You ever notice how everyone loves to talk about the barriers minority entrepreneurs face, but almost no one talks about the cultural advantages we carry? It’s funny—people see where we come from and assume it’s all struggle, but they miss the gifts baked into our upbringing. Many of us were raised on resilience, resourcefulness, and community support. And even though those traits rarely make it into entrepreneurship podcasts or startup playbooks, they’re some of the most valuable assets you can bring into business.

Growing up with less teaches you things money can’t buy. It makes you scrappy without even trying. It forces you to be creative with whatever you’ve got. It gives you this natural instinct to stretch a dollar, solve problems with limited tools, and keep going long after most people tap out. These aren’t just survival skills—they’re entrepreneurial superpowers. We’re wired to build something out of nothing because we’ve done it our whole lives.

And there’s more. A lot of our cultural backgrounds emphasize respect—respect for elders, for community, for responsibility. We’re taught to think long-term, not just chase the quick win. So when we build businesses, those values show up. We think about relationships before revenue. We invest in employees because we genuinely care. We prioritize growth that lasts, not growth that looks good on a pitch deck. And funny enough, those values create companies that are stronger, more respected, and far more resilient.

People don’t talk about these advantages enough. But they’re real. And they’re powerful.