We joined forces with IOM Mexico and UNDP to raise awareness of programs and strategies supporting migrant entrepreneurship in Mexico through a project that aims to provide tools for key stakeholders in the country. Due to its geographic location and migration history, Mexico plays a complex role in the migration phenomenon, simultaneously serving as a country of origin, transit, destination, and return. At the same time, the country has transitioned from being primarily a source of migrants to becoming a destination for them.
Entrepreneurship represents one of the most effective strategies for the socioeconomic integration of the migrant population for several reasons:
- It reduces dependence on humanitarian assistance by generating autonomous and sustainable income.
- It facilitates the reconstruction of social and community networks through local alliances and economic participation.
- It promotes self-esteem, agency and participation in local life, fundamental aspects for integration with a rights-based approach.
By interacting within an entrepreneurial ecosystem, both migrant populations and host communities can leverage their skills, experiences, and networks to transform their socioeconomic environment for the benefit of both parties. In a world that urgently needs millions of change agents, migrant and host community networks offer examples of how social innovation can change the world.
Project objective
The project aims to support migrant entrepreneurs, acting as “agents of change,” to drive transformative solutions focused on the lasting integration of people in situations of mobility, as well as social cohesion in Mexico, through the Hola América initiative. Although the project handles information for the entire country, it focuses its interventions on three states: Mexico City, Jalisco, and Monterrey.
Impact
The project stems from the need to understand the reality of migrant entrepreneurship in Mexico, from the barriers to the enabling factors, by mapping and highlighting the organizations that support migrant businesses and entrepreneurship, and by developing tools for local governments and multi-sectoral agendas. To this end, six major activities are being carried out between 2025 and 2026:
- Study of the Migrant Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Mexico : Understanding the barriers and enablers that exist for migrant entrepreneurship in Mexico and identifying the key actors. April/May 2026.
- Mapping migrant organizations and ventures in Mexico : Designing an interactive map of ventures by and for migrants. April/May 2026.
- Two high-level forums: to facilitate knowledge exchange and networking among migrant entrepreneurs and key stakeholders (government, NGOs, private sector). Mexico City, May 2026. Second forum to be confirmed, second half of 2026.
- Pilot program for accelerating migrant entrepreneurs: A group of 30 migrant entrepreneurs from Jalisco and Nuevo León will be selected and supported with tools and methodologies to help them strengthen their businesses as tools for socioeconomic integration. April to October 2026
- Training program for local officials: training on migrant entrepreneurship and sharing policy recommendations to improve the regulatory framework for entrepreneurship led by and for migrants. (Jalisco, Nuevo León). Monterrey April 2026, Guadalajara second half 2026.
- 6 multi-sector workshops : Multi-sector workshops that create spaces for information, collaboration, ideation, and networking to address the most relevant areas of complexity faced by migrant communities in Mexico, through a systemic activation approach. 2 Mexico City, 2 Nuevo León - Monterrey, 2 Jalisco – Guadalajara – November 2025 to October 2026.