I was in a very similar situation to you - international visa, interested in innovative/startup work, few opportunities to develop my skills before coming to th

I was in a very similar situation to you - international visa, interested in innovative/startup work, few opportunities to develop my skills before coming to the states for college, coming from a developing country with narrow opportunities. I spent about a year after graduating working as a software consultant for startups for dirt-cheap (15$/hr work-from-home, 30-hours-per-week), and doing an internship, working on side projects (as suggested repeatedly here). Both these helped me learn a lot about both startups, consulting work, making ends meet, and knowing my strengths. I was able to better understand what value I can bring to a startup environment, and what values I want a startup environment to have so I can feel fulfilled. About a year after graduating I was able to find my way to a great Bay Area startup, and here I am, putting myself to good use, and feel quite prepared to even start my own venture in the near future. After wading through tons of paperwork, since that visa issue doesn't just disappear. Good luck on your venture! Feel free to reach out for help and info on your type of situation.