An Entrepreneur in Exile
Silicon Valley CEO Chet Jainn flew to India to speak at a conference. His visa home was denied.
This story is part of The Trump 45, a special package about Trump’s impact on individual lives.
By Chet Jainn, as told to Alyssa Giacobbe
I have always been an entrepreneur. I started my first company at 19. In 2014, I founded my current company, Crowdera, an online fundraising platform that works mainly with nonprofits. This was after more than 15 years working in both the U.S. and in India with companies like Xerox, eBay, and Pearson Education. We had offices in Silicon Valley and were close to opening one in Austin.
In July of 2017, I was invited to speak at a major event for entrepreneurs in India. I left California, and I haven’t been back. A few days before I was set to fly home, I was told that my visa had been denied. I was asked to submit documentation that I’d already submitted. This was after 10 years of being in the U.S. — 10 years of building my home, 10 years of paying Social Security. I had a beautiful house in Menlo Park, and my son loved his school and his friends. I had created so much employment and had mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs throughout Silicon Valley. I’d felt I’d done a lot for the country. But that’s when I realized it was not my…
