Workshop to focus on supporting immigrant entrepreneurs in Dayton

Richard Herman is a lawyer in Cleveland and co-author of Immigrant, Inc.

A lawyer who wrote a popular book on the role of immigrants in the American economy will lead a workshop at Wright State University on supporting immigrant entrepreneurs in Dayton.

“Immigrant, Inc.: Building an Ecosystem to Help Immigrant Entrepreneurs Succeed” will be held Friday, March 14, from 8 a.m. to noon in the Wright State Nutter Center Berry Room.

The free workshop will focus on supporting the next generation of Dayton’s immigrant entrepreneurs and making Dayton the best place for immigrants to launch and grow their businesses.

“We all stand to benefit if we get immigrants to move here and then they invest in the area, whether in businesses, buying houses. Everybody benefits by folks contributing to the system,” said Tony Ortiz, associate vice president of Latino affairs at Wright State.

The conference will include discussions on trends in immigrant entrepreneurship and economic development and what immigrant entrepreneurs need to succeed in the United States.

Wright State Provost S. Narayanan, who immigrated to the United States from India to pursue his graduate studies, will discuss “2020 Vision: Dayton Progressing in the 21st Century.”

Todd Q. Adams, chief officer of sustainability and innovation at Visibility Marketing, Inc.,

Immigration attorney Richard Herman and technology strategist Todd Q. Adams will lead the workshop.

Herman is a lawyer in Cleveland and co-author of Immigrant, Inc.: Why Immigrant Entrepreneurs Are Driving the New Economy (and How They Will Save the American Worker). He is co-founder of Go Global Cleveland, a nonprofit organization that encourages the northeast Ohio region to adopt a global outlook and to embrace cross-cultural business alliances and global connectivity; and TiE-Ohio, which encourages immigrant, international and minority entrepreneurs to launch businesses in northeast Ohio.

The chief officer of sustainability and innovation at Visibility Marketing, Inc., Adams works with clients in the areas of smart metering and electric vehicles readiness for smart grid and smart water management. He also facilitates public awareness and community education forums for advanced-energy and sustainable-community initiatives.

The deadline to RSVP for the workshop is March 7. Register online or by contacting tony.ortiz@wright.edu or (937) 775-3827.

The workshop is organized by the Wright State Office of Latino Affairs and sponsored by Wright State University, Welcome Dayton, Dayton Hispanic Chamber, Dayton Business Journal and WYSO Public Radio.