Late last year Indian-Australian entrepreneur Anand Tamboli was on the lookout for stories of migrant entrepreneurs in mainstream media. He wanted to include them in his work as an author and speaker.
“Globally, small businesses are lifeblood of every economy. In Australia, nearly 80% of small businesses are run by migrants. However, I wasn’t surprised to find there were none!
So instead of waiting on someone to feature them, I took the initiative.”
That is how the idea of ‘Visible Founders’ came about says Anand.
Anand Tamboli
‘Visible Founders’ is a documentary series produced by 3DOTS Studios. It highlights migrant entrepreneurs and small businesses. It is about the human side of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. The first season of Visible Founders features four enterprising individuals chasing their dreams whilst working against systemic odds.
“Being an entrepreneur, I understand how hard things can be. Add to that their multicultural background, and now you get to work on two fronts at once,” Anand tells The Australia Today.
“I have seen, up close and personal, how resilient, socially focused, and community-oriented migrant businesses are. And yet, most don’t get the attention they deserve. Their stories remain untold by the mainstream.”
“For a second, I thought someone should do it…and then the next, I asked myself, “Why can’t that someone be me?” We started Visible Founders to highlight multicultural entrepreneurs, their stories, journeys, thinking, and their humanness!”
These stories are not just about entrepreneurship; they are about the triumph of the human spirit, the pursuit of dreams, and the resilience that fuels these visible founders says Anand.
“The first episode delves into highlighting commonalities in multicultural entrepreneurs. We also cover why entrepreneurship is still the most viable option in today’s uncertain environment.
“The second episode features Joseph Oliver Yap and Shimroth John Thomas, two co-founders of Zerotag. What started as a beach clean-up activity in the Philippines became a sustainable startup journey for these entrepreneurs.”
“Chirag Soni is featured in the third episode. He is the founder and director of Soni Wealth. Coming from a humble background, Chirag arrived in Australia with a dream. And he did something that many people miss. This episode unravels what it is.”
“The fourth has quite a different flavour. It features Deepa P. Mani, who was in a 9-to-5 life like many others until a wave of unfortunate news within her family forced her to make a pivotal decision. Deepa is the founder and artistic director of Chandralaya, and what started as a creative outlet for her has now transformed into a journey, something beyond dancing.”
The documentary series was recently screened in Sydney and Melbourne.
