Global Michigan recognizes that a third of new high tech starts created in Michigan over the past decade were started by immigrants and that growing more companies means more jobs.
Governor Snyder has charged the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to find new ways to encourage more highly educated immigrants and former Michiganders with advanced degrees to come to Michigan to work and live. In his first State of the State address, he noted that immigrants with advanced degrees and business investment interest can make a tremendous difference in creating positive economic activity.
Major Michigan-based companies like Dow Chemical, Meijer and Masco were also originally started by immigrants. Only California and New Jersey have a greater percentage of immigrant-lead start-ups than Michigan and in Silicon Valley the percentage of startups begun by immigrants is a little more than half.
In Ohio, the percentage of companies started by immigrants is just 14%. Why are the rates so different between Michigan and Ohio? The Toledo Blade asked that question a few years ago and found that the biggest difference was that the University Research Corridor universities in Michigan encouraged tech transfer and business startups years before Ohio State did. The demand for talent at growing companies remains high: Detroit is currently one of the hottest markets in the nation for tech jobs.
Committees are working to address the attraction of needed talent by Michigan companies, the retention of university graduates, improved pathways for small business investment, encourage more welcoming communities for all, licensing and credentialing highly skilled immigrants, connection between immigrant business investors with local economic development and export strategies, entrepreneurship, maximization of the EB-5 investor visa program, advocacy of the H1-B worker visa program, and effective information communication strategies.
For more on the initiative, contact Program Manager Maria Nevai, at
globalmichigan@michigan.org.
