“I have to fight inequality with love, with a smile, with hard work”: Migrant Women’s Entrepreneurship in Iceland

Migrants play an increasing role in the Icelandic economy, providing much-needed labour and establishing new business ventures. In this phenomenological study, we interviewed migrant women entrepreneurs (MWEs), seeking to understand their lived experiences as entrepreneurs, illuminating the intersectionality of barriers and their agency in sourcing strength from their migrant networks. For some of the MWEs, their initial motivation for becoming entrepreneurs was necessity, but the majority desired to contribute to the community, support other migrant women, and innovate. They felt excluded and disempowered when operating in male-dominated sectors and with local businesswomen. However, they sourced strength from their migrant entrepreneur networks and from focusing on empowering other women. The findings underscore the importance of considering both social and economic value-creating goals in migrant entrepreneurship research.