Why small businesses and entrepreneurs will change the world.

This is a short story about why our mission at Public Spend Forum, to help diverse and emerging entrepreneurs and governments connect matters to me, why I work all day and night, why I invested over $5 million of my own money and didn't ask anyone to pay anything for our services for several years.

In short, it is about what I believe in, the potential of people to be able to lift themselves up to build a better future for themselves, for their families and for their communities. I get emotional when I think about it...because I truly believe God put each and every one of us here to do great things. And if we can each give each other a helping hand, we can help realize the greatness in each of us.

My story of entrepreneurship

Age 7. My parents had left me behind in India when they moved to the US. I was shattered as a child being separated from my parents. My refuge? My uncle's office supplies store right outside our house.

Unlike all the other kids, I rushed to the store right after school. It was maybe an escape from missing my parents, maybe it was something else. What I remember is the joy of being there every day, helping pack accounting books and pens/paper into packages, talking to customers, running out for errands. Maybe entrepreneurship was in my blood from the beginning.

God knows I had already seen the face of small business even as a child. Whether it was my uncle's shop or the countless small business owners around us in the town of Faridabad, India, they all worked all day, EVERY DAY, made enough to support their families and build a future for their kids.

My family and parents as entrepreneurs, well that is a story in itself.

My father was a refugee at the age of 11, after Pakistan and India split up. Going from private school to become a kid raised on the streets didn't kill his spirit. It actually maybe brought it to life. To help his family, he sold candy on the streets. And he was good at it! He knew the hustle and he knew how to sell. He was an entrepreneur who was doing what all amazing entrepreneurs do, taking care of his family and (re)building a future for them.

Somehow, after studying under street lamps, willing his way into a job at the American Embassy (imagine that, a street kid with a job at the American Embassy), he got married and had us.

And then he lost it all. He took all the money he had saved, put it towards a garment export business. It failed and we had nothing. Really nothing. My mom tells us "we had enough to feed the kids" and ate one meal.

I remember only glimpses of this time but what I do remember is my father leaving us, with everything that we had, to come to America by himself.

He worked a construction job, at McDonalds, at who knows what else. "I bought one hamburger a day, I would eat half of it for lunch, and half for dinner, so I could save as much as I could and get you all here to America with me," he tells us now.

And then we made it. We made it to America. Although I was only here for 1 year before being separated and going back to India, I remember how excited we were to be here, to know somehow our father had rebuilt us from the ground up.

Somehow, my mom ended up running a card and gift store in Washington DC. My parents would leave the house at 6am, open the store at 7am, close it 7pm, come home by 8pm. She would then make dinner. And do it all over again every day.

For less than $100/day.

I remember how hard she worked. I used to go to the store every day after high school to help her. Just like my uncle's store in Faridabad, I loved being there, helping do whatever it took because I knew it was helping us as a family.

My parents in-law, another story of small business, this one in Amisville, Virginia.

After working as a materials scientist at the Department of Energy (with several patents to his name), and my mother-in-law working as an endodontist with a very successful practice, they "retired."

And started the first Indian-American winery in the country.

From the beginning, there was a commitment to give back to the community, to support local artisans, local businesses. It made things more difficult for sure. But that didn't matter. They knew that part of having a small business is being there for your community.

And talk about hard work. Get up at 5am, go to the fields to work on the vines. Take a shower, open up the winery. 14-16 hours a day.

What a retirement project! But they were living their American dream!

My father-in-law passed away a few years ago and I spoke at his funeral. I talked about the joy the winery, his small business, brought him every day. The joy of knowing they were doing something for their community, the joy of meeting new people, the joy of creating jobs, the joy of just serving others.

My mother-in-law, a valiant entrepreneur who after his passing away, somehow continues to do the work of many people, is an inspiration. Watching how hard she works leaves you inspired, floored.

Entrepreneurship, small businesses in our family, have meant everything to us.

They gave my Dad a fighting chance as a refugee to sell candy on the streets, to bring enough in to feed themselves every day. They gave my parents a chance to start their life in American, even if it meant working day and night. They gave my in-laws the ability to give back to their community, create jobs, live their dream.

You see, this is why entrepreneurship to me is not about venture capital, or business plans or growth. It's just about the ability to give someone, anyone, the ability to feed their families, rebuild their lives, invest in their communities.

It is above all, about believing in yourself, believing in the cause you fight for and tapping into every ounce of God-given potential you have to make it and build a better future for us all.

Tomorrow, I look forward to telling you about our brand manifesto and why we are fighting for entrepreneurs and government to work together, to help us build a better world.