Startup Refugees

Startup Refugees Supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in employment & entrepreneurship.

Startup Refugees finds out the needs, skills, and goals of the people who have moved to Finland. We connect them with the right employers, support them in recruitment and skills development, and provide access to a vast network of professionals. We believe that work is the key to integration - and no time should be wasted getting started. Find Startup Refugees on Facebook:

🚀 Startup Refugees Entr

epreneurship Community for newcomers who have participated in our business activities https://www.facebook.com/groups/1095172704179613/
🚀 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100026104493841 ستارت اب ريفيوجيز

Find Startup Refugees on social media:
📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startuprefugeesnetwork/
📌 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/startup-refugees/
📌 Twitter: www.twitter.com/startuprefugees/

EAST HELSINKI, are you ready? 📣Do you know everyone, always know what's happening and genuinely enjoy helping people? We...
04/06/2026

EAST HELSINKI, are you ready? 📣

Do you know everyone, always know what's happening and genuinely enjoy helping people? We might have a job for you.

Startup Refugees is looking for Community Leaders in Itäkeskus, Mellunmäki and Vuosaari to help newcomers find opportunities, navigate life in Finland and build stronger local communities.

What's in it for you?
✨ Meaningful work that actually makes a difference
🤝 Training and support from the Startup Refugees team
💰 €15/hour for the first 6 months, increasing to €20/hour after successful engagement
ℹ️ Contract type: On-demand (variable working hours based on project needs)
🌍 A chance to become the go to person in your community

We are looking for kind, motivated people who speak English and at least one of the following languages: Arabic, Dari/Farsi, Bengali, Somali or Russian.

Think that's you? Or know someone who would be perfect?

Apply by 17.06.2026 👇
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4XAu1IarLJi49cY5jxurQmyL0cE7JHWEmsP49wgyoH5zM6w/viewform

***
📸: Nora Sayyad

Ready to be your own boss? 🫵Have you thought about starting your own business or earning extra income in Finland, but fe...
27/05/2026

Ready to be your own boss? 🫵

Have you thought about starting your own business or earning extra income in Finland, but feel unsure about the rules, taxes and all the paperwork? 📑

Light entrepreneurship (kevytyrittäjyys) might be the perfect path for you! It allows you to invoice clients for your work without the hassle of setting up a complex company.

Join our upcoming webinar from anywhere in Finland to learn everything you need to get started.

What we will cover:
✨ How light entrepreneurship actually works in Finland.
✨ Who can work as a light entrepreneur.
✨ Exactly what steps you need to take to begin.
✨ How to confidently calculate and price your services.
✨How to make safe and professional agreements with your clients.

🗓️ When: Thursday, June 11th, from 15:00 to 16:30
📍Where: Online via Zoom (Link will be sent to you after registration)
💬 Languages: The webinar will run in English, Ukrainian, and Arabic (with dedicated breakout rooms for each language group).
🎟️: Registration closes on June 11th at 10:00 AM: https://forms.gle/3ADFfBvaHy9bHHSC8

***

Calling future Oulu entrepreneurs 📞Curious about light entrepreneurship in Finland?Join Startup Refugees for a practical...
26/05/2026

Calling future Oulu entrepreneurs 📞Curious about light entrepreneurship in Finland?

Join Startup Refugees for a practical training session where you will learn how to start working as a light entrepreneur, price your services, work with clients, and understand how the system works in practice.

📍 Startup Station, BusinessOulu (4th floor) / BusinessOulu
📅 Tuesday, 09.06.2026
⏰ 15:30–17:30

Whether you are exploring self-employment, freelancing or starting small, this session is designed to help you take the next step with confidence! 💪

Limited spots, so run your way to the registeration: https://forms.gle/EVZe6qy3QK54Ydet6

Community Leaders for Startup Refugees… could it be you?🕵Startup Refugees is looking for Community Leaders for 2026 and ...
25/05/2026

Community Leaders for Startup Refugees… could it be you?🕵

Startup Refugees is looking for Community Leaders for 2026 and honestly this role sounds like “professional community superhero” vibe. AND IT IS! 🦸

You would support in:
✨ Newcomers with finding jobs
✨ Understanding Finnish society
✨ Building connections
✨ Occasionally explaining why Finns disappear into the forest for fun 🌲

Of course, you will get training, flexible on demand work, 15€/hour, and the chance to make a real impact while representing your own community.

If you are kind, motivated, good with people and speak English plus languages such as Arabic, Somali, Farsi, Kurdish, French or Swahili… this might be your thing 👀

📍South Finland → Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa → https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWQpTpSZDDJHnRuxjob0_kbr5hnI4xzIuKTzgxVwgTw-Stmw/viewform
📍North Finland → Oulu, Raahe, Rovaniemi → https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfIr-FC_WN2gPbxjrsHbRRuuhmQPTFyhBStOeIBrwjYuAafZQ/viewform

Applications close 08.06.2026, so check out more and apply ☝

ps. we come as complimentary on the side and are fun to work with.. so like 😏

***
📸: Nora Sayyad

Remember when we invited you for breakfast on May 28th? 🍳Yea, well we invited you for breakfast to talk about making you...
18/05/2026

Remember when we invited you for breakfast on May 28th? 🍳

Yea, well we invited you for breakfast to talk about making your workplace refugee-friendly and the invitation is still on. On top of that, we are having two incredible experts to help you make sense out of it all. Sounds like a win? 🏆

Let’s meet the experts who will guide us through this important conversation:

🎤 Paavo Teittinen
Investigative journalist, Finlandia Prize winner and someone who knows how to get to the heart of tough topics. Paavo has spent years uncovering stories in politics and economics at Helsingin Sanomat. His award-winning book, Pitkä vuoro (The Long Shift), sheds light on modern slavery in Finland and he is here to share his insights.

🎤 Olivia Maury
A researcher and a global labor migration expert whose work dives deep into the impact of digitalization on labor migration. Olivia will bring her expertise in socio-legal studies and critical migration studies to help you understand how your recruitment practices can make a real difference. She got the insights that will make you rethink borders, labor and inclusion.

🎤 And of course, Startup Refugees
We are here to help you turn these thoughts and ideas into action, showing you how to build an inclusive and sustainable recruitment process that works for everyone.

🗓️ Thursday, May 28, 2026
⏰ 09:00–11:00
📍Startup Refugees Office, Kulttuuritalo (Sturenkatu 4, Helsinki, 4th Floor)
💬 English / Finnish

Let’s get you registered, shall we? https://www.eventbrite.fi/e/refugee-friendly-employer-breakfast-tickets-1987671451819?aff=oddtdtcreator

***
📸: Hilla Kurki & Liisa Valonen
🤝: part of Refugee-Friendly Employer project UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

Happened in the north this April 🗞️ The sun came back, people started calling 2°C “warm” and we celebrated the closing e...
12/05/2026

Happened in the north this April 🗞️

The sun came back, people started calling 2°C “warm” and we celebrated the closing event of our Arctic Mentors program.

Over the past months, mentors and mentees met to talk careers, working life, networking, challenges, opportunities and probably life itself. What started as “professional mentoring” turned into something much more human and mutual.🤝

One mentee joined the program interested in HR and left with a more realistic understanding of the field, along with new ideas about what the future could look like. One mentor realized mentoring is actually not just giving advice and nodding wisely over coffee but also learning from someone else’s experiences and perspective. 🫶

The conversations during the closing event made one thing very clear: mentoring matters. Especially in a new country, having someone to exchange ideas with, ask questions from and figure out working life alongside can make a real difference.

Sometimes progress looks like finding a job. Sometimes it looks like building confidence, changing direction, expanding your network or just simply realizing you are not alone! 🫂

A pretty meaningful way to close the season in Lapland, if you ask us ❤️

***
📸: Adelina El Yadini

11/05/2026

Happy spring (almost summer) from us 🌸

Startup Refugees escaped to Nuuksio to korkkaamaan kevät aka ‘’to welcome spring’’🌲✨

We went for a peaceful walk but somehow ended up doing gymnastics and acting like the ground was lava (pleeease, as if you never did😌)

Huge thanks to Niina Korhonen from Metsäaika, who spoiled us with a three course wilderness lunch at Nuuksio Park. Rye bread with roach, wild mushroom risotto and cranberry mudcake in the middle of nature. That’s some master chef behavior right there. 😗🤌

When you got a diverse group like ours, sharing the things Finland treasures most like nature, slowing down and spending time outdoors makes us feel a little more connected too.

Turns out “better work atmosphere” is just corporate language for “go touch moss together.” 🍄 It works, you should try!

***

07/05/2026

عنوان الفيديو
تفكر في العمل في فنلندا دون تأسيس شركة؟ يبدو الأمر بسيطًا… وقد يكون كذلك. لكن هناك بعض الأمور التي يكتشفها الناس عادةً بالطريقة الصعبة. 👀

في هذا الفيديو، نستعرض ما هي ريادة الأعمال الخفيفة (Kevytyrittäjyys) فعليًا، وماذا يعني رقم التعريف التجاري (Y-tunnus) حقًا، وكيف يمكن أن يؤثر كل ذلك على أموالك ومزايا Kela وإعانات البطالة.

سوف تتعلم:
✨ كيف تبدو ريادة الأعمال الخفيفة في الواقع
✨ ما هي مسؤولياتك وما الذي تقوم به شركة الخدمات
✨ كيف تسير العملية بالكامل من العميل الى الدفع
✨ ما الذي يتغير عندما تحصل على Y-tunnus
✨ وكيف تأثر ريادة الأعمال الخفيفة على مزايا Kela وإعانات البطالة

يعتقد الكثير من الناس أن Y-tunnus هو فقط الخيار “الأكثر جدية واحترافية”. هذا غير صحيح. فهو يغيّر وضعك بالكامل، وإذا لم تكن مستعدًا، فقد يؤدي ذلك إلى مزيد من التوتر، وتكاليف إضافية، أو حتى فقدان مزايا Kela وإعانات البطالة.

هذا ليس لإخافتك. يمكن أن تكون ريادة الاعمال الخفيفة طريقة رائعة للبدء، لكن عليك فقط فهم القواعد قبل أن تبدأ! لهذا السبب، نحن هنا في ستارت اب ريفيوجيز لمساعدتك.
إذا كنت جديدًا في فنلندا أو تحاول فهم كيفية العمل بشكل مستقل، فهذا سيوفر عليك الكثير من المشاكل لاحقًا.

***
🪙 : Yksityisyrittäjäin säätiö

05/05/2026

🇺🇦:

Думаєш про роботу у Фінляндії без відкриття власної компанії? Звучить просто… і так може бути. Але є кілька речей, про які люди зазвичай дізнаються на власному досвіді. 👀

У цьому відео ми розглянемо, що таке легке підприємництво (kevytyrittäjyys) насправді, що означає Y-tunnus і як усе це може вплинути на твої доходи та соціальні виплати.

Ти дізнаєшся:
✨ як виглядає легке підприємництво в реальному житті
✨ за що відповідаєш ти, а що робить сервісна компанія
✨ як працює весь процес від клієнта до отримання оплати
✨ що змінюється, коли ти отримуєш Y-tunnus
✨ і як це впливає на Kela та допомогу по безробіттю

Багато людей думають, що Y-tunnus це просто «більш серйозний і професійний» варіант. Це не так. Він повністю змінює твою ситуацію, і якщо ти не готовий, це може призвести до стресу, додаткових витрат або навіть втрати виплат.

Це не для того, щоб тебе налякати. Легке підприємництво може бути дуже хорошим способом почати, але важливо розуміти правила перед тим, як зануритися в це! Саме тому Startup Refugees тут, щоб допомогти тобі.🤝

Якщо ти новий у Фінляндії або тільки розбираєшся, як працювати самостійно, це допоможе уникнути багатьох непорозумінь у майбутньому.

***
🪙: Yksityisyrittäjäin säätiö

Opportunities ahead! 📣Trying to figure out how to get your foot into the Finnish job market and getting tired of advice ...
05/05/2026

Opportunities ahead! 📣

Trying to figure out how to get your foot into the Finnish job market and getting tired of advice like “just network more”? We got you. 🫵

Startup Refugees, together with TechClass, is launching SkillUp Program, a free 4 week blended learning program for refugees and migrants in the Uusimaa area who want real, practical skills that actually help in getting hired. 👾✨ It starts on 20.05.2026 and runs until 15.06.2026.

You will learn:
∙ The basics of project management Agile and Scrum
∙ The things that keep showing up in job ads but also the part people rarely explain properly.
∙ How to communicate at work
∙ How to tailor your CV so it actually gets noticed
∙ How to walk into a job interview feeling prepared instead of guessing

The program is in English, includes personal coaching and is designed for both highly educated professionals and those just starting out 🫶

If this sounds like something you have been looking for, it probably is. Go read more and register here ➡️ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfiv_VB-mMVbQ1VBVuwyULWdQ9NtERfiTLkzFfNSdF7JYsgsg/viewform

***
🪙: by Saastamoisen säätiö - Saastamoinen Foundation

Osoite

SturenKatu 4
Helsinki
00510

Hälytykset

Tiedä ensimmäisenä ja anna meille oikeus lähettää sinulle sähköpostitse uutisia ja promootioita Startup Refugees :ltä. Sähköpostiosoitettasi ei käytetä muihin tarkoituksiin, ja voit perua milloin tahansa.

Ota Yhteyttä Organisaatio

Lähetä viesti Startup Refugees :lle:

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