Ming-Ming (cutting the cake) surrounded by the women that have empowered her including her grandmother, mother, and late sister.

MEET THE FOUNDER: 

Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman, was an immigrant herself from Taiwan. Drawing on her own experience, she built RAI to educate, employ, and foster refugee and immigrant women.

Growing up with a grandmother who sewed all their clothing by hand, Ming-Ming developed an admiration for the talent, hard work, and dedication within the sewing trade. When Ming-Ming immigrated from Taiwan over 33 years ago, she got an education and became a pharmacist, but wanted to do more to help other immigrant women like herself achieve financial independence.

With global crises bringing refugee and immigrant women to the U.S. in record numbers, she saw an opportunity to reach these women and help them build a better life for themselves and their families. Her outreach quickly grew into an opportunity to turn it into a nonprofit business, and thus Refugee Artisan Initiative was born. RAI welcomes every refugee and immigrant artisan with care and support.