Stories
Louisianan Says it’s the Strangers Who Make His Town Home
Chris Wade cares about the people of Monroe, Louisiana. He was born there, raised there, and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology there, from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He’s also spent a significant portion of his adult life volunteering in and around the city: driving a truck for… Read More
Ancient Indian Tradition Sparks 21st Century Business
When Sudha Krishnasamy was growing up in India, family meals were served on dried leaves. They were inexpensive, disposable, and completely biodegradable. After arriving in the United States, Krishnasamy was bothered by the frequent use of paper and Styrofoam plates; it felt wasteful to use something once, toss it in… Read More
Hard Work and Good Salsa Make for a Thriving Louisiana Business
You won’t see any paid advertisements for Ki’ Mexico, a laid-back cantina that serves authentic Mexican food and margaritas in Shreveport, Louisiana. But the two-year-old restaurant has near-perfect ratings on Facebook, Yelp, and TripAdvisor, and regularly attracts crowds so large that co-owner Rodrigo Mondragon had to purchase a business next… Read More
Immigrants Bring an Alabama Town Back to Life
Ashley Cummins has lived in Russellville, Alabama, her entire life. When she was young, the downtown area was “full of people in the streets and in the shops,” she says. Slowly, though, the once-popular shopping district transformed into “a ghost town.” “People just didn’t have the time and money to… Read More
After Accepting Immigrants, Kentucky Thrives
Since the city of Owensboro, Kentucky, began helping immigrants and refugees secure employment and affordable housing, something has happened: the local economy has grown 6 percent and unemployment has dropped to one of the lowest rates in the state. “A lot of these folks are entrepreneurs at heart,” says Joe… Read More
A Lone Face of Diversity Brings Art to a Small New York Town
In Perry, New York, where she serves as the executive director of the Arts Council for Wyoming County, Jackie Hoyt is one of the few non-white, immigrant faces. There, she makes an important contribution to the community of 41,000 by creating a diverse program that… Read More
Entrepreneur from New Zealand Creates Jobs while Helping Americans Give Back
When Dale Nirvani Pfeifer stumbled upon a Facebook post about an Afghan teacher trying to build a school for girls, she immediately felt compelled to give. Yet it took a good half hour to hunt down the website and navigate the donation form. “How many… Read More
Doctor Restores Vision Globally but Needs Skilled Workers in U.S.
Since 1986, Dr. Jash Sharma has run CIMA Life Science, an international company that fulfills a personal mission: Inspired by his father, who went blind at age 62, Dr. Sharma is helping tens of thousands of vision-impaired people to see. The company manufactures intraocular lenses, which replace a patient’s natural… Read More
‘Just Give Them a Meal,’ Says Pakistani-American Whose Restaurant Feeds the Homeless
When Kazi Mannan threw a grand opening party for Sakina Halal Grill, his Pakistani-Indian restaurant in Washington, D.C., his friends were surprised that they weren’t included on the guest list. Did he ditch them for a bunch of high-ranking politicos? No. The VIPs were all homeless. After serving his homeless… Read More
Despite Immigration Hurdles, British Entrepreneur Builds Successful Start-Up in St. Louis
Amit Kothari is the exact sort of entrepreneur that many cities would love to attract to their area. With a degree in computer science, the United Kingdom native has been at the helm of various start-ups, including one that helps individuals find quotes online and another that creates newspapers for… Read More
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