“We decided to support and advance small business ownership as a vehicle for African immigrant families' upward economic mobility. Our small business support and lending have, since 2008, helped thousands of immigrants start and grow restaurants, groceries, and retail stores that reinforce cultural identity and create jobs for community members. AEDS’s goals include small business development; first-time homebuyer education; individual financial education and counseling; workforce development; and creative placemaking.”

- Wubitu Sima, director of finance and administration, AEDS

“We are working to support South Lane County's diverse and rapidly growing rural immigrant community. As the experience, education, and background of these communities is quite broad, we are building services to meet each individual where they are. Collectively, with our partners, we hope to build infrastructure to support this fundamental population shift. The RISE program components include the following: 1) partnership with community agencies, employers, and other allies; 2) individual career coaching to meet each client where they are and their unique goals; 3) access to training, customized work-based learning, or entrepreneurship development; and 4) technology and job search skill development.”

- Rosa Itzel Lopez, Career Pathways faculty coordinator, Lane Community College

“The Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative is excited to join the RISE Network because it will permit our organization to enhance its capacity to help improve the economic well-being of rural immigrants in California's Central Valley, a region with some of the highest levels of poverty and unemployment in the nation. It will permit us to deliver self-employment and entrepreneurial training opportunities to residents in three target rural communities. Moreover, by being part of a national network, we will have the opportunity to learn about the best practices of other partner organizations and share information about the work we are carrying out in our region. It is an amazing opportunity to contribute to the economic mobility of families in some of our most important rural communities.”

- Jesus Martinez, executive director, CVIIC

"Using a Native Nations Rebuilding approach to community development, Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim is honored to be a part of the 2023 RISE cohort and support our Q’anjob’al Maya brothers and sisters who live in rural Nebraska to launch and grow small businesses. Over 10,000 Maya call Nebraska home, with more than half living in Nebraska’s rural communities. We are excited to support their dreams of building a better life for themselves and their families.”

- Luis Marcos, co-executive director and co-founder, Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim

“Culturingua is excited to have the opportunity to learn from experts and peers across the country to ensure rural South Texas immigrants and refugees have the opportunity to apply their agricultural skills from their homelands in workforce development opportunities in their new homes, enabling them and their families to achieve upward economic mobility and prosperity.”

- Nadia Mavrakis, CEO, Culturingua

“Our mission is rooted in the belief all workers have the right to a safe, just, and equitable workplace. In recent years, our work has become focused on social justice in the workplace. Specifically, we seek to 1) ensure essential workers know their rights; 2) employ and train youth and adult essential workers to build essential worker community and solidarity throughout Central New York; 3) provide support and advocacy for Spanish- and English-speaking essential workers; and 4) educate essential workers about the benefits and upward mobility available through union membership. The COVID-19 pandemic came as an unjust hammer to the essential worker class and showed us how vulnerable and underappreciated they are. Our programs serve to empower essential workers of rural and small-town Central New York for resilience, let them know that we appreciate them, and support them as the backbone of our economy.”

- Carlos Gutierrez, co-director, Midstate COSH

“New Vision Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create pathways to success by motivating disadvantaged youth in Minnesota through coding and digital literacy classes. Core customers are disadvantaged youth and young adults and the communities working to engage them as part of larger education, employment, and economic development strategies. New Vision Foundation is excited to join the RISE Network because there is a growing need to provide our services in rural Minnesota, where a large population of new immigrants to the U.S. reside without proper access to digital equity tools.”

- Hussein Farah, founder and executive director, New Vision Foundation

“The Industrial Commons (TIC) founds and scales employee-owned social enterprises and industrial cooperatives, and supports frontline workers to build a new Southern working class that erases the inequities of generational poverty and builds an economy and future for all. TIC has a suite of educational and workforce development programs focused on creating quality jobs and training workers for positions with agency, dignity, and voice. TIC values participation, equity, and environmental stewardship and is proud to be working in a rural community to improve economic opportunity for all.”

- Sara Chester, co-executive director, TIC

“At WAIMG, our mission is to both address and break down barriers that prevent Washington international medical graduates from accomplishing their professional and medical career goals. Our services include career navigation, professional coaching, and licensing help.”

- Mohamed Khalif, executive director, WAIMG

“World Relief Quad Cities’ priorities are to provide culturally appropriate wraparound services to refugees and immigrants in the Quad Cities and empower the QC area to serve its diverse populations. With the goal of an educated, welcoming community, the agency equips its expanding network of partners with the resources needed to participate in resettlement and integrate their own refugee-specific services. Beyond initial resettlement, WRQC helps individuals and families meet basic needs such as housing, access to food, and health care. Any immigrant or refugee in the area is eligible for a variety of the agency’s programs and direct services, including support services, intensive casework, education programs, benefit assistance, employment programs, legal services, and more.”

- Erica Parrigin, grant writing and communications manager, World Relief Quad Cities