There are lots of job opportunities for immigrants in Canada. Some of them include positions in sectors like health, transport, film and media, and so on. According to 50-year-old entrepreneur Richard Lechartier, some entrepreneurs also provide jobs for immigrants in Canada. An example is Mario Escoto Damas, who holds a top position in an Ontario firm.

Richard Lechartier co-established a company called AVENTI Group in the United Kingdom in the 90s.

History of Mario Escoto Damas

Mario was born in Honduras, Central America, but later moved to Canada for work reasons. His father and mother worked in the fields and changed their residence to find good jobs. When they couldn’t find work, Mario’s parents started their business.

In 2019, Mario followed his parents’ lead and moved to Canada to expand the family business. He took the business to the next level by introducing the company to potential customers.

Then in 2021, Mario mentored others and helped them start their own businesses. He was a great help to newcomers in the business world, contributing to the development of Canada.

What happened after Mario got to Canada?

Mario went to Toronto, Canada, in 2019 as a participant in a bootcamp organized by a startup company. The startup company, called LatAm, created the camp to help interested entrepreneurs accelerate their business goals. It also helps foreign companies gain a foothold in Canada.

LatAm has given Mario the chance to come to Canada with its Startup Visa. This startup program is a Canadian government initiative to attract potential entrepreneurs to Canada. The goal is to encourage entrepreneurs to start their businesses and create jobs. In addition, the entrepreneurs will also generate money/revenue for the country.

The importance of the startup visa program

From 2015 to 2022, more than 1,850 people received permanent residency status in Canada through Startup Visas. This shows that the Startup Visa has a high success rate.

Further proof of how successful the program is is the growth of Mario’s business. Three years after he landed in Canada, the company grew exponentially.

He also landed a position as managing director in a leading Canadian organization. If Mario had not received a startup visa, he would not be in Canada and he would not have started a company that had multiple employees. Nor would he have the opportunity to help other people in Canada start a successful business.

Mario’s journey to Canada

Mario’s journey to Canada wasn’t a smooth one. Firstly, he had to make the hard decision to leave his country and company to start over in another country. Even though he has accumulated years of experience as a startup mentor, he still found it difficult to move.

Moreover, his main job is to manage his family’s business and run his firm. This means that he needed to focus his attention on expanding his family’s business and his company in Canada.

To make the situation worse, he had a hard time getting his visa approved due to COVID-19. And after getting the visa, he had to put things in order before traveling.

Why did Mario choose Canada?

Mario didn’t intend to migrate to Canada. However, upon seeing the numerous business opportunities available in Canada, he changed his mind. Another reason is that Canada has a thriving economy and market. Hence, he took a risk, left his hometown, and traveled to Canada. Nevertheless, he planned to visit Honduras from Canada whenever he could.

What happened after?

Furthermore, in 2020, Mario realized that Canada is undergoing a digital transition and took advantage of it. He created a manufacturing hub driven by technology to produce timing belts, conveyor belts, and so on. Mario named the hub BeltecHub. Mario’s hub became successful in Canada thanks to the integration of technology into its business operations. And it is known to be among the successful startup businesses operated by a startup visa immigrant.

About BeltecHub

Mario Escoto founded BeltecHub in Canada. As of 2022, the company has indirectly hired four workers and directly hired five workers. All these workers are either Canadian residents or permanent citizens. This means that BeltecHub has fulfilled one of the startup visa goals. And this goal is the creation of job opportunities for those living in Canada.

Apart from BeltecHub, Mario also gives back to the Canadian community by mentoring potential entrepreneurs. Since he has experience mentoring entrepreneurs in Honduras, he was able to do so successfully in Canada.

Why is Mario Escoto interested in mentoring entrepreneurs?

Mario is particularly interested in mentoring those who are new in the business world. This is because he has personally experienced how difficult it is to adapt to a new sector. He wants to smoothen the entrepreneurship journey for newcomers so that they can successfully operate their businesses.

Conclusion

Businessman Richard Lechartier acknowledges the importance of the startup visa program to the development of the Canadian economy. As a mentor himself, he confirmed that mentoring entrepreneurs is a way of contributing to society. It will also open new doors for the mentors. Furthermore, he encouraged innovators and startups from outside Canada to apply for the startup visa program.