SXSW : Immigrant Founders: Fueling America’s Future
Introduction
Concrete Engine founder and CEO Meltem Ballan joins Purdue University’s Data Mine Guest Speaker Series to discuss sovereign AI, distributed computing and the infrastructure required to bring high-performance compute closer to researchers and industry.
Date
03.15.2026
Author
Concrete Engine
Type
Event
Immigration is a contentious and tumultuous topic these days. But the contributions of global talent are clear: Immigrants make up only 15% of the U.S. population, but 40% of Nobel science laureates and 44% of tech unicorn founders. Meltem Ballan came from Turkey to the U.S. for her PhD, and co-founded a company that makes modular AI data centers. Jenny Yu came from China for her MBA, and now her startup helps phase out forever chemicals in the supply chain. Doug Rand has helped global talent navigate the immigration system as a senior government official, co-founder of Boundless, and now head of a philanthropic fund. While many recent immigration policies may create obstacles for global founders, there are still several viable pathways to obtain a visa and start a company in the U.S. Come learn how America can remain the top destination for great immigrant entrepreneurs.
https://schedule.sxsw.com/events/PP1149564
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