In the video above released by the Innovation Movement (advocacy group on behalf of entrepreneurs, via @amritsays), Amar Sawhney, CEO of Ocular Therapeutix, discusses being an immigrant and an entrepreneur in the United States.

In another 2010 story chronicling his road to entrepreneurial success, Amar Sawhney shares a story that is not uncommon among many immigrants who came to the United States in search of opportunity, and particularly those from India — arriving with very little money or social support in pursuit of education. Despite these challenges, Sawhney looked for opportunities out of challenges:

“People tend to be either optimists or pessimists,” he said. “You have to be an optimist. Even if life gives you what might seem at that time an unfair hand, sometimes it’s a blessing in disguise.”

Read more about Amar Sawhney here. On a related note, the upcoming Sikholars conference at Stanford in California will feature a panel discussion about innovation and entrepreneurship in the Sikh community.