Stories
Mohamed Al-Hamdani
In 1990, when Mohamed Al-Hamdani was eight, he and his family fled Iraq. Al-Hamdani’s father was part of the uprisings against Saddam Hussein, and the country was no longer safe for them. After two years in a Saudi Arabian refugee camp, they were resettled in Dayton, Ohio. It wasn’t easy. Read More
Jordanian Immigrant Establishes Printing Company in New Jersey
Alia SuqiOwner, Nextwave Web Growing up in Jordan as one of 14 siblings, Alia Suqi always knew she’d have to work hard to find her own way. Her parents were supportive, but there weren’t many opportunities for a young woman in Jordan — so after finishing high school in… Read More
Italian Immigrant Becomes Owner of Auto Body Shop in New Jersey
Mario TommolilloOwner, Mario’s Classic Auto Body of Paterson On the morning that Mario Tommolillo arrived in the United States from Italy, his parents woke him up at 5 a.m. to see the Statue of Liberty. It was 1967, and the family entered New York harbor on the SS United… Read More
Mexican Immigrant Starts Her Own Remediation Business in Reno
Teresa SidleOwner, All Eagle LLC When Teresa Sidle came to Reno from Mexico in 1984 as a shy teenager, she never could have imagined she’d be the owner of a company with 30 employees. Even more surprising: her company specializing in asbestos abatement and mold remediation is a… Read More
Mexican DREAMer Finds Success Starting Catering Business in Reno
Gustavo VelascoOwner, GUsTO Catering & Meals See Gustavo highlighted in the Reno Gazette Journal Gustavo Velasco had just graduated from Reed High School when a family friend asked him what he wanted to study in college. As a recent immigrant who’d moved to Reno from Mexico with his… Read More
Ethiopian Immigrant Couple Start Home-Care Business in Minnesota
Abraham & Aster Giorgis DaluOwners of A&A Reliable Home Health Care In the 1970s, Abe and Aster Giorgis Dalu attended the same high school in Ethiopia — then, a decade later, they reunited by chance in the United States, where they had both settled. Now married, the pair run A&A… Read More
South Asian Couple with Refugee Roots Starts Elder Care Service Business in Minnesota
Souk & Youa HerOwners of Elder Care Day Services Souk and Youa Her are high-school sweethearts who bonded over their families’ shared background as Hmong refugees: Souk was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, while Youa was born in America soon after her parents left a Laotian refugee… Read More
Bhutanese Refugee Becomes Serial Entrepreneur in Saint Paul
Tilak PokwalOwner of Groceries & Nepali Kitchen When Tilak Pokwal was 14 years old, his Nepali family fled their home in Bhutan amidst a wave of ethnic cleansing. Tilak spent the next 18 years in a refugee camp in Nepal, leaving only to get a college education in Kathmandu,… Read More
Congolese Immigrant and Entrepreneur “Sews” Hope in Washtenaw County
Esperance MalongaOwner of U4Hope In 2011, at 34, Esperance Malonga was granted an American diversity visa. It was the fifth time she’d entered the lottery. “When I won, it felt like a dream come true,” said the Congolese native. “I’ve always wanted to raise a family and maybe even… Read More
Immigrant Entrepreneur Employs Dozens of Workers in Mercer County
Barry ZhangCEO, Princetel Born in China, Barry Zhang came to New Jersey in 1988 to study at Princeton University, where he gained a PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Zhang was able to remain in the United States because of his wife, who gained a green card through her… Read More
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