Launched by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2021, the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) is an innovative approach to serving historically disadvantaged small business owners who were disproportionately impacted by the economic shocks and hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been serving immigrant, newcomer, refugee, and mainstream community small business owners in communities since 1999 and was proud to join the SBA as a national partner in implementing CNPP.

Hear from the Svieshnikova family about their journey from Ukraine to Utah. Sisters Mira and Olha have begun a cookie business, Heart of Ukraine, through the IRC small business program.

The IRC in NY's Small Business Workshop series concluded in November, following several special guest speakers.

Chanel your purchasing power to support refugee businesses and reinvest in the Arizona economy.

Ranna Jajju, owner of Threading by Ranna in Linda Vista, is a former refugee from Iraq, who resettled to San Diego back in 2009. Since then, she has opened up two businesses and most recently shined as a stellar example as a small business leadership and resilience during a global pandemic.

Members of the Childcare Business Incubator Program traveled downtown to talk with Cotopaxi about brand and online presence.

Businesses across sectors call on governments to take stronger action to improve the lives of refugees.

“The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is look at the mirror in my bedroom and say, 'let's go hero, your day has started.'”

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) implemented BILLY in Nairobi, Kenya from 2019-2021. BILLY was a micro-entrepreneurship program which provided business grants and services intended to increase employment status, consumption levels, and business investments. The program focused on youth in Nairobi, particularly refugees and vulnerable populations. As part of a research study, three treatment models of BILLY were implemented, which included various combinations of direct program services, business grants, and compensatory cash grants.