Founders Without Borders is a podcast that highlights the journeys and stories of immigrant founders building generational businesses. Hosted by Harshita Girase.
When Koji Kanematsu (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kojikanematsu/) moved to the U.S. to launch his restaurant, he had experience, but zero credit history, no bank statements, and couldn't get a loan or a location. Instead of giving up, he served up persistence - founding Onigilly (https://onigilly.com/), the popular Japanese kitchen dedicated to bringing authentic, healthy Onigiri to America.
In this episode of Founders Without Borders, host Harshita sits down with Koji to talk about the brutal financial barriers that greet immigrant food entrepreneurs and how he stayed committed to introducing a new, authentic staple to the American palate.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How Koji navigated the "zero credit history" problem to secure his very first business location and funding
- The mission behind introducing the Onigiri (Japanese rice ball) as a healthy, everyday option in the U.S.
- The critical role persistence played - and how he kept going when other contemporary businesses decided to quit
- Why "never giving up" is the fundamental mindset needed to break through the initial hurdles of immigrant entrepreneurship.
✨ Check out Onigilly (www.onigilly.com): bringing delicious, handmade Onigiri to communities across the United States.
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🎧 Listen to Founders Without Borders - the podcast highlights stories of immigrant founders who are building impactful, generational businesses across borders.📲 Follow us for more inspiring founder stories:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@foundersglobal
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCb2We4MMvzj-DwNt95K0zIw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/@foundersglobal
3 Nov 2025
#17: Akash Bhat | India | Leen
Akash Bhat (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhatakash/) came to the US dreaming of a career in sports media. Instead, he ended up in private equity, moved to investing, built a podcast, and finally pivoted to founding Leen (https://www.leen.dev/), a cybersecurity company. His path proves that the most impactful journeys are rarely linear.
In this episode of Founders Without Borders, host Harshita sits down with Akash Bhat, founder of Leen, to talk about his incredible evolution across multiple facets of the tech world, why your career should be an "open canvas," and the immense personal growth that often follows professional pivots.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Akash’s "outrageous" philosophy on networking and why you must do things that make you stand out to attract real mentors
- How to embrace a non-linear journey - from wanting to work in entertainment to building a cybersecurity company
- The importance of showing up and demonstrating your worth through quality work
- Akash’s raw, honest perspective on navigating a fragile mental health state and the dramatic positive changes that can happen in just 12 months
✨ Check out Leen (leen.dev) - Akash's new venture, building next-generation security tools for the digital world.
******************************
🎧 Listen to Founders Without Borders - the podcast highlights stories of immigrant founders who are building impactful, generational businesses across borders.📲 Follow us for more inspiring founder stories:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@foundersglobal
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCb2We4MMvzj-DwNt95K0zIw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/@foundersglobal
17 Oct 2025
#16: Liesel Vaidya | Nepal | Imera
When a visa scare almost ended her dream, Liesel Vaidya turned fear into fuel — founding Imera, a platform helping immigrants and visa holders build better lives in the U.S. 🌎
In this episode of Founders Without Borders, host Harshita sits down with Liesel Vaidya (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lieselvaidya) , co-founder of Imera, to talk about her journey as an immigrant entrepreneur, the challenges of navigating complex U.S. visa systems, and how those experiences inspired her to create a startup empowering visa holders around the world.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How Liesel turned her visa struggles into a mission-driven startup idea
- What it takes to build a tech product for underserved communities
- The power of community and support for immigrants and international professionals
- How Imera is redefining what it means to live, work, and thrive on a visa
✨ Check out Imera: www.withimera.com - your all-in-one companion for visa holders offering guidance, community, and tools to simplify life in the U.S.
******************************
🎧 Listen to Founders Without Borders - the podcast highlights stories of immigrant founders who are building impactful, generational businesses across borders.📲 Follow us for more inspiring founder stories:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@foundersglobalYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCb2We4MMvzj-DwNt95K0zIw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/@foundersglobal
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
11 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 30 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
31
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
71
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