Transformative Leadership Conversations with Winnie da Silva

Transformative Leadership Conversations with Winnie da Silva


Immigrants Built This with Winnie da Silva

July 09, 2025

“Immigrant entrepreneurs navigate challenges, build thriving businesses, and show us what leadership can look like when resilience and reinvention go hand in hand.”


What if the real secret to America's success isn't who was born here, but who chose to come here? In this episode of Transformative Leadership Conversations, I discuss the powerful and often overlooked role immigrant entrepreneurs play in shaping not just our economy but our national identity. As we celebrate America’s 249th birthday, I reflect on our roots as a nation of risk-takers and builders, and why the immigrant experience may just hold the most valuable leadership lessons of all. You’ll hear stories from my own family, eye-opening statistics, and a rich preview of three extraordinary women leaders joining the podcast this month.


You'll hear me discuss:

  • Why America’s business roots run deeper than the Mayflower and how commerce, not just freedom, shaped our beginnings
  • How immigrant entrepreneurs today are driving business innovation and economic growth
  • What history gets wrong (or leaves out) about our “founders” and how that continues to shape opportunity
  • The four essential leadership traits every entrepreneur must master and why immigrants might be uniquely equipped to embody them
  • Powerful personal stories from my husband’s family and their multigenerational legacy of business-building in the U.S.
  • How resilience, adaptability, a growth mindset, and comfort with risk are more than buzzwords - they’re survival skills
  • What you can expect from upcoming conversations with three phenomenal immigrant women leaders


Resources

Winnie da Silva on LinkedIn | On the Web | Substack | Email - winnie@winnifred.org