Name three words you use to describe yourself.

Visionary, uplifting and helpful.

Tell us about a defining moment in your career.

A defining moment was leaving corporate America and determining how to use my skills and passion to grow the St. Louis region and use my marketing skills to further economic growth. Research showed that the region needs international people for their skills and cultures, to add to our population and diversity.

Mosaic launched in 2013 and our work is done through collaborations with hundreds of local organisations, universities, corporations, cultural groups, faith organisations, K-12 schools, immigration agencies and government entities.

What’s something that keeps you awake at night?

The limited number of H-1B visas. It really bothers me that we can’t seem to move that number.

If unemployment is low, we should be able to offer more than 85,000. It keeps me up thinking about how we can keep talented people here. We have many workarounds, so if we could allow companies more visas to get the talent they need, we would all be better served.

What’s one of the most interesting trends you have observed recently in your work?

The use of artificial intelligence is really fascinating. It’s going to help with cover letters and with communications that can be done to help candidates better prepare for interviews. And it will help the companies interviewing as well.

With AI, they can gain a better understanding of candidates by generating more in-depth questions for the whole interview process.

Tell us about a project or an initiative that you are currently working on that excites you.

We want to grow the Hispanic community in St. Louis. We have so many opportunities for work-authorised Hispanic people through our universities, companies and trade.

So finding ways to increasingly support Hispanic people in St. Louis by welcoming and supporting them to build their community here is very motivating. And I think that’s going to translate for both our international students who come from Spanish-speaking countries as well as for the businesses here.

Tell us some of the top skills employers tell you they are seeking in employees.

Employers are looking for power skills. Some people call them soft skills, but I think power skills is a better term. They want that engagement. They want people who are going to be proactive and take their knowledge to a new level.

Building relationships is something we encourage because we know in America, the like-ability factor is really important in how people get promoted, how they get better opportunities and how they get doors opened. And so, it’s important to have a strong understanding of both technical and like-ability skills so that employees are welcomed into new roles and get opportunities for promotions.

What’s a top book recommendation?

I published a book in 2021 to help international people who are authorised to work in the US to find good employment entitled, Welcome to the U.S.A.-You’re Hired! A Guide for Foreign-Born People Seeking Jobs.

It addresses what it takes to be successful in the American economy for international students, refugees and executives and it offers real case studies. Readers say they enjoy the empathy the case studies show because they portray the human experience.

In the book, I discuss what makes someone an irresistible hire. And the word irresistible is key for international hires, because for the companies that hire them, it takes extra resources, time, money and immigration lawyers.

“We educate regional employers about the benefits and process of hiring international students”

So it’s important for candidates to know what makes someone irresistible to an organisation and how they can gain the skills to make them irresistible for that organisation to go the extra mile.

Why St. Louis? What are those unique selling points about coming here to live, work or study?

St. Louis has a blend of business, cultural and educational opportunities in a region that’s very liveable, central and has a good cost of living. And we have the big city resources that people want such as museums, musicals, lakes and parks. And we have economic wellbeing.

Mosaic works with HEIs such as Webster University, which just enrolled a record 1,000+ international students, to provide resources and speakers to assist with guidance for their international students. We have relationships with our chambers of commerce and companies to bring insights to the hiring process.

And we educate regional employers about the benefits and process of hiring international students.

We have a growing international community and an individual can really make a difference here if they want to be involved. Whether they’re a student or a businessperson, they can make an impact right away.

Mosaic participated in an event with all our ethnic Chambers of Commerce-African, Afghan, Asian-American and Hispanic. This was a great opportunity for international students to meet people who may help open doors for them to local businesses and organizations.

People can become impact players here very quickly, and that provides entrée for personal relationships, for business relationships and for new opportunities to develop.