Albanian-born entrepreneur, successful event organiser and Global Woman Editor in Chief Mirela Sula features as a key figure in the Migrant Entrepreneurship Report.
Mirela Sula was born in a small village in the northern part of Albania, she later moved to the UK to study counselling and psychology at Sheffield Univeristy.
Mirela returned to her home country and became one of the first women in Albania to open a publishing company. After a significant offer for her business, she moved to London to work on a PhD at Regents University London.
Since then Mirela has organised the Migrant of the Year Awards and the Global Woman Summit. The events empower both migrants and women to achieve their goals and become financially independent. As well as working as a magazine editor, Mirela has authored a number of books and works as a trainer at Solace Womens Aid, a charity working with those affected by domestic and sexual violence.
She was selected as one of 10 Women Entrepreneur Leaders for Womens Entrepreneurship Day by the International Council for Small Business and received an Inspiration Award for Women in 2015.
At the report launch Mirela said, Many migrant entrepreneurs go to group networking events all the time to get contacts, however we are always very busy with other commitments especially when trying to start a business. It is difficult to keep track of people you meet.
What I have learned is that entrepreneurs need help in meeting the right people to build their networks, we should be helping business people grow in their local environment.
Author of the Migrant Entrepreneurship Report Rafael dos Santos said, The report identifies a lack of local knowledge as the largest problem area for migrant entrepreneurs. Over 40 percent of entrepreneurs asked said that their biggest challenge is building a network and finding suitable contacts.
Migrant entrepreneurs have created 1.16 million jobs in the UK, we have brought far more to the country than people expect and it is still difficult for entrepreneurs to grow their networks and find new contacts. There are almost half a million migrant entrepreneurs in the UK and it would be crazy not to help them to create new jobs and expand the economy.
The report is launched to coincide with the opening of Londons first co-working space dedicated to supporting migrant entrepreneurs. Located in Aldgate East, Whitechapel, the hub provides affordable serviced office space to help people grow and nurture their businesses.