Immigrants Rising Participates in Historic Symposium Focused on Immigrant Entrepreneurship
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: [email protected]
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (November 2, 2026) — On October 29, 2026, Immigrants Rising was proud to participate in the “SEEDing Opportunity in California” symposium, convened by the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Employment Training Panel (ETP), Sobrato Philanthropies, and Jobs for the Future. The symposium brought together state leaders, community-based organizations, entrepreneurs, philanthropic partners, researchers, and workforce partners to celebrate the impact of the Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED) Initiative in fueling individual- and community-level economic opportunity.
The SEED Initiative was created in 2020, when the Newsom administration and the California Legislature allocated funding in the 2020-21 State Budget Act for ETP to administer grants to community-based organizations serving communities facing barriers to employment, including immigrants and people who are limited English proficient. Through these grants, organizations provided micro-grants, technical assistance, and entrepreneurial training, which helped start and scale small businesses statewide. With the leadership of the Newsom administration, Assemblymember Juan Carrillo, state Senator Josh Becker, and the Economic Mobility for All Coalition, the state has invested $48.3 million across four rounds of funding, making SEED one of California’s most successful small business and economic development initiatives. Research by Immigrants Rising shows that the first two rounds of funding alone have resulted in:
- 3,400 micro-grant recipients across California
- 1,903 new businesses created
- 1,413 existing businesses supported
- 2,392 individuals employed by micro-grant recipients
Immigrants Rising is proud to have been part of SEED since the beginning. We have received funding in the three main SEED rounds, which has allowed us the opportunity to provide $5.4 million in micro-grants to 970 entrepreneurs.
The symposium comes at a time when many immigrants, including Lawful Permanent Residents, recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), as well as other people with precarious immigration statuses, are experiencing threats to their work authorization and, in some cases, falling out of status. The symposium represented California’s commitment to immigrant entrepreneurship, economic mobility, and economic justice.
At the symposium, Executive Director Dr. Iliana Perez joined Christina Chung (Executive Director of UC Berkeley Center for Law and Work) and Sebastian Sanchez (Deputy Secretary for Immigrant and Agriculture Workforce at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency) for a fireside chat on “SEED: From Historic Investment to Lasting Impact,” where she said:
“SEED’s greatest strength is that it brings us together by design. Every round, organizations apply as partners, because not one of us can do this alone. When you know who is in a region, from legal service providers to community development financial institutions, you can build support that reaches far beyond what any one organization could offer. It takes all of us.”
Immigrants Rising is committed to continue working with the California Legislature, California’s next governor and administration, other community-based organizations, and philanthropy to scale SEED and unlock inclusive pathways to economic mobility for immigrants across California.
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Founded in 2006, Immigrants Rising transforms individuals and fuels broader changes. With resources and support, undocumented young people are able to get an education, pursue careers, and build a brighter future for themselves and their community. Our collective power is helping our nation edge closer to fulfilling its ideal as a land of opportunity and access for all.
