Category: Small Businesses

In response to calls for race-based representation, this op-ed argues that Louisville deserves a leader who transcends traditional divides—a neutral, tech-forward, immigrant visionary who embodies both conservative pragmatism and inclusive understanding.

(https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2025/06/16/opinion-why-louisville-needs-its-first-black-mayor.html)

Louisville’s Political Landscape and Current Challenges

Louisville stands at a demographic and political crossroads. The metro population of about 617,000 is roughly 63% white and 24% Black, with a smaller Asian community under 3%. Yet in over two centuries, Louisville has never had a non-white mayor. In fact, no Republican has won the Louisville mayor’s office since 1969, reflecting the city’s long-standing Democratic leadership. This history frames today’s debates on representation: a recent opinion piece argued that Louisville needs its first Black mayor to address persistent inequities, citing the importance of lived experience in tackling poverty and civil unrest. That perspective arises from genuine concerns – the merger of city and county in 2003 diluted the Black voting share (from about one-third of the old city population to ~20% in the new metro) and, as civil rights leader Rev. Louis Coleman Jr. warned, made electing a Black mayor feel “all but impossible” under the new political math. The fear of diminished Black political power has indeed been borne out: to date, Louisville Metro has yet to elect an African-American mayor.

These representational gaps mirror real disparities on the ground. Racial equity, economic opportunity, and education remain pressing challenges. Black residents, who comprise nearly a quarter of the city, experience higher poverty and unemployment rates than their white counterparts. For instance, only 2.4% of Louisville’s employer businesses are Black-owned, despite 23.4% of the population being Black, a staggering ownership gap of about 21 percentage points – almost double the national average. This translates to fewer jobs and wealth creation in Black neighborhoods. Similarly, educational outcomes show a divide: recent studies have found that Black students in Jefferson County face harsher discipline and lower achievement, contributing to wider socioeconomic gaps. Even with various equity initiatives – from former Mayor Greg Fischer’s declaration of racism as a public health crisis in 2020 to new investments in West End neighborhoods – progress has been slow. Violence and justice issues also loom large (the 2020 Breonna Taylor tragedy and ensuing protests exposed deep rifts in trust). Louisville’s next leader will inherit a city still wrestling with segregation and inequality, and many believe a leader from a marginalized community would be best equipped to drive change.

Bridging Polarization through Immigrant Leadership

Amid these challenges, it’s worth considering a different yet complementary path to inclusive leadership: an immigrant, Asian-American mayor who can govern from “the middle” and unite a polarized base. Louisville’s political leanings are often depicted as polarized – a blue urban core in a red state – which sometimes leads to gridlock or mutual distrust between city hall and the state capital. A mayor who is a Republican and also a person of color could uniquely straddle these divides. Such a leader might earn goodwill and cooperation from Kentucky’s GOP-controlled legislature (crucial for securing funding and favorable policies), while their minority and immigrant background would allow them to empathize with and champion communities of color inside the city. In other words, this profile embodies bipartisan appeal: culturally attuned to diversity and equity, yet aligned with conservative stakeholders on pro-business and public safety priorities.

Immigrant leadership can bring a fresh neutrality to Louisville’s Black-white racial dynamic. Coming from outside the traditional power structures, an Asian-American immigrant isn’t bound by the city’s historical factions or grudges. They can approach racial equity as a pragmatic coalition-builder – not seen as favoring one side in the city’s longstanding racial narrative, but rather focusing on common goals that uplift all underserved groups. Immigrant families often have their own experiences with discrimination and upward struggle, creating a sense of solidarity with other marginalized communities. At the same time, immigrants have had to find common ground across cultural lines, a skill that could translate into healing Louisville’s divides and fostering unity.

From an economic standpoint, immigrants also exemplify entrepreneurial spirit and self-reliance that resonate with American ideals of meritocracy. An immigrant mayor might prioritize creating opportunities for people to help themselves – for example, expanding small-business support, skills training, and tech jobs – rather than relying solely on legacy approaches of government aid. This focus on empowerment and growth could attract moderate and conservative residents who value personal responsibility, while still addressing equity by removing barriers for the disadvantaged. In short, an Asian-American Republican mayor could demonstrate that diversity isn’t a partisan issue – one can be a proud representative of an immigrant community and a champion of inclusion and subscribe to fiscally conservative, pro-innovation governance that benefits everyone.

Lessons from Asian-American and Immigrant Mayors in the U.S.

Louisville wouldn’t be alone in looking to immigrant or Asian-American leadership to energize a city. Across the United States, a number of cities have thrived under mayors who were immigrants or children of immigrants, proving that diversity and effective governance go hand in hand. These examples span both political parties and all regions of the country:

• Karen Goh (Mayor of Bakersfield, CA) – Born in India and raised in California, Mayor Goh became the first person of Asian descent to lead Bakersfield when elected in 2016. A registered Republican, she brought a mindset of public service influenced by her immigrant family and years in business. Her tenure has focused on pragmatic problem-solving – for example, securing a major state grant to tackle homelessness at its roots and championing job creation and public safety. Voters rewarded her broad-based approach with a landslide re-election (83% of the vote in 2020). Goh’s success shows how an Asian-American woman in a traditionally conservative city can galvanize support to address social challenges without partisan rancor.
• Xavier and Francis Suarez (Miami, FL) – The Suarez family story in Miami exemplifies immigrant leadership across generations. Xavier Suarez, a Cuban immigrant, was elected mayor of Miami four times in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming the city’s first foreign-born mayor. He led with a pro-growth, community-minded agenda – presiding over a drastic reduction in crime and pushing improvements in environmental quality and housing affordability. His legacy of inclusive prosperity laid the groundwork for Miami’s rise as an international city. Today his son, Francis Suarez, serves as Miami’s current mayor and is himself a Republican of Cuban heritage. Under Mayor Francis Suarez, Miami has thrived as a hub for business, tech, and culture. He has leveraged his background to promote Miami as a “startup city” while also emphasizing resilience (climate adaptation) and quality of life. The Miami example suggests that immigrant-rooted leaders can successfully balance economic dynamism with social equity, all while transcending older ethnic politics through a shared city-first vision.
• Larry Zarian (Glendale, CA) – An Armenian-American who immigrated from Iran, Zarian became a beloved four-term mayor of Glendale starting in 1986. As a Republican businessman, he championed innovations that benefited everyone: launching the Glendale Beeline transit system to improve mobility and spearheading one of the city’s largest-ever economic development drives. Zarian’s leadership not only modernized Glendale’s infrastructure but also inspired pride in the sizable Armenian immigrant community there. He proved that an immigrant mayor could represent his ethnic community and the broader populace effectively.
• Wilmot Collins (Helena, MT) – Collins offers a powerful reminder that immigrant mayors can succeed even in places with little history of diversity. A refugee from Liberia, Collins was elected mayor of Helena in 2017 – the first Black mayor in Montana’s history and also a naturalized U.S. citizen. Running as an Independent, he unseated a four-term incumbent by appealing to common values and concerns. In office, Collins has focused on universally resonant issues like climate change, affordable housing, and fully funding essential city services. He also actively welcomes new refugees to his city, literally paying forward the inclusivity that gave him a chance. Helena voters embraced his performance with a resounding re-election (67% in 2021). Collins’ story underscores that an outsider perspective can refresh a community’s politics and build new coalitions – an insight Louisville could find relevant.

These cases (and others, from Oakland’s Jean Quan to Boston’s Michelle Wu) illustrate that Asian-American and other immigrant mayors have successfully led cities by focusing on meritocratic opportunity, public safety, and innovation, often while reaching across political divides. They draw on personal resilience and a vision of the American Dream that can inspire a wide range of constituents. Louisville’s own immigrant communities – which account for about 6% of the metro population and an even higher share of its entrepreneurs and tech workforce – are a wellspring of talent and new ideas that remain underrepresented in leadership. An immigrant mayor could tap into those networks, encouraging more civic participation from New Americans, and signal to the world that Louisville is ready to lead as a 21st-century city of inclusion and excellence.

A Vision of “AI for All” – Investing in the Future, Not the Past

One area where a forward-looking mayor could truly transform Louisville is technology and education. To become a “model city” of the 21st century, Louisville should double down on making artificial intelligence and broadband internet accessible to all residents – a strategy an entrepreneurially minded leader would aggressively champion. Rather than pouring resources solely into legacy projects or reactive spending, the city should prioritize digital empowerment as the great equalizer for its people.

Louisville has already taken steps in this direction. In 2019 it entered a digital alliance with Microsoft to establish Louisville as a regional hub for AI, IoT, and data science innovation. The idea is to prepare the workforce for automation and tech-driven jobs through upskilling programs, so that technological change creates opportunity instead of displacing workers. Community organizations like AMPED have been teaching coding and IT skills to youth in low-income areas, supported by this initiative. Both Microsoft and Metro Government have also backed a Digital Inclusion Initiative to close the skills gap in underserved neighborhoods, bringing digital literacy training to those who need it most. These efforts earned Louisville recognition as a “Digital Inclusion Trailblazer” multiple years in a row, as the city worked to eliminate “fiber deserts” in the West End and ensure more equitable tech access.

City and business leaders announce Louisville’s partnership with Microsoft to become a regional artificial intelligence hub, a step toward building a more tech-savvy and inclusive economy.

Building on this foundation, an administration focused on “AI for All” could propel Louisville ahead of peer cities. This means not only attracting tech companies but also weaving AI into public services, education, and everyday life in a fair way. For example, public schools and libraries could offer AI training modules for students and adults, ensuring that children from every ZIP code gain exposure to tools like machine learning and data analytics. (City leaders must heed warnings from experts that a new divide is emerging “where the rich have access to [advanced technology] and teachers to help them use it, while the poor do not”. Proactive public investment can prevent AI from widening the gap.) City government itself could deploy AI in ways that benefit all citizens – from traffic management and public transit optimization to predictive analytics that improve health and safety programs – making sure to include community input so that these technologies are used ethically and transparently.

Along with AI literacy, universal high-speed internet is a must-have infrastructure in the modern era. A visionary mayor would treat broadband like the new roads and bridges – a public necessity. Louisville has the opportunity to leverage unprecedented federal support: Kentucky recently became eligible to tap over $1 billion in “Internet for All” funding to extend high-speed internet statewide. With smart planning, those funds can help blanket West Louisville and other underserved areas with affordable broadband, enabling digital equity. Imagine every household, from Shively to Shelby Park, having reliable internet to access telemedicine, online education, remote work, and e-commerce. This could be truly transformative: studies show internet connectivity strongly correlates with economic growth and educational attainment. A mayor advocating “Internet for All” would push providers and use public-private partnerships to close remaining gaps, ensuring that no neighborhood is left offline.

Critically, these tech-forward investments shouldn’t be seen as abstract or elitist – they directly address legacy disparities. Broadband and AI access give disadvantaged communities the tools to leapfrog into new opportunities. For instance, a laid-off worker in south Louisville could take free online courses in data analytics; a Black entrepreneur in Russell could leverage e-commerce to reach customers worldwide; a first-generation college student could use AI tutors to excel in STEM classes. This kind of personal empowerment through technology aligns perfectly with an immigrant perspective: it’s about giving people the tools to succeed on their merits. Rather than perpetually funding short-term fixes, Louisville can build an innovation-driven economy where everyone has a chance to participate. An immigrant mayor who rose by education and tech (as many do) would intuitively grasp the importance of these priorities, galvanizing public support for making Louisville a leader in “AI for all” and digital inclusion.

Di Tran: A Homegrown Example of Immigrant Resilience

To put a human face on this vision, Louisville can look to Di Tran’s story as an inspirational model. Di Tran is not (yet) a household name in politics, but in the business and non-profit community he’s recognized as a dynamic entrepreneur and “community transformer.” His journey epitomizes the immigrant ideal and illustrates the very qualities we might want in a future mayor – regardless of whether he ever runs for the office, his life offers a blueprint for the kind of leadership that could uplift Louisville.

Di Tran arrived in Louisville in 1995 as a refugee from Vietnam, a shy teenager with virtually no English skills. He grew up in humble circumstances – “in the rural mud of Vietnam,” as he recalls – and even after coming to the U.S., he spent years working factory jobs to support his family. Despite these hardships, he persevered and seized educational opportunities: Di Tran earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer engineering at the University of Louisville, then launched a thriving career in IT. By his early 30s, he became a principal software architect at Humana, leading teams of engineers on major projects and pioneering enterprise data solutions. This technical expertise in a Fortune 500 setting gave him first-hand insight into how large organizations can innovate and also how employees from different backgrounds can be developed – experience directly relevant to managing a big city workforce and budget.

But Di Tran didn’t stop at personal career success. He felt called to entrepreneurship and social impact, aiming to create opportunities for others. Over the past two decades, he has founded or co-founded more than 15 small businesses in Louisville, ranging from tech consulting to real estate to education. His flagship enterprise, Louisville Beauty Academy, has trained and graduated over 1,000 licensed professionals (on track to 2,000) – many of them women and immigrants from lower-income backgrounds entering the beauty industry. Seeing those first students pass their state board exams, Di Tran said, was his most defining moment, because many came from marginalized backgrounds and “overcame countless obstacles to achieve their goals.” It underscored his mission to “empower underrepresented communities through education and opportunity.” This ethos of empowerment is evident in initiatives like the Louisville Institute of Technology (LIT), a tech training college he launched to give practical IT skills to local youth and career-changers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LIT’s programs helped 100+ students land IT jobs – concrete proof that investing in people’s skills can change lives.

As an immigrant leader, Di Tran has also tackled the systemic barriers that others often ignore. A prime example is his advocacy for language inclusion in professional licensing. Noticing that many talented immigrants struggled to pass cosmetology licensing exams due to limited English, he led a years-long push to offer the exams in multiple languages. This culminated in Kentucky Senate Bill 14 (2024), which established one of the nation’s first multi-language licensing exams for a trade profession. Thanks to this reform, by late 2024 over 100 new licenses had been issued to applicants who could finally test in their native language. This is a powerful case of an “outsider” spotting an inequality and working within the system to fix it – exactly the kind of innovative, inclusive policymaking Louisville needs more of. Di Tran achieved it not through partisan rhetoric but through persistence, coalition-building, and demonstrating to officials that Kentucky’s workforce would be stronger if we “lower the language barrier” for hardworking immigrants.

Beyond business, Di Tran’s community contributions abound. He founded the New American Business Association (NABA), a nonprofit dedicated to training immigrant entrepreneurs and connecting them with mentors and resources. He also started a scholarship fund to help low-income students afford trade school tuition, directly addressing educational gaps. For these efforts, he has received numerous honors – from Louisville Business First’s “2024 Most Admired CEO” award to the Mosaic Award by Jewish Family & Career Services recognizing leadership in new American communities. Yet perhaps the boldest testament to his civic mindset was when he ran for public office himself, as a long-shot candidate. In 2018 and 2020, Di Tran entered local races (for Metro Council and State Senate) with minimal name recognition and funding. He ultimately lost, but he calls it “the wildest thing [he’s] ever done” and invaluable for the lessons and relationships gained. “Despite the odds, I embraced it as a learning opportunity,” he said, and it “shaped who I am today.” This willingness to step into the arena – to risk failure for the chance to serve – is a hallmark of true leadership.

In highlighting Di Tran, we are not suggesting that he is the only viable candidate or that Louisville’s next mayor must be him. Rather, his story encapsulates the qualities we should seek: immigrant resilience, business acumen, dedication to education, and a bridge-builder’s heart. He embodies the idea that one can be socially inclusive and economically pragmatic at the same time. For instance, Di Tran speaks passionately about the promise of AI in education, predicting that “AI will soon teach all subjects,” which could democratize learning and personalize it for every student. This reflects a forward-thinking vision unencumbered by old paradigms. If Louisville were led by someone of similar mindset – someone who has lived the disparities and conquered them, who thinks in terms of empowering people rather than managing decline – it could be transformative. His life is proof that Louisville’s immigrant communities are a tremendous asset, not just culturally but in leadership potential.

Inclusion and Meritocracy: A New Direction for Louisville

In advocating for an Asian-American, immigrant mayor, we acknowledge the validity of other perspectives – including the call for Louisville’s first Black mayor. The push for Black representation is rooted in undeniable truths: our Black neighbors have suffered some of the deepest inequities and deserve a voice at the highest level of local government. That cause deserves respect and continued support. This op-ed is not an argument against that aspiration, but an expansion of the conversation. True inclusion means all communities have a seat at the table and a chance to lead. As Louisville Business First’s editors themselves have noted, balanced editorial representation is crucial in civic debates. The city benefits when multiple viewpoints are aired in good faith, allowing citizens to weigh different ideas for progress.

Ultimately, what we want is a Louisville that lives up to its full potential – a city that can heal old wounds while leapfrogging into the future. Whether the next mayor is Black, Asian, white or otherwise, what matters is that they champion meritocracy, innovation, and empowerment for every person in our city. In that regard, the profile of a Republican Asian-American entrepreneur might just hit a sweet spot. Such a leader could decisively turn the page from the status quo, bringing in fresh solutions to persistent problems. Imagine a mayor who aggressively grows jobs through tech training and startup incubators, and partners with west Louisville neighborhoods to ensure Black-owned businesses flourish (closing that 21% ownership gap). Imagine a mayor who can sit down with both President Biden’s administration for urban initiatives and Senator Mitch McConnell’s allies for federal support – and find common ground with each, for Louisville’s sake. A mayor who exemplifies “personal empowerment” might shift City Hall’s focus toward enabling citizens – expanding mentorship programs, improving public schooling quality, and making sure that anyone with a good idea and work ethic can make it here, regardless of background.

Louisville has always been a city of potential and contrasts – large enough to matter, small enough to change. We have an opportunity to lead by example in the region, showcasing how a mid-American city can reinvent itself through inclusion and forward-thinking leadership. By embracing an immigrant perspective at City Hall, Louisville could send a powerful message: that our unity is stronger than our divisions, and that anyone can rise to make a difference in our community. It’s a vision in which a child of refugees can stand side by side with the descendants of slaves and the offspring of Appalachia, working together to build prosperity.

As the editorial pages fill with discussions about who should lead Louisville next, let’s ensure we consider all the possibilities. We owe it to ourselves to find a leader of bold imagination and bridge-building ability – someone who embodies both the city’s rich diversity and its entrepreneurial spirit. In the spirit of balanced debate, this perspective invites Louisville to think outside the conventional political box. The next great chapter in our city’s history might well be written by a neutral, tech-savvy, immigrant entrepreneur-turned-public servant. If we are truly committed to becoming a model of 21st-century inclusion and meritocracy, we should welcome that prospect with open minds and open arms.

REFERENCES

  American Immigration Council. (2020, October 7). Immigrants in Kentucky. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/immigrants-in-kentucky

  City of Louisville, Kentucky. (2019, December 10). Louisville named Digital Inclusion Trailblazer for third year in a row. https://louisvilleky.gov/news/louisville-named-digital-inclusion-trailblazer-third-year-row

  Fischer, G. (2020, July 7). Mayor declares racism a public health crisis. Louisville Metro Government. https://louisvilleky.gov/news/mayor-declares-racism-public-health-crisis

  Louisville Business First. (2025, June 16). OPINION: Why Louisville needs its first Black mayor. https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2025/06/16/opinion-why-louisville-needs-its-first-black-mayor.html

  Microsoft. (2019, November 18). Louisville joins Microsoft’s TechSpark program to boost local innovation and jobs. https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2019/11/18/louisville-joins-microsofts-techspark-program-to-boost-local-innovation-and-jobs/

  National League of Cities. (2022). Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Mayors Leading Across the U.S. https://www.nlc.org/article/2022/05/12/aapi-mayors-leading-across-the-u-s/

  Pew Research Center. (2023, February 1). Asian Americans’ views of the U.S. vary by place of birth and age. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/02/01/asian-americans-views-of-the-u-s-vary-by-place-of-birth-and-age/

  U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). QuickFacts: Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/louisvillejeffersoncountymetrogovbalancekentucky

  U.S. Department of Commerce. (2023). Internet for All: Kentucky receives over $1 billion to expand high-speed internet access. https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/news/latest-news/kentucky-internet-for-all-announcement

  U.S. Small Business Administration. (2021). Minority Business Ownership: Data from the 2018 Annual Business Survey. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2018/econ/abs/2018-abs-state.html

  University of Louisville. (2024). Alumni spotlight: Di Tran, from refugee to tech entrepreneur and educator. https://louisville.edu/alumni/profiles/di-tran

  Urban Institute. (2023, September 15). How broadband access affects economic opportunity. https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/how-broadband-access-affects-economic-opportunity

  WDRB News. (2021, February 14). Louisville Metro’s political history since merger: Why some say Black voters lost power. https://www.wdrb.com/in-depth/louisville-metros-political-history-since-merger-why-some-say-black-voters-lost-power/article_1e1c0b62-6f10-11eb-82fd-271b9f738aad.html

  WFPL News. (2023, October 9). New JCPS data shows continued disparities in discipline and performance. https://wfpl.org/new-jcps-data-shows-continued-disparities-in-discipline-and-performance/

  World Economic Forum. (2024, January 22). AI is transforming education. But only if access is equal. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/01/ai-education-digital-divide/

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