Building belonging: How community makes the difference in Refugee Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is often seen as a solo journey. But for many refugee founders, the true difference lies in something deeper: belonging. At Five One Labs, belonging isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a core outcome we intentionally design for and measure. From Iraq to Colombia, we’ve learned that a strong sense of community is one of the most powerful predictors of a refugee entrepreneur’s resilience, engagement, and long-term success.
Our experience over the last eight years has shown us that when founders are embedded in communities of support, the ripple effects are powerful. In this article, we reflect on our approach and share lessons learned from Iraq to Colombia. As the conversation around refugee-led entrepreneurship evolves, we hope these insights offer practical inspiration for others building inclusive, resilient entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Measuring belonging as an impact indicator
In both Iraq and Colombia, we’ve seen that a strong sense of belonging is one of the most powerful predictors of a refugee entrepreneur’s resilience, engagement, and long-term success. That’s why we ask them whether they feel seen, valued, and connected to a larger support system.
Our internal impact framework tracks these dimensions of belonging throughout the entrepreneurial journey. This includes whether participants feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking for help, or mentoring others. These “soft” indicators consistently lead to “hard” results: stronger business development, higher completion rates, and increased engagement in local ecosystems.
The power of network
Every Five One Labs program embeds entrepreneurs into a dynamic support system that includes alumni, mentors, trainers, and local allies. These connections become springboards, helping founders secure pilot customers, receive feedback on new products, and unlock early-stage capital.
We believe that trust is a form of infrastructure. That’s why we foster structured opportunities for meaningful exchange: peer masterminds, collaborative feedback rounds, and ecosystem-facing events. These experiences not only expand business knowledge, but help build the confidence to grow within new markets and across cultural borders.
Innovation through diversity
One of the greatest strengths of refugee-led businesses is the diversity of thought and experience they bring. We build intentionally diverse cohorts across sectors, cultures, and geographies, because we know innovation flourishes when multiple perspectives are at the table.
In this environment, entrepreneurs evolve from problem-solvers into community-driven innovators, capable of designing products and services that reflect the real needs of the market.
Support that builds confidence
Mentors from across industries stay connected to founders well beyond the formal program, and our team works continuously to ensure relevant, actionable guidance through ecosystem mapping and onboarding.
We also strive to connect our entrepreneurs with tangible opportunities, whether through external pitching events, local business linkages, or connections to services that can help them grow.
Inspired by this? Get involved as a mentor! Join our network by sending an email to ecosystem@fiveonelabs.org
About Five One Labs
Founded in 2016, Five One Labs is a global nonprofit organization that supports resilient entrepreneurs in Iraq and Colombia through hands-on training, mentorship, financial access, and ecosystem-building. We work at the intersection of innovation and inclusion to help founders grow impactful, sustainable businesses and strengthen the communities around them.
Learn more at fiveonelabs.org.
