Innovator Award: Mustafa Nuur

In one sentence, tell us what you do.  

I am the founder Bridge, of an online platform where people book a cross-cultural experience with local refugees.  I am a connector, advocate, and a champion for all things refugee related.

Why did you start doing the work you're doing?

I created Bridge to offer people the opportunity to hear the stories of refugees and build community. After being resettled here, I found out many people welcome refugees, but don't interact with them. I wanted to offer a solution for people to learn from each other and be neighbors

What inspires you? 

I draw my inspiration from my mother, who supports me and always encourages me to start or try something new. I draw most of my ideas by talking to her and she never fails to inspire me to pursue them.

What's most special about Lancaster to you? 

Lancaster is among few cities that have been designed to welcome refugees, there are many people from the government to neighbors who are doing their best to make this a welcoming place and that makes our community a very special place to call home.

How do you take care of yourself when you're feeling burnt out? 

I love to try out-of-the-box experiences, like fishing or karaoke. While many people ask me to slow down, slowing down burns me out, I draw my energy from being on the move and traveling, that's self-care for me.

What's your advice to people who have big dreams and visions they want to make a reality? 

Just get it started, many ideas die because people wait until everything falls into place to begin. My advice is to start something and it will all work out as time goes. If you have an idea, take the first step, even if that means simply registering a business before you find a location or creating a website without the design in mind. The first step is the biggest step towards making your dream a reality.

How do you hope to change your community — and the world? 

I hope to create a space where people like me who are from different parts of the world can be part of conversation and decision making. I hope by sharing the stories of the many refugees in our community, the world will grow to understand each other and have empathy for how we interact with each other.

What are you looking forward to in 2020?  

I am so happy to be invited by many cities to start Bridge in their communities, and we are now deciding which city to grow in next. We are also adding new cross faith experiences in mid next year and also hoping to serve more families in the region.