From author & VC Guy Kawasaki, April 21, 2010:
My theory is that immigrants do not take jobs from Americans. Instead, they come here and start companies and create jobs for everyone. I found a great list of the seven success traits of immigrant at Immigrant, Inc. Here are three:
Keen sense of adventure
Reverence for education
Love and respect for family
Read the full list at Immigrant, Inc
http://holykaw.alltop.com/why-immigrants-kick-butt
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A few years back, Guy wrote another blog titled “How to Kick Silicon Valley’s Butt” where he encourages cities like Cleveland to welcome the job-creators from abroad:
“Encourage immigration.
I am a third-generation Japanese American. My family moved here to drive a taxi and clean white people’s homes.
If I had a choice between funding someone from a family who moved here from Vietnam whose father and mother run a 7-Eleven versus a descendant of a Mayflower passenger with “IV” in his name, I’ll give you half a guess as to my preference.
You need to encourage smart, hungry, and aggressive people to immigrate from around the world. And to do that, you need good schools. To mix several metaphors, if you want to cover your ass, you need to open your kimono because trust-fund kids don’t make good entrepreneurs.”
Read more: http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/06/how_to_kick_sil.html#ixzz0rh0uX4jU
Apparently, a lot of “butt-kicking” is going on in Guy’s world.
Undaunted, civic and business leaders invited Guy to speak in Cleveland in 2006, to expound on his ideas to accelerate the creation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cleveland.
Check this out from our world-famous Great Lakes Geek:
http://www.greatlakesgeek.com/other/guy-kawasaki.htm
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Today, Guy’s message of welcoming immigrant entrepreneurs, innovators and investors takes on a special meaning for Cleveland.
Crain’s Cleveland Business reports today that Optima International, a Florida based company just purchased the Huntington Bank building in downtown Cleveland — over 1.3 million square feet of space.
While not disclosing the purchase amount, Optima executive Chaim Schochet said “we paid cash for it.”
http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20100623/FREE/100629946/1004/rss01&rssfeed=rss01
Optima International is part of Ukraine’s Privat Group, co-owned by Igor Kolomoisky and Gennady Bogolyubov.
This is Optima’ third building purchase in Cleveland in recent years, following its acquisition of One Cleveland Center ($86 million) in and 55 Public Square ($35 million).
As Guy would say, partnering and learning from those who are “smart, hungry and aggressive” and who are bullish on Cleveland — is the way forward.