Mexican Immigrant Ignites Entrepreneurial Spirit in Allen County

In 1991, when Aaron Robles was just a few months old, his parents crossed the border from Juárez, Mexico, and headed north. They landed in Fort Wayne and found work in construction and manufacturing. Robles didn’t learn English until he entered kindergarten, but with the school system’s ESL instruction, he was soon translating for his parents with bank tellers and landlords. “I had a lot of responsibility when I was really young,” Robles says. “But apart from that, I was a normal Midwestern kid—I mostly cared about Power Rangers and PBJs.” 
 
Robles never thought of himself as undocumented. Then he turned 16 and realized that he couldn’t get a driver’s license. Later, he won a prestigious 21st Century Scholars scholarship to attend the University of Saint Francis, but lost the funding when scholarship administrators learned he wasn’t a U.S. citizen. “Getting that opportunity and then losing it was heartbreaking,” he says. “I was a high achiever, but I felt like I wasn’t allowed to actually do anything.” 
 
Robles didn’t lose hope, thanks to the graphic design training and mentorship he received at the Anthis Career Center through SkillsUSA, a national workforce development program offered at his high school. “They made sure that the few doors that could be opened would open to me,” he says. After studying at Ivy Tech Community College, he worked in design and marketing for Darlington Holiday Warehouse. He was so talented that the company promoted him to marketing director. The company simply assumed he was a U.S. citizen, and why wouldn’t they? 
 
“I’m light-skinned and green-eyed so people don’t assume I’m an immigrant,” Robles says. “I don’t remember Mexico, and I feel completely American—which makes it frustrating that there have been so many legal barriers.” 
 
Robles finally gained employment authorization when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was introduced in 2012. He then launched three businesses: Founders Spark, which runs networking events for local entrepreneurs; Hyprnova, providing branding and marketing for businesses and nonprofits; and most recently Arepiz, the first U.S. franchise of a popular Colombian restaurant chain. 
 
At Hyprnova, his clients include Amani Family Services and Latinos Count, both of which provide mentoring and other services to young immigrants. “When I was younger, organizations like these helped me reach my potential,” he says. “Now I want to do the same for other Latino kids.” 
 
Today, Robles employs four regular workers and often hires additional temporary contractors. His workforce is diverse, which is good for business. “I’ve worked hard to build a bilingual team,” Robles says. “A lot of our efforts focus on helping nonprofits to translate websites and marketing materials so they can reach a wider audience.”