A social enterprise in Queensland is helping refugee and migrant women gain employment and foster community spirit through cooking. The Spice Exchange sees these enterprising women come together to creates spice blends, condiments and gingerbread. [...] Backed by Access Community Services, the social enterprise in Logan, south of Brisbane, also helps the women practise their English-speaking skills. 

At this intersection of culture and politics, a number of social enterprises have been born in the UK, encouraging women from migrant and refugee backgrounds to achieve their dreams of establishing their own businesses—all through the strength of their culinary skills. Such initiatives are aimed at allowing women to both use their power to earn and to fight anti-immigrant rhetoric.

A fifth of Moroccan youth are unemployed, and the way out may include a combination of new businesses and traditional careers. That’s the idea behind one of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s largest projects, the Career Center program, which establishes and supports replicable Moroccan university career centers to equip youth with soft skills and link them with private sector internships.

For fashion entrepreneur Monica Phromsavanh, the pathway to success started in the camp for Laotian refugees in Argentina where she was born and spent her first years. She was a hard charger even as a child, never letting poverty or family difficulties discourage her. She came to the United States at 17, worked for upscale clothing retailers and rose rapidly up the management ladder, helped by mentors impressed by her keen sense of style and business acumen.

The United States for decades has helped refugees start new lives, working through nonprofits to resettle and help them with paying rent, buying food and finding work. Communities often stand ready to help. Some get grants from the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement to make microenterprise loans up to $15,000 and teach business skills to aspiring entrepreneurs. 

The gig economy is alive and well, and disruptive innovation has empowered many to earn money driving for Uber or by monetizing their home as an AirBnB rental. But there is a deeper value and sustainable role in the start-up and entrepreneurship culture that is impacting the global landscape more than you may have considered.

The program is the first initiative between India and Russia that will focus on science and technology based entrepreneurship. [...] will not only lay foundations for increased bilateral trade across the nations, but also further goals of key national initiatives like Start-Up India, Make-in-India and Digital India.

The group came to the United States as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program. The decades-old program has built relationships with emerging leaders from countries all over the world. [...] Many diplomats have praised the program as an extremely effective tool in creating international understanding between the U.S. and other countries.