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<\/div>Eren Bali started Udemy, an open marketplace education platform, because of his experiences in Malatya, Turkey.<\/p>\n After facing frustrations as a child trying to study math and science in a small village, Bali discovered several forums and websites for Math Olympiads when his parents bought a computer. In college, Bali met Oktay Caglar- a peer who would become his friend and co-founder. Bali and Caglar combined their frustrations<\/a> and technological expertise to envision a company that would empower people all over the world to learn whatever they wanted to, regardless of geography.<\/p>\n In a few years, Bali would see the incredible change that Udemy would make for students in places like Malatya. But Bali\u2019s path to success wasn’t easy. When Bali and Caglar\u00a0started Udemy, they were living in Turkey. According to Bali<\/a>, after deciding to move to the US, the co-founders faced difficulty raising money for their startup:<\/p>\n We first created a product with Udemy\u2019s vision 6 years ago in Turkey. We failed. So we packed our bags and moved to Silicon Valley to give it another shot. We were rejected by more than 50 investors before we launched the company in the Valley. But through it all, we didn\u2019t give up because we believed in the power of the Internet to change how people learn.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Moving to the US and persevering through many challenges allowed Bali to grow Udemy into the educational resource it is today.<\/p>\n As a child in Cali, Colombia, Beto Perez always loved dancing. He worked as an aerobic instructor for several years in Colombia. But one day Roberto forgot the tapes he always used to teach his class and had to substitute for what he had with him: salsa and merengue music.<\/p>\n Perez did not speak a word of English but moved to Miami and marketed, taught, and energized the US exercise market\u00a0with an exercise program known as Zumba.<\/p>\n Fast forward several years, and Zumba would become something Perez describes<\/a> as \u201cexercise in disguise\u201d, a class that can be taken by anyone.<\/p>\n Zumba also helped many other immigrants build their own businesses based off of Zumba.<\/p>\n Betsy Dopico, an immigrant from Cuba, said<\/a> Zumba has helped her build her life in the US, \u201cIt’s become my small business.\u201d<\/p>\n Perez created Zumba with the intention that he would be able to certify instructors all around the US, and eventually the world, to make the fun exercise class accessible to everyone. By doing that, Perez enabled others to follow in his footsteps and become an entrepreneur. Zumba provides certified instructors with marketing materials, music suggestions, and lots of support to help them create their own fitness business.<\/p>\n But helping others establish their own businesses and creating a fitness empire didn\u2019t come without its challenges. Beyond not speaking much English when he came to the US, Perez says<\/a> that his biggest challenge was actually keeping Zumba relevant and exciting. To stay popular in the exercise industry, Perez and his team have introduced a variety of Zumba programs tailored to different abilities and fitness levels- keeping Zumba alive for years.<\/p>\n If you’re an immigrant entrepreneur or know one, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.<\/p>\n Image source: Samuel Schneider<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/27131950\/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAYIAAAAJGVlMzdjZmE3LTgwYjgtNDA0ZS04MmYxLTUzNmVkMjY1M2U1YQ.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n2. Eren Bali<\/a>,
\nUdemy<\/a><\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/27131950\/2LVFi7Jx_400x400.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n3. Alberto “Beto” Perez<\/a>,
\nZumba<\/a><\/h2>\n
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