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CEOWORLD magazine - Latest - Executive Insider - Leadership Lessons from Immigrant Entrepreneurs who Built Businesses that Last

Executive Insider

Leadership Lessons from Immigrant Entrepreneurs who Built Businesses that Last

Neri Karra Sillaman

In the high-stakes world of business, longevity is the ultimate measure of success. Yet, the statistics paint a sobering picture—most companies struggle to make it beyond a decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 70% of businesses fail within ten years. However, one group consistently defies these odds: immigrant entrepreneurs.

Despite comprising only 27% of the U.S. population, first- and second-generation immigrants have founded nearly half (46%) of Fortune 500 companies. These companies collectively generated over $8.6 trillion in revenue in 2023, a figure surpassing the GDP of every country except the U.S. and China. But immigrant entrepreneurs don’t just build large enterprises; they also create businesses that last. Their ventures grow faster, survive longer, and exhibit a level of resilience unmatched by their native-born counterparts.

As an entrepreneur, academic, and former refugee, I have spent years studying what makes immigrant entrepreneurs so successful. The findings of my research, distilled in my forthcoming book Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs (Wiley, 2025), reveal that their success is not a matter of luck or circumstances but of mindset and method. In this article, I will share three core principles—rooted in the past, present, and future—that business leaders can adopt to build enterprises that endure.

1. The Resilience Mindset: Turning Adversity into an Advantage

Resilience is the defining characteristic of immigrant entrepreneurs. Uprooted from their homelands, often with little financial capital or local networks, they must navigate unfamiliar legal systems, cultural barriers, and even prejudice. Yet, these hardships foster a unique ability: the capacity to turn adversity into an asset.

Hamdi Ulukaya, the Turkish-born founder of Chobani, epitomizes this principle. When he purchased a defunct yogurt factory in upstate New York, few believed he could succeed. But Ulukaya saw an opportunity where others saw failure. He leveraged his deep understanding of traditional yogurt-making from his upbringing in Turkey and combined it with an American-style go-to-market strategy. His company, now worth over $2 billion, is a testament to how resilience fuels business success.

Lessons for business leaders:

  • Shift from a scarcity mindset to a resourcefulness mindset. Constraints breed creativity—use them as a catalyst for innovation.
  • Normalize failure as part of the growth process. Immigrant entrepreneurs view setbacks as tuition fees for future success.
  • Cultivate adaptability within your team. Encourage employees to operate outside their comfort zones, just as immigrants must do when starting anew in a foreign land.

2. Community as a Competitive Advantage

In the modern business world, many companies struggle with employee disengagement and a lack of customer loyalty. Immigrant entrepreneurs, however, build deeply engaged communities—both inside and outside their organizations—that serve as powerful drivers of business growth.

Consider Saeju Jeong, the South Korean-born cofounder of Noom, a health-tech company valued at over $3 billion. Jeong built Noom not just as a product but as a community-driven platform where users support each other on their weight-loss journeys. This emphasis on connection and trust has made Noom one of the most successful behavior-change platforms in the world.

Immigrant entrepreneurs understand that success is not an individual pursuit but a collective effort. This principle is deeply embedded in their cultures, where family businesses thrive, and trust is the cornerstone of economic relationships.

Lessons for Business Leaders: 

  • Build a culture of reciprocity. Employees, customers, and stakeholders should feel like contributors, not just consumers.
  • Focus on long-term relationship-building over short-term gains. Immigrants rely on trust-based networks—adopt the same approach in your business dealings.
  • Encourage employee ownership, both literally and metaphorically. Hamdi Ulukaya gave 10% of Chobani’s shares to his employees, fostering deep commitment and loyalty.

3. Purpose Over Profit: The Key to Enduring Success

Many businesses start with a clear financial goal but lack a higher purpose. Immigrant entrepreneurs, by contrast, often build companies driven by a mission beyond money. This deep sense of purpose—whether to give back, solve a pressing problem, or create opportunities for others—becomes a powerful driver of business longevity.

Luis von Ahn, the Guatemalan-born founder of Duolingo, grew up in a country where quality education was a privilege, not a right. His early experiences shaped his belief that learning should be accessible to all. Duolingo’s commitment to free education has not only democratized language learning but also driven its exponential growth, making it the world’s most downloaded educational app with a valuation of over $10 billion.

Purpose-led companies enjoy stronger customer loyalty, higher employee engagement, and greater resilience during crises. The pandemic underscored this truth—companies with strong social missions outperformed purely profit-driven enterprises.

Lessons for Business Leaders: 

  • Define your company’s “why.” Profits are the outcome of value creation, not the purpose itself.
  • Align business goals with societal impact. Consumers and employees gravitate toward brands that stand for something meaningful.
  • Make purpose a strategic advantage. A clear mission differentiates your company, attracts top talent, and strengthens resilience in tough times.

Applying the Immigrant Edge to Your Business

The success of immigrant entrepreneurs is not reserved for those who cross borders—it is available to anyone willing to adopt their principles. Here’s how executives and business owners can integrate the immigrant edge into their leadership strategy:

  1. Embrace Discomfort: Growth happens at the edge of our comfort zones. Encourage your team to take calculated risks, just as immigrants do when rebuilding their lives from scratch.
  2. Invest in Human Capital: Build strong networks of trust within your organization. Employees who feel valued will stay longer and perform better.
  3. Think Long-Term: Sustainable businesses are built on relationships and resilience, not just revenue. Shift from quarterly results to legacy thinking.
  4. Stay Hungry: Immigrant entrepreneurs never stop innovating because they know what’s at stake. Foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptability.

The story of immigrant entrepreneurs is one of transformation—turning challenges into opportunities and businesses into lasting legacies. Whether leading a startup or a multinational corporation, the lessons they offer go beyond survival; they provide a blueprint for building companies that adapt, innovate, and create meaningful impact.

Resilience, community, and purpose are not just ideals but strategic advantages. Leaders who embrace these principles don’t just build profitable businesses; they shape industries, strengthen economies, and leave behind something greater than themselves. After all, true business success isn’t measured solely by the wealth you accumulate, but by the impact you create and the future you help build.


Written by Neri Karra Sillaman.
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CEOWORLD magazine - Latest - Executive Insider - Leadership Lessons from Immigrant Entrepreneurs who Built Businesses that Last
Neri Karra Sillaman
Neri Karra Sillaman is an author, speaker, and entrepreneurship expert at the University of Oxford. Her book, Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs, will be published by Wiley in May 2025.


Neri Karra Sillaman is an Executive Council member at the CEOWORLD magazine. You can follow her on LinkedIn, for more information, visit the author’s website CLICK HERE.