(Image Source: Maksym Ostrozhynskyy / Unsplash)
Join us for a professional development training for business service providers who work with new immigrants and newcomers in Wisconsin, covering topics related to employment and entrepreneurship. Continuing legal education credit available.
The Rural Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Initiative hosted a legal symposium for Wisconsin’s workforce at the WI Latino Chamber of Commerce in Fitchburg on Friday, September 20, 2024. This was a professional development event, led by the Law and Entrepreneurship (L&E) Clinic. The symposium provided insights into enhancing service providers’ understanding of laws, regulations, and practical solutions concerning employment and entrepreneurship for new immigrants, migrant workers, and undocumented workers. The training covered topics relevant to employers, employees, job seekers, and entrepreneurs.
Agenda
9:00-9:30am: Registration
9:30-9:35am: Welcome
9:35-10:00am: Keynote: Be Inspired to Be the Guide
Araceli Esparza, Consultant, Speaker, and Founder
Araceli Esparza is a renowned speaker and expert on Latino culture, celebrated for her dynamic and engaging presentations. With extensive experience in delivering exclusive professional development workshops, Araceli collaborates with companies to create inclusive and diverse workplaces.
Her deep understanding of Latino identity and culture, coupled with her expertise in addressing recruitment and retention challenges, makes her an invaluable resource for organizations seeking to enhance their cultural competency and team cohesion.
As a social entrepreneur, Araceli Esparza has coached many women and minority business owners on branding and social media marketing. She also counsels universities and non-profits on strategic outreach and building relationships with community leaders and movements. Named Wisconsin’s Most Influential Latina in 2024, Araceli founded the Midwest Mujeres Collective—a platform for Latinas and women of color to advance their professional development or business. Her mission is to break the isolation of Latinas living in the Midwest, spreading awareness of the power of networking, intersectionality, and using social capital for social justice.
Navigating the U.S. immigration system comes with many challenges, and assisting people through this process is challenging in its own right. Araceli will address how your organization can improve its assistance of new workers in Wisconsin, and how you can step into your role as guide for new immigrants pursuing employment and entrepreneurship.
10:00-10:50am: Keynote: Frameworks of Immigration
Grant Sovern, National Co-Chair, Immigration & Mobility Practice Group and Partner, Quarles & Brady LLP
Grant Sovern practices immigration law, focusing on business-based immigration. Addressing the needs of both employers and employees in the pharmaceutical, biotech, high tech and other industries, Grant advises on:
- Global mobility programs
- Immigration compliance (I-9) programs
- International transferee programs to the U.S.
Grant and his team examine the full range of their clients’ human resources needs and develop and manage immigration programs to enable employers to move employees where they need them, on the timetable they need them. Grant works to create programs that human resources teams can administer simply and efficiently, making their lives easier and enabling their foreign national employees to trust that their immigration goals are being achieved fully and effectively.
Committed to pro bono legal service and meeting the legal needs of immigrants who cannot afford counsel, Grant serves as president of the board of the Community Immigration Law Center, one of the first organizations in the country to develop a publicly funded public defender program for immigrants threatened with deportation. Grant helped develop a statewide network of pro bono attorneys to prepare and file asylum and special immigrant visa applications for Afghan refugees.
The basic “language” and structure of the US immigration system. What’s the difference between “visa” and “green card”? How does this connect to issues we may be “broadly familiar with” in general political/cultural discourse? This session will cover the main paths of success for employers and immigrant employees.
10:50-11:20am: Break-Out Groups & Discussion
Share common issues that business service providers face when assisting new immigrants, migrant workers, and undocumented workers.
11:20am-12:10pm: Immigration Law for Business People & Business Law for Immigration People
Presenters:
- Freya Katkowsky, Eastbridge Law Group, LLP
- Damon Etawlyah, Small Axe Cooperative
- Jeff Glazer, Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic
This session will cover where immigration law and business law intersect, covering visas (H1B, F1, E1, O1) and different business entities (LLCs & Co-Ops).
12:25-1:15pm: Business Life Cycle Planning & Immigration Compliance
Presenters:
- Raluca Vais-Ottosen, DeWitt LLP
- Jeff Glazer, Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic
- Damon Etawlyah, Small Axe Cooperative
Life Cycle Planning Session: This session will map the timelines of starting and running a business with that of relevant immigration issues to better understand what immigration-related issues are important as the business starts, grows, matures, and finally transitions. This will look at the Corporate Transparency Act, Visa application timelines and protocols, the impact of visa status on companies that are winding down, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
1:15-2:00pm: Lunch
2:00-2:50pm: Qualifying for Work Visa Status
Presenters:
- Gita Connolly, Immigrant Justice Clinic
- Amanda Gennerman, Pines Bach LLP
- Freya Katkowsky, Eastbridge Law Group, LLP
This session will cover the different ways that new workers in Wisconsin qualify for work visa status. Topics covered will include Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement, individual tax identification numbers, and work visa status for people who invest in Wisconsin companies. University affiliates and H1B visas.
3:05-3:55pm: Employment & Entrepreneurship in the Agriculture Sector
Presenters:
- Amanda Gennerman, Amanda Gennerman, Pines Bach LLP
- Raluca Vais-Ottosen, DeWitt LLP
What visas are generally available to the ag sector (H-2A, J-1, TN) and the general legal obligations employers commit to when sponsoring; employer risk management; social services available to migrant workers.
3:55-4:00pm: Closing Remarks
This symposium is co-sponsored by:
This symposium was made possible, in part, by federal award number SLFRP0135 awarded to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System on behalf of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension via the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Administration a grant from the United States Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.
We value inclusion and access for all participants. We are happy to provide accommodations to help you fully participate in this event.
