Aspiring entrepreneurs share ideas at ‘Immigrant Small Business Pitch’ contest

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Last week, Boston based English for New Bostonians (ENB) hosted a pitch contest for their students highlighting the innovation and entrepreneurship within the immigrant community. English for New Bostonians ensures access to high-quality English classes so that adult immigrants across race, education and migratory backgrounds can pursue their aspirations and contribute to a Commonwealth that fully values their talents and voices.

This was the third year of ENB’s “Immigrant Small Business Pitch” event — a unique platform dedicated to empowering immigrant entrepreneurs as they march on their journey to turn their dreams into reality. This one-of-a-kind event not only provides a stage for aspiring immigrant business owners to showcase their innovative ideas but also celebrates the diverse and inspiring stories of success.

“Tonight is about triumph while being bombarded with executive orders and cancellations and threats,” said Claudia Green, the executive director of ENB. “With all the chaos coming from Washington people it’s hard to know where to look.  But we look to immigrants who joined us here to make our communities and schools, economy and business districts strong.”

Each participant pitched their business concepts, in a supportive and collaborative atmosphere, encouraging networking and the exchange of ideas among like-minded individuals. Moreover, ENB’s Immigrant Small Business Pitch event highlighted the resilience, creativity and contributions of immigrant communities to the broader business landscape by becoming small business owners. ENB’s Immigrant Small Business Pitch event, is a unique platform, empowering immigrant entrepreneurs to “transform their dreams into reality.” This event showcases innovative ideas and celebrates diverse success stories of aspiring immigrant business owners.

There were six businesses, all diverse in their offerings, ranging from Cattleya, a healthy bakery, and Changes, a neuro linguistic service. Judged by five entrepreneurs and small business advocates, the first-place winner was Crafty Girls, a party service bringing the joy of crafting to any birthday or party you may throw. A second-place winner was an embroidery company, RayoJohis Designs, who celebrated the state and its cities through embroidery. There was also a people’s choice award which Crafty Girls won as well.

Immigrants have a long and rich history of entrepreneurship in the United States, consistently demonstrating a higher propensity for starting businesses compared to their American-born counterparts. Research published in the American Economic Review indicates that immigrants are 80% more likely to embark on entrepreneurial ventures. This trend is further substantiated by data from the Small Business Administration, which reveals that immigrant entrepreneurship accounts for a substantial 17% of all new business formations.

However, the current political climate has created significant safety concerns within immigrant communities. Policies and actions such as the DEI purge in numerous businesses and the aggressive approach towards deportations, including ICE raids and detentions of green card holders at airports, have created an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear. This pressure on immigrant communities is likely to have a substantial economic impact, particularly in cities like Boston, where a significant portion of the population, one in four, speaks a language other than English at home.

The contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs extend beyond business creation. They often introduce innovative ideas, diverse perspectives and unique skill sets that enrich the economic landscape. Moreover, immigrant-owned businesses frequently cater to niche markets and underserved communities, fostering economic inclusion and social cohesion.

Therefore, policies that restrict immigration or create a hostile environment for immigrants could stifle entrepreneurship, impede economic growth and deprive the nation of valuable talent and innovation. It is imperative to recognize the vital role that immigrants play in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and to create an environment that welcomes and supports their contributions.

According to the Michigan Journal of Economics, “On a more economic standpoint, Trump’s immigration policies will devastate the United States economy. Foremost, among these will be the negative impacts on the labor market. In the past, we have seen mass deportations devastating our economy. Between 2010 and 2015, there was a 2.5% decline in the employment rate of U.S. born workers because of the deportation of 400,000 individuals, according to the Journal of Labor Economics. If the United States was to deport their minimum quota of immigrants — 1.3 million people, the economy would shrink by 1.2%. On the other hand, if all the undocumented immigrantsin the United States were deported — 8.3 million people — the economy could shrink by 7.4% (Baptista, 2025).

This event highlights the importance of supporting diverse immigrant communities. As Corean Reynolds, ENB board member, said at the event, “I think it’s an important time to show now more than ever we need to show up and show out for our immigrant community while we are so under attack. Especially in Boston, when we are so publicly under attack, business is the life blood of our main streets and community and so are immigrants.”

ENB’s Immigrant Small Business Pitch event highlights the resilience, creativity and contributions of immigrant communities to the broader business landscape.