““Startup Refugees supports us in achieving our ED&I goals. We perceive our collaboration with SUR as professional, fun, proactive and co-creative. Besides recruiting refugees and immigrants through SUR, we appreciate contributing together to changing the narrative about refugees and immigrants. Last year, at the Talent Boost Summit in Vantaa, we had the pleasure to co-facilitate together a group of organizations on the topic “working with diverse teams”. And we are looking forward to hosting a group of refugees and immigrants for a mentoring event with our digital team.””

““Tietoevry has been collaborating with Startup Refugees since 2018, focusing on the digital competences needed when entering the Finnish labor market. In 2023, we again organized a mentoring programme where Tietoevry and Telia employees acted as mentors and were matched with mentees through Startup Refugees based on shared competencies and professional interests. By supporting immigrants in developing their digital skills, we support the construction of their future and working life.””

““Each year, Netlight participates in pro-bono projects, both recurring commitments and new initiatives in global and local partnerships. In 2023, we collaborated with Startup Refugees through a Master’s Thesis by Sinan Sakaoglu, a student at Aalto University and KTH and currently a consultant at Netlight. Sinan performed a security assessment of Match as well as the ways of working around personal data. A support team of three developers and two product designers from Netlight also assisted on Match’s short term performance and long term vision. In May, two Netlight recruiters took part in an online career day for IT professionals to shed light on the IT market and what employers are looking for. We see that collaboration with Startup Refugees has been fruitful on many levels and there is genuine two-way knowledge sharing within DEI and social impact. We look forward to continuing supporting the digital solutions advisory during 2024 and exploring potential new initiatives such as mentoring. Startup Refugees’ growth mindset and people first attitude resonates well with Netlight’s culture.””

““It's great to work together with Startup Refugees. They help us find great people for our open vacancies and now there is already a third enthusiastic candidate going to a long-term employment relationship! It is amazing that there is an organization that helps people find employment so effectively. Truly everyone wins!"”

“‘’A big shoutout goes to the team at Startup Refugee. They've been our guiding star. Whenever we've been stuck or unsure, they've been there to give us tips, advice, and show us the best ways to move forward. With every new day, our excitement keeps growing. We're not just making a business; we're building our dream, piece by piece. And for every tough moment, there are plenty of rewarding ones that remind us why we started in the first place.’’”

“’’Startup Refugees entrepreneurship course was the best thing that we did. We were so scared of opening a business in Finland but we got all the needed information from the course.’’”

““I have finally understood how to manage costs and understand how it affects my price in the market. I understand the regulation system. Clear, accessible, coordinated.””