book will help inform social and economic policy in communities and countries searching for prosperity. More than that, the book offers policy makers, business leaders, and those concerned with business development the chance to uncover some of the mystery around the complex phenomenon of entrepreneurship itself.

While acknowledgement of the contributions of female entrepreneurship is present in academic research, Michela Mari and Sara Poggesi uncover two under-researched aspects: innovation in female entrepreneurship and immigrant female entrepreneurship.

What if you were a well-educated, multi-lingual, widely travelled, and successful businessperson, who fell in love with someone from overseas, got married, and moved to a new country, only to find that because you "came from away" none of your skills or prior achievements were valued? That's what happened to Danish immigrant Pernille Fischer Boulter when she arrived in Canada in 1998. But raised by parents who valued self-reliance, curiosity about other cultures, meaningful work, and engagement and enthusiasm for life, Pernille determined to reinvent herself and thrive in her new world. To begin with, she made a list of the top one hundred CEOs and entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada, and called every single person on it. From this humbling first step she was to be named one of 25 Top Women of Influence Inc. (c). Lively, instructional, inspirational, and abounding with wit and wisdom, Tales from an Immigrant Entrepreneur chronicles Pernille's inspirational rise. A beacon of light, it offers hands-on advice and suggestions, clearly outlines what sorts of bumps in the road are likely to emerge, and provides thoughtful and imaginative ideas on how to navigate them. It's a great Canadian success story that gives credit to the mentors who helped along the way, while also providing an illuminating look at the missteps, hard work, and innovation that figured in....

Taking a cross-country perspective, this publication sheds light on migrant entrepreneurship, discussing policy options to foster the development and success of migrant businesses.

First published in 1997, This book now opens the unduly delayed discussion about how Israel and the USA deal with immigration and how they are transformed by it. Approaching the discussion from the point of view of contemporary immigration research, this book prioritizes the economic processes of immigrant insertion in Israel and the USA, immigrant absorption and assimilation in both countries, policy debates, and women immigrants for extended treatment. Additionally, a photographic section mobilizes the new subject of visual sociology to continue the comparative analysis.

This Special Issue aims to provide an extensive mapping of policies in the promotion of ethnic entrepreneurship in a number of countries. It is motivated by the desire of national and municipal Governments to create an environment conducive to setting up and developing SMEs in general and immigrant businesses in particular. Furthermore it also highlights how the third sector has also had a crucial role in the reinforcement of immigrant entrepreneurship, and provides indications of how best to address this issue at a Governmental level in the future.

Featuring 27 intrepid women who dared to follow their entrepreneurial dreams in the United States of America, this collection of stories is meant to entertain, educate, and inspire both new and native-born Americans, by highlighting the struggles and success of women who came to this country to improve themselves, their community, and their new nation.