New York Times: "Moving to U.S. and Amassing a Fortune, No English Needed"

Today's read: The New York Times highlights the growing success of immigrant entrepreneurs across the City, despite language barriers. 

Immigrants are a significant and important piece of the City’s entrepreneurial economy, as immigrants account for 49% of all self-employed workers in New York City. In addition, foreign-born workers comprise about 70% of those working within the food manufacturing industry. Food manufacturing provides a key source of employment and entrepreneurial opportunity for individuals with limited education or English skills, according to this 2007 study of the citywide economic impact of food manufacturing in NYC.

NYCEDC has a number of programs and initiatives to support both immigrant entrepreneurs and the food manufacturing industry, including two kitchen incubators, the Entrepreneur's Space in Long Island City and the Hot Bread Kitchen operated facility at La Marqueta; a food manufacturer business expo to support immigrant-owned businesses in NYC; a new series of free NYC Business Solutions courses in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Russian, and Haitian Creole; and Competition THRIVE, a business plan competition designed to address the challenges faced by immigrant entrepreneurs, including access to credit, financial management, language barriers, and access to business networks. Learn more at www.nycedc.com/thrive.