Meet Nick Courchesne | Refugee Business Development Administrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nick Courchesne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

Our Refugee Business Development Center was created to guide refugee into becoming confident credit worthy business owners. We offer learning materials, resources, guidance and coaching to entrepreneurial refugees throughout our community who are seeking to start, operate and grow their small businesses.

The impact of these women and men becoming self sufficient, confident and full of hope as they do really difficult work has been amazing. Having them hug and thank my team for offering them hope for the first time in years and seeing them confident making smart business decisions is why we do the work we do.

I started the Refugee Business Development Center (dallasbdc.ilad.ngo) because our organization ILAD (International Literacy & Development – ilad.ngo) has been serving refugees for a few years in various capacities, however we had also seen that there was a deep and ingrained desire, in not a need, for someone to serve our refugee neighbors in a way that guided them towards creating their own businesses and there was something missing from the resources that were out there. We know refugees are entrepreneurial, we know they are resilient, and we know that the typical assumption is that they want to live off of government money, take our jobs, etc. But as we talked with the refugees themselves we heard differently. They desire to start something new, they desire to create opportunity for themselves and their families. Things that are very similar to the typical American.

After communicating with local refugee resettlement and support agencies, local government and ministries, we found that there are a TON of resources for helping a refugee resettle their life after fleeing the war/persecution that caused them to become a refugee. And we know there are a ton of resources for those who want to start a small business. But a gap presented itself where entrepreneurial refugees who desire to start their own business or to create anew opportunity for themselves were unable to access those business resources that are out there. Either because of language and cultural barriers or simply because the people they knew within their limited networks didn’t know where to send them to for more information. Not to mention, the fact that they’d unlikely be able to apply for any loan or grant opportunity with a brand new credit score, which means no traditional lender will take them seriously. We were actually told they’d love to help but refugees simply aren’t worth the risk.

So refugee resettlement and support organizations don’t know business and business support organizations and lenders aren’t in a position to be able or willing to support entrepreneurial refugees. So we stepped in.
We’ve spent the last 2 years creating learning content, pathways, guidance and coaching support systems that will allow us to fill this gap for our refugee neighbors. We hire refugee coaches from within the refugee communities, these women and men (currently we only have women) are trained to be coaches, ask the right questions and help our refugee clients set goals, access the resources available to them and support them as they navigate the already difficult terrain of entrepreneurship.

This is not political, this is simply seeing the need and working to create a sustainable ecosystem that will allow for opportunities to be grasped by people we all want to see succeed.

What should our readers know about your business?

The Refugee Business Development Center, stands out for its practical and holistic approach to empower refugees on their journey to financial independence and successful entrepreneurship. We guide refugees to become confident and credit worthy business owners.

What we’re most proud of is not just our commitment to providing practical solutions but the stories of resilience and hope we witness in our clients who undertake the challenging path of creating a small business. Their journeys inspire us and are a source of pride for our team.

We need the community to be involved in this work! Whether that is financially supporting through donations, through being a business mentor to a refugee, advocating for us with people you know and referring them to us, seeking out opportunities to be involved. As a non-profit, we navigate financial constraints, relying on the generosity of our community to sustain our mission. If you are interested in supporting us in any capacity, please reach out to me. We are still exploring ways to become more financially sustainable, all support is going to make a huge difference!

What excites us the most and keeps us moving is witnessing the transformative impact on refugees who, despite facing unique hurdles, emerge as successful business owners.

Getting to where we are today involved a deep commitment to understanding the unique needs of the refugee community. We learned that success involves more than just business development; it’s about providing practical solutions that resonate with the unique experiences of our refugee neighbors. Our holistic approach sets us apart, caring for individuals, honoring their culture and language. While businesses starting is an obvious goal to shoot for, we also work to increase the hope and confidence of our clients.

Through our journey, we’ve learned invaluable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and the power of community. The refugee experience is not confined to the Dallas-Fort Worth area; it’s a nationwide reality. Refugees, often emerging from untold trauma, are resilient. Having spent extensive time working and conversing with them, we’ve witnessed their pride in being part of America and their recognition of the immense opportunities available.

What we want the world to know about the our Refugee Business Development work is that we’re not just about business; we’re about fostering resilience, hope, and community. With the right support and community, refugees across the country, and even globally, can flourish, contributing to the prosperity of our communities. Our story is one of dedication, inspiration, and a commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m pretty boring, but I do love beer. Dallas has some great craft beer spots, so we’d definitely be visiting some of those. Hop & Sting in Grapevine and Ash&Ember in Cedar Hill are two of my favorites. Chicken & Pickle is always a fun time as well.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My organization ILAD, the leadership and teammates there have been wildly supportive of this venture. The mentors we’ve brought along from the broader community to be additional support to our refugee clients.

My Team of support staff and our refugee coaches have been amazing, patient and resilient through a lot of uncertainty.

Website: dallasbdc.ilad.ngo

Instagram: @nickcourchesne or @ilad.business

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nickcourchesne

Youtube: https://youtu.be/16EaoWMZWo4