Article on Immigrant Entrepreneurs References Illinois, EnterpriseWorks Graduate Zero Percent

 

 

ChicagoInno highlighted EnterpriseWorks graduate Zero Percent, and other new companies that are affected by the fluctuation US immigration policy. UIUC’s 11,000 international students and their entrepreneurial dreams are constantly at risk due to this issue.

 

“Vague policy contributes to the ‘visa headache.’ Rajesh Karmani, founder of Zero Percent, a startup that connects restaurants with excess food to nearby nonprofit organizations, originally came to Illinois to get his PhD in computer science from UIUC. Karmani pored over immigration policy to be sure he could start his company on OPT. Without mentors and no money for immigration lawyers, he had to rely on his own policy interpretation to assess the risk of starting a company.

 

‘It was definitely a personal decision, based on very good research,’ he said. ‘I read up on the policy, and [tried] to find if there was any ‘No.’ Nobody gave me a no, right? That is enough, right? So maybe it’s a yes.'”

 

Read the full story from ChicagoInno here.