Project Ment | Project Ment
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MEnt

Migrant Entrepreneurs
team-up with mentors

Discover what are the main projects takeaways

MEnt is an innovative and dynamic incubation and mentoring programme ​which gives migrants and refugees the chance to be supported in the first steps of launching entrepreneurial projects

The project intends to facilitate and foster economic and social integration of migrants supporting them in the development of new business initiatives, via light incubation and mentorship programmes. The relationship with mentors is the core of the project, enabling the improvement of emerging business ideas through the interaction with experts in the given business sector and national context.

Call for entrepreneurs

Two calls for ideas and for people, with the object of attracting migrants aiming at developing a business or at joining a team of entrepreneurs

Short training session

A preparatory activity to facilitate interaction among migrants, provide inspiration and support early stage development of a business idea

Light incubation

Two cycles of two workshops providing know-how, suggestions on the business model, access to markets, resources and key partners

Matching with mentors

Two mentors’ evening per incubation cycle to present projects to a network of experts who will provide knowledge and guidance

Final pitching session

A final pitching sessions in front of mentors, potential investors and supporters to present the business ideas

Migrant incubation Toolkit

Migrant stories

Discover some motivational and inspiring stories of migrant entrepreneurship

  • You have to find your aspiration. When you have an aspiration, you‘ll find your way and you‘ll overcome any obstacle.

    Akhti Klaf- Vienna, Austria

  • It's important to keep the balance between our passions and our families' needs

    Özlem Taskin - Vienna, Austria

  • Take action! 20% is what life gives us and 90% what we do with it. Yeah, 110% is much cooler that 100%

    Asetila Köstinger - Vienna, Austria

  • I decided against founding an NGO or other legal forms for my enterprise associated with charity, because I wanted people to wear my product with pride and not out of pity.

    Andra Neaga – Vienna, Austria

  • I am positively surprised by Austrian authorities. There is no harassment by any authority, no arbitrary financial control to demonstrate power or extort penalty payment.

    Dragoslav Radonjic – Vienna, Austria

  • I'd like to visit France for holidays, but I've built my life here – I have friends, a network, commissioned work as a photographer and everything I need.

    Reda Berrezzoug – Vienna, Austria

  • Never give up despite difficulties and problems that you will face, believe in your business!

    Ahmed Aboud - Austria

  • There was and always will be somehow, somewhere some support. Without other people it wouldn't have been possible - people were my motivators in times when I was considering giving up

    DJ Taff - Vienna, Austria

  • I wanted to keep this traditional shop alive. I knew that if I wouldn’t do it, the shop would have closed. This is my motivation.

    Gyöngyi Verginelli - Vienna, Austria

  • I am happy if my students do a good work. I am not afraid of competitors. I want to pass on my experiences. What else should I do with them?

    Habib Ghulamshaki - Vienna, Austria

  • For an entrepreneur it is always important to read and study the reality around him

    Francesco Wu - Legnano, Italy

  • We need to be united, there are no Muslims, Christians, Europeans, we are human beings and we must learn to live together, respecting our neighbor. This is a very important aspect for living in peace and working in the right way

    Elsayed Khayal- Concorezzo, Italy

  • I am always careful and I should never rapidly enlarge my business. I do not appreciate the risks

    Husam El Msalm - Milan, Italy

  • Think where you want to go and be always informed about new opportunities. Do not immediately think about money!

    Abderrahmane Lankach – Milan, Italy

  • I hope the high quality and the simplicity of our products could be always maintained

    Hujian Zhou (Agié) - Milan, Italy

  • Study, study every day, otherwise the enterprise will end

    Maria Toledo - Milan, Italy

  • Being frank and fair with other people helps so much to grow up as an enterpreneur

    Ye Wang - Milan, Italy

  • Artists are the treasure of the society : they spread their artistic work to create an intercultural project for the society, to enrich people

    Mohammad Imani – Paris, France

  • The result depends on how you live the path. Everything should be seen as an experience, even the negative things

    Sijie Xie - Milan, Italy

  • The only way to do a good job is to love what you do. For this reason I made photography my work.

    Behzad Bani - Milan, Italy

  • I should have sooner invested more time and energy in learning French. Getting a local social network is the most important way to success as an entrepreneur.

    Hamze Ghalebi - Paris, France

  • Entrepreneurship is about the effective use of resources. Do not forget that body, creativity and emotional strength are resources as well.

    Oksana Stavrou - Vienna, Austria

  • Try to transform the desire for change into a concrete and fruitful energy that guides your actions.

    Bashkim Sejdiu - Varese, Italy

  • I love my job. I wish I was 25 or 30 years old, with my own tailor’s shop and could still work another 30-40 years.

    Lif Subhi - Vienna, Austria

Testimonials

MEnt Project’s participants tell us their stories and business ideas and talk about what they experienced during the incubation programme and what they got from it.

Partners

Supporters and mentors

MEnt project is implemented with the support of many local organizations and mentors that collaborate with the six partners of the project and contribute to the overall objectives of the initiative

There are 76.1 million migrants currently living in Europe, corresponding to 31.2% of world’s migrants

355361
Sea arrivals to reach Europe in 2016

The most common nationalities of Mediterranean sea arrivals are Syrian, Afghanistan and Nigerian

530000
First-time asylum applicants in the EU in 2016

51% of 2016 first-time asylum applicants in the European Union are from Syria

1326701
Refugees in European Union countries

Germany: 316.115

France: 273.126

Italy: 118.047

56.7%
Employment rate of non-EU citizens in the EU-28

In 2015, the employment rate of migrant women was significantly lower than that of men