New Book, The Refugee Advantage, Argues Displacement Is an Economic Opportunity Communities Can’t Afford to Ignore
Blending Harvard-based research with firsthand accounts of refugee entrepreneurs, The Refugee Advantage offers compelling evidence that refugees are not an economic burden — but a powerful, underrecognized asset.
Dalton T. Sirmans is a trusted voice on refugee entrepreneurship and the economic value of refugee resettlement.
Dalton T. Sirmans, a trusted voice on refugee entrepreneurship and the economic value of refugee resettlement, offers compelling evidence.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, March 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With more than 120 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, the global refugee crisis is often framed as a humanitarian challenge alone. But a growing body of evidence tells another story: Refugees are disproportionately entrepreneurial and frequently become essential contributors to the communities where they resettle, says Dalton T. Sirmans, author of the forthcoming book The Refugee Advantage.
“The public conversation about refugees is often loud, but not always informed,” Sirmans said. “I wrote The Refugee Advantage because I kept seeing a disconnect between how refugees are discussed publicly and what I’ve observed in the real economy.”
The Refugee Advantage reveals how people forced to start over are reshaping the business landscape globally and why business leaders, investors and policymakers should pay close attention. Drawing on graduate research at Harvard and years of impact investment experience, Sirmans blends data with vivid entrepreneurial stories to reposition refugees as builders, founders, employees and innovators whose talents are too often overlooked.
Through firsthand accounts of refugee entrepreneurs from Afghanistan, Vietnam, Syria, Eritrea and beyond, readers see the resilience, resourcefulness and risk tolerance that often emerge from displacement — traits highly valuable in business and leadership.
Written from a business perspective, The Refugee Advantage challenges assumptions and offers a constructive path forward: smarter policies, better systems and more informed decisions around hiring, investing and partnering so that refugees and host economies can both thrive.
“Refugees are not a burden,” Sirmans added. “They are an underleveraged economic resource. When refugees are properly supported and allowed to contribute at their skill level, communities and economies benefit through job creation, productivity and innovation.”
All proceeds and related initiatives connected to The Refugee Advantage support refugee entrepreneurship efforts through the Sirmans Global Impact Foundation (SGIF), which invests in refugee-owned businesses and refugee-serving enterprises. The effort moves beyond narrative change toward measurable impact — helping create enterprise pathways and long-term economic stability.
About the Author
Dalton T. Sirmans is the founder of the Sirmans Global Impact Foundation, a philanthropic platform dedicated to reframing refugees and forcibly displaced people as economic contributors through investment, research and storytelling. He is also the co-founder and senior partner of Amplio Ventures and Amplio Partners, which provide seed capital and impact investment to businesses focused on stabilizing refugee communities in the United States and internationally.
Previously, Sirmans was the co-founder and CEO of MainStreet Technologies (MST), a financial technology company. He completed a Master of Liberal Arts in International Relations at Harvard in early 2025, where his studies focused on refugees, forced displacement and migration. His work sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, investment and humanitarian innovation, with a particular emphasis on moving beyond traditional aid models toward durable, market-based solutions.
Connect with Sirmans on Instagram (dalton.sirmans), Facebook (The Refugee Advantage) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalton-t-sirmans-2017833/).
The Refugee Advantage
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Release Date: August 6, 2026
ISBN-13: 978-1350597792
Available from: https://www.amazon.com/Refugee-Advantage-Building-enterprise-adversity/dp/1350597791
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