What specific barrier is your company trying to alleviate for international students, and how did your experience inspire this solution?
Our company helps international students secure safe, ready-to-move-in accommodations before they even arrive in the country. Often, students face a stressful and time-consuming process of finding housing, dealing with contracts and rental agreements, and setting up utilities, all while navigating an unfamiliar environment. As former international students, we encountered these challenges firsthand, which inspired us to simplify the housing process for students. Our solution at 4stay removes these distractions so students can focus on their studies and extracurricular activities without worrying about housing logistics.
When was your venture founded, and what is your reach across the U.S. higher education sector? Do you have a sense of how many students you are impacting?
4stay has grown significantly since its founding in 2016, and today we partner with more than 400 institutions across 48 cities in North America. We’re proud to have served more than20,000 students to date.
Our entrepreneurial journey is about making the process smoother for the next generation of international students.
Why do you think we need an entrepreneurial approach to serving international students, alongside the work of universities and nonprofits?
An entrepreneurial approach allows for rapid innovation and flexibility that can complement the more structured, sometimes slower efforts of universities and nonprofits. Entrepreneurs, especially former international students, bring a unique perspective. They understand the challenges firsthand and can identify gaps in existing services more quickly. This lived experience allows them to develop solutions that are more tailored, practical, and responsive to students’ real needs. Moreover, the entrepreneurial mindset encourages experimentation, scaling of solutions, and rapid pivoting. By working alongside universities and nonprofits, these entrepreneurial efforts can drive systemic change, ensuring that international students are supported in a holistic, innovative way.
What do you think are enduring challenges that international students continue to face in the United States? What are some challenges that you have faced as immigrant entrepreneurs?
Navigating the housing market remains a challenge. As immigrant entrepreneurs, we have also faced challenges that go beyond housing. Building a business in a new country means navigating unfamiliar legal, financial, and regulatory environments while also adapting to cultural differences. It requires a lot of resilience, adaptability, and the ability to quickly learn and apply new knowledge. But, at the same time, these challenges are opportunities to create solutions that address real problems, not only for international students but for immigrants in general. Our entrepreneurial journey is about making the process smoother for the next generation of international students.
What is your advice for international students who aspire to become entrepreneurs like you?
Embrace resilience and adaptability. The challenges that come with moving to a new country can also become your greatest sources of inspiration. As an international student, you already have the experience of navigating unfamiliar environments, which is a valuable entrepreneurial skill. Start by identifying problems you’ve faced and think about scalable solutions. Many successful ventures are born from solving a personal problem that others are also experiencing. Networking and building a support system are also key. Finally, persistence is everything. Entrepreneurship is not an easy path, and there will be setbacks.
