Presented by Hire Immigrants, Cities of Migration & Bertelsmann Stiftung
Archived webinar featured on August, 2017
Refugees have left everything behind, including successful businesses. Now in their new communities, many refugees are fueled by their entrepreneurial spirit, and eager to reestablish their business or create a new one. Refugee entrepreneurs have the potential to make significant economic contributions, but there are a number of barriers to overcome before the full potential of these newcomers can be realized. Forward-thinking communities that recognize the barriers faced by newcomer entrepreneurs, including a lack of familiarity with the business culture, lack of professional networks and limited access to resources, can effectively respond to foster successful start-ups among the refugee entrepreneur population.
Recipient of the Churchill Fellowship, and motivated by her experiences as an entrepreneur, Kajal Sanghrajka has explored the challenges and solutions available to immigrant entrepreneurs across 8 cities while completing her research. Join Kajal in a discussion with representatives from two organizations that are successfully supporting newcomer entrepreneurs realize their business dreams: Scadding Court Community Centre’s Business Out of a Box model in Toronto and CAMBA Small Business Services in New York. Learn how each model is meeting the needs of newcomer entrepreneurs through breaking down barriers and using innovative solutions to jump start business success for newcomers.
Additional resources:
- Webinar Slides (PDF)
- CAMBA – Small Business Services
- The Transatlantic Post – Global immigrant entrepreneurship
- Futurpreneur Canada – Business resource centre
Refugee Jobs Agenda Webinar Series
This webinar is part of Refugees Jobs Agenda: a webinar series exploring refugees and labour market integration hosted by Hire Immigrants, Cities of Migration and Bertelsmann Stiftung
Previous Sessions:
- Refugees Jobs Agenda: Kick-Starting Employer Action – Watch video
- Refugees Jobs Agenda: From Welcoming Cities to Welcoming Economies – Watch video
- Refugees Jobs Agenda: Rethinking Employer Role & Leadership – Watch video
Speakers:
- Lyna Saad, Senior Manager, Development & Community Engagement, Scadding Court Community Centre (Toronto, Canada)
- Isaac Roldan, Director, Small Business Services, CAMBA (New York, U.S.A.)
Moderator:
- Kajal Sanghrajka , Founder & Director, Growth Hub (London, U.K.)