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With multiple degrees and over a decade of engineering experience in the U.S.  and his native country  India, Shiva Sundaram’s passion for entrepreneurship is contagious: “I like building anything that will help people.”

Sundaram is a founding member of an autonomous robotics start-up based out of Grand Rapids, where he heads up product design while serving as a visiting faculty member for Grand Valley State University. He explains, “I have only been here three months, but we’ve made exponential progress because I am here in person. My team loves to work hands-on together as engineers. The Global EIR program got me to the US.”

The Global EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) program is one of two initiatives that Global Detroit, an economic development non-profit, conducts across Michigan. As members of the President’s Circle at the Grand Rapids Chamber, Global Detroit’s growing presence in West Michigan underlines the region’s dedication to investment and the irreplaceable role of immigrants in our enrichment and growth.

Global Detroit plays a necessary role in bringing experts like Sundaram to West Michigan, enriching the local community through his expertise and enthusiasm. The entrepreneurial spirit that inspires Sundaram to provide expert mentorship to Senior Engineering students at GVSU, really takes off in his start-up team working on the timely and influential goal: design and create U.S. owned and manufactured Autonomous Mobile Robots for warehousing.

The excitement of reaching this goal is palpable in Sundaram’s words and actions: “There is momentum now that I am here because we can see something happening. I created a bunch of concepts. We are building our prototype; we should have a bot by the end of April.”

In addition to the Global EIR program, Global Detroit supports the region with the Global Talent Retention Initiative, which works with local employers to hire and retain international students from Michigan universities. Companies are discovering that the advantages of hiring global talent far outweigh any perceived challenges. Bill Osborn, Director of Technical Recruiting at Bravo LT, connects international talent with organizations in Michigan needing to get technical projects completed.

“We are getting challenged on hiring right now, so we look to a more international delivery model,” Osborn explains “I think West Michigan is finally asking – can’t we find a way to be ourselves but also leverage international talent. I ask people – What is the cost of having roles unfilled because you don’t want to look at another option?”

Osborn has hired international professionals at both entry and expert levels. He has experienced the benefits both personally and for his company Bravo LT, a local provider of IT and Technical services– “We’ve hired people of similar ranges, both international and domestic, and you see maturity from the international students. You get people who are wise beyond their years.”

“I am a huge proponent of the American Dream,” Osborn explains further. “It’s never easy for the first immigrants. I’m the first college grad in my family, and we are multiple generations in. International students are ahead in that, they speak multiple languages, they have toughness and grit. How can we create pathways for them to access that American dream so they can contribute back?”

Global Detroit works to pave that pathway for local employers via consultation on affordable work authorization options (like OPT, which requires minimal paperwork and negligible cost) and access to an extensive database of available and highly qualified International Student graduates. Funded by the state of Michigan, Global Detroit connects students from local universities for site visits or meetings with local employers, filling local employment gaps with motivated individuals who bolster our companies with unique life experiences and skills.

Though from different backgrounds and industries, Bill Osborn and Shiva Sundaram both embody the traits that facilitate growth for West Michigan. They embrace inevitable change. They love and support their community and want to see it succeed. And, they see opportunity to really build something here.

Global Detroit would like to extend that opportunity to employers in Grand Rapids wanting to connect with international talent or partner on expanding the start-up ecosystem in West Michigan.