This document discusses the role of immigrant entrepreneurs and innovation in regional economic development. It contains the following key points: - Immigrant-owned businesses account for a disproportionately high percentage of export-oriented companies and play an important role in regional economies. - The Welcoming Economies (WE) Global Network aims to promote inclusive economic development by embracing immigrant communities and recognizing their contributions. - International students pursue graduate degrees in STEM fields at high rates and the WE Network works to help retain international talent through programs like job fairs and employer events. - Skilled immigrants face challenges having foreign credentials recognized and the WE Network provides resources and programs to help with licensing, job skills, and career pathways.

1. Global NetworkLEADING RUSTBELT IMMIGRANT INNOVATION
Building Welcoming Economies:
The Growth of Inclusive Economic Development

5. IMMIGRANTS ACCOUNT FOR HIGHER
PERCENTAGE OF HIGH-EXPORT COMPANIES
PERCENT OF TOTAL SALES
EXPORTED OUTSIDE OF THE
U.S
PERCENT OF FIRMS THAT
ARE OWNED BY IMMIGRANTS
NONE 12.7%
LESS THAN 1% 11.1%
1% TO 4% 14.7%
5% TO 9% 17.1%
10% TO 19% 20.2%
20% TO 49% 35.1%
50% TO 99% 50.5%
SOURCE: Partnership for a New American Economy Report, Open for Business: How Immigrants are Driving Small Business
Creation in the US (2012) - SPECIAL TABULATIONS FROM THE SURVEY OF BUSINESS OWNERS (2007)

9. • WE embraces the following core values:
• Immigrant communities are central to expanding
economic opportunity and revitalizing the entire region
• Welcoming immigrants into the economic and social
fabric of a region helps to make the region more vibrant
for everyone
• Regional economic development initiatives can play in
retaining immigrants and enhancing their role in the
community’s economic and social fabric
Global NetworkLEADING RUSTBELT IMMIGRANT INNOVATION

10. Global NetworkLEADING RUSTBELT IMMIGRANT INNOVATION
Global Network

11. WE Global Network Members

12. International Student Retention

13. 70.3%
63.2%
60.4%
55.4%
53.4% 52.1%
50.2%
44.5% 43.7% 43.7%
42.1%
40.3%
13.0%
4.8%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%ElectricalEngineeringCom
puterScience
IndustrialEngineering
Econom
ics
Chem
icalEngineering
M
aterialsEngineering
M
echanicalEngineering
M
athem
atics&
Statistics
PhysicsCivilEngineeringOtherEngineering
Chem
istry
Im
m
igrantShare
ofPopulation
ShareofAllStudents
International Students Predominate
Graduate STEM Degrees

14. International Student Retention
• Job Fairs
• Interview and Resume Writing
• Employer Meet-and-Greets
• Resume Collection and Dissemination
• Legal 101s for Corporate Employers

15. Skilled Immigrant Integration

16. percent of the $39.4 billion in forgone earnings and nearly 60 percent of the $3 billion in lost state and
Table 4. Forgone Earnings and Taxes by State, and State Share of Overall Totals, 2009-13
Total Forgone Earnings ($billion) Total Forgone State/Local Taxes ($million)
Estimate State Share of U.S.
Total (%)
Estimate State Share of U.S. Total (%)
United States 39.36 100.0 3,033.56 100.0
California 9.39 23.9 694.81 22.9
Florida 3.64 9.2 214.72 7.1
Michigan 0.51 1.3 48.56 1.6
New York 5.05 12.8 594.03 19.6
Ohio 0.51 1.3 52.97 1.7
Texas 2.50 6.4 167.45 5.5
Washington 0.83 2.1 74.86 2.5
Total 7 states 22.44 57.0 1,847.40 60.9
Other 43 states and DC 16.93 43.0 1,186.15 39.1
Source: MPI analysis of 2009-13 ACS and 2008 SIPP data from the U.S. Census Bureau, with legal status assignments
The Costs of Brain Waste

17. Skilled Immigrant Integration
• State Licensing and Credentialing Guides, Recredentialing
• Interview and Resume Writing
• Employer Recruitment
• Job Readiness and Coaching
• Career Pathways; Upskilling
• Contextualized ESL

18. Connector Programs
• One-on-One Connections
• Trailing Spouse Programs
• Three Referrals
• Halifax, St. Louis, Detroit

19. Welcoming Economies
Global Network Actvities
Global NetworkLEADING RUSTBELT IMMIGRANT INNOVATION

20. 6 Annual
Convenings

21. City-to-CityVisits
Publications
AnnualConvenings
Webinars
Technical
Assistance

22. New Allies

23. Global NetworkLEADING RUSTBELT IMMIGRANT INNOVATION
Building Welcoming Economies:
The Growth of Inclusive Economic Development
The mission of the Welcoming Economies Global Network is to
strengthen the work, maximize the impact, and sustain efforts of
local economic and community development initiatives that
welcome, retain, and empower immigrant communities as valued
contributors to the region’s shared prosperity.

24. Find the Guide at welcomingamerica.org > learn > resources