Emmanuel Owusu

Workforce Development (ET&Y)

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19 years ago, Emmanuel Owusu left his home country of Ghana to join his family in the United States. After getting his Master’s in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts, Owusu founded the African Bridge Network (ABN), a statewide nonprofit that provides assistance and resources to college-educated immigrants looking to build their careers in the US. 

 

Now the executive director of ABN, Owusu has a deeply personal connection to his work: part of his motivation for acquiring a master’s degree was to improve his professional prospects in a new country. “After hearing similar stories from a number of different people, it occurred to me that someone needed to build a platform that allows these individuals to access the resources they need,” he says.

 

One of ABN’s signature initiatives is the Immigrant Professionals Fellowship Program: a four month paid internship where immigrants who are lacking US professional experience work for one of ABN’s employer partners in order to build domestic career credibility. “It’s about bridging the gap,” Owusu says. “In many cases, the individual will receive a return offer from the employer partner,” he adds.

 

Owusu has been leading ABN since 2015, and over the past ten years he’s seen the profound impact that opportunities like those offered at his organization can have on the lives of recent immigrants. And there’s a monetary component to that impact. On average, individuals come to ABN earning $32,000 a year; by the time they’ve finished their fellowship, they’re earning $65,000. “It’s such a joy to watch,” he says.

 

Owusu is deeply passionate about ABN’s mission and has ambitious plans for the future of the organization. He points out that of the 240,000 individuals living in Massachusetts who hold a foreign college degree, roughly 100,000 currently face significant barriers to career success. His goal: support 5,000 skilled immigrants in Massachusetts by 2030 and also establish ABN as a bridge organization for other immigration organizations as well as policymakers. “I want to keep putting a spotlight on this population so that they can receive the help they need,” he says.