Panel: immigrant entrepreneurs a major engine of Columbus small‑business growth

Columbus — Immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs are a growing and visible source of new businesses in Central Ohio, panelists said during a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum focused on the small‑business economy.

During audience questions, Bill Lafayette and others asked how immigration trends are reshaping entrepreneurship in the region. Tim Kehoe, director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center at ECDI, said immigrants start businesses at higher rates than native‑born U.S. citizens and that ECDI runs programs funded by Office of Refugee Resettlement dollars to assist asylees, parolees and refugees.

“We have programs for our Office of Refugee Resettlement funds that help assist, asylees, parolees, and refugees,” Kehoe said, and added that recent federal resettlement policy changes have reduced formal channels for some newcomers.

Ariana Ulloa, the City of Columbus small‑business coordinator, described several city‑funded and partner programs that target immigrant entrepreneurs, including a Spanish‑language six‑month business program led by Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (referred to in the forum) and the Columbus Chamber’s Cultivate program. Ulloa said the city’s Small Biz Hub also centralizes resources and filters programming for Columbus residents or businesses based in the city.

Panelists emphasized that meeting immigrants’ distinct needs—tax and legal‑structure guidance, financing navigation and language‑specific training—helps them launch viable enterprises that create jobs. “Immigrants start small businesses at a much higher rate than native born US citizens,” Kehoe said. Ulloa said the city works to reduce informational barriers so newcomers can access services and launch firms that contribute to the local economy.

Speakers did not provide a precise share of ECDI clientele that is immigrant-owned; Kehoe said the organization “measures it on varying levels” and described it qualitatively as a large portion of the market ECDI serves. The panel recommended amplifying Columbus’s investment narrative and improving outreach so entrepreneurs from other U.S. regions and abroad consider the city for relocation and expansion.

The forum’s immigration discussion underscored two reporting points: the economic contribution of immigrant entrepreneurs to Columbus’s recent labor‑force and business growth, and the role of local programs and nonprofits in filling gaps when federal resettlement or grant channels shift.