Winning the Churchill Fellowship and why it matters to me

By Kajal Sanghrajka

Last week, I was fortunate enough to be awarded a Churchill Fellowship to travel to North America and Europe and conduct research on immigration and entrepreneurship. It happens to coincide with a time where immigrants and their economic contributions are at the forefront of people's minds. Both my interest and desire to work on immigration and entrepreneurship began quite some ago.

In 1972, my father who had a textile business in Uganda was given 90 days to leave under Idi Amin's dictatorship. Asians were an entrepreneurial force in Uganda, at the time they left, their businesses accounted for 90% of Ugandan tax revenues. Many of the Ugandan Asians had British passports yet debates on "where to send them" persisted and ended in several other countries refusing entry.

"There was a fear the new immigrants would be "parasites" - a belief which the former refugees have proved unfounded over the years.... many have turned into successful businessmen and women"

The 27,000 Asians that eventually made it to the UK were penniless but highly educated with raw entrepreneurial skills and a determination from being given a second chance. In fact, the Ugandan Asian resettlement is now seen as one of the most successful in Britain's history. What can we learn from the success of this community in the UK? For one, there is tremendous opportunity to further harness the talents of entrepreneurial immigrants for job creation and wider economic benefits for our national economies.

In 2012, my own experience with immigration became more personal. Myself and a fellow student co-founded Columbia University's first incubator to support graduating entrepreneurs. About 20% of the cohort were foreign and after a lengthy process, I was the only one that was able to secure a visa and build a business in the US. Most decided not to roll the dice on an effort that was both complex and time consuming with little certainty of the outcome. And so they left with their unique talents and skills after earning highly valued degrees in the US. The frustration I felt later became a key motivator to start Growth Hub US to support European founders on US expansion.

Does it make any sense for innovators, risk takers and job creators to leave any country in which they were educated due to archaic procedures misaligned to the needs of its economy?

A report by the centre of entrepreneurship in 2014 stated that 1 in 7 UK companies are started by immigrants yet they face unique challenges through lack of awareness and cultural barriers. It is estimated that the UK economy misses out on more than £8 billion a year through failing to make the most of its minority communities and their untapped talent. These are two of many examples which motivated me further to investigate how to better integrate immigrant entrepreneurs and in turn leverage their knowledge, talent and skills to support domestic entrepreneurs to expand globally.

Last September, walking through the grounds of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, I found an ally on this mission. Upon Churchill's death in 1965, the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust was set up to continue his legacy. Its grants allow British citizens to travel abroad on research fellowships and return with innovative ideas for the benefit of people across the UK.

Last year, I launched the Transatlantic Post to share perspectives of entrepreneurial ecosystems, for those who might benefit from the upcoming research please subscribe here. I will be writing each month throughout the journey and will publish a full report upon my return, more information below. I am honoured and grateful for this incredible opportunity to answer key questions on immigration and entrepreneurship at a time where the fear based rhetoric demands a more fact based and innovative repeal.

Acknowledgements

I'd like to thank Merlyn Lowther, Kai Wooder, Matt Little, Julie Weston, Sara Canullo, Sara Venerus and the entire Winston Churchill Memorial Trust team for this opportunity and the work that they do to support research fellows. Also to Allison Rapaport and Rupal Shah for their support.

Information on the research and how you can help

I will be researching emerging models at the intersections of government, universities and private sector in the US, Canada and several European cities. If you or your organisation are active in this field, please contact me at kajal@kajallondon.com. I will also be interviewing a number of immigrant entrepreneurs in New York, Toronto, Helsinki, Vienna and London including Ugandans. If you'd like to share your experiences growing a business as an immigrant, I'd be happy to hear from you via LinkedIn, Twitter or email.

Other Initiatives inspired by Churchill

Through this journey, as I read more about Churchill I became inspired and intrigued by his life. One that was truly courageous but imperfect. He achieved far more than most unburdened by the "plague of perfection". Many of his lessons are ones I wish I had discovered earlier. To support young entrepreneurs, I will be sharing some of his wisdom through a series of workshops over the next year.

'Courageously imperfect: What Churchill can teach you about life and entrepreneurship' For 11-18 year old aspiring entrepreneurs, sign up here if you'd like more information on upcoming dates and locations.

Sources and Recommended Reading

1.The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

2. Churchill Never, never, never give in speech - Harrow School, 1941

3. Ugandan Asians dominate economy after exile - BBC News

4. They fled with nothing but built a new empire - The Guardian

5. Migrants set up 1 in 7 companies study reveals - The Financial Times