Introduction

In the ever-growing entrepreneurial field of practice, refugee entrepreneurs—and their journeys from refuge to business-ownership in new countries of residence—have come to exemplify inventive and creative forms of entrepreneurship, claiming an important footing in global contexts. Surprisingly, however, their activities have largely remained unexamined. Lifting their stories out of the shadows, this book presents a rich collection of 16 cases from around the world that highlight the tensions and triumphs that refugee entrepreneurs experience. In the introductory chapter, we guide the reader through some of the distinctive features that characterize refugee entrepreneurship and we summarize the latest insights gathered from a review of scholarly works published to date. A framework that builds on refugee theory aspects is presented in order to explain the methodology and underpinnings of the case studies that make up the chapters, including the cross-case analysis presented in the concluding chapter.