From the Periphery to the Centre: Start-up and Growth Strategies for Minority Diaspora Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Not all diasporans face the same opportunities and challenges in the entrepreneurial process. Some are forced to the periphery in terms of proximity to essential business resources and networks considered important for overcoming liabilities of foreignness, size and newness. The paper, therefore asks: how do diaspora entrepreneurs from the periphery and non-mainstream markets emerge, survive and grow? The question is addressed through the lens of social network theory and a case study of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill (GK), the largest Caribbean eatery in the USA and its CEO and founder the Jamaican-born Lowell Hawthorne. The article underscores the role of family, co-ethnic networks as well as the cultural knowledge and resources from the country of origin in helping entrepreneurs from the periphery to start, grow and mainstream their enterprises.