An Entrepreneur Draws Strength from Hardship

Alfa Demmellash shares her journey from Ethiopia to America, highlighting her childhood during the Red Terror, family struggles, and a harrowing kidnapping experience. These challenges shaped her resilience and inspired her to co-found Rising Tide Capital, a nonprofit empowering low-income communities through entrepreneurship. Her story emphasizes the importance of courage and making the best out of adversity.

What was the main reason Alfa's mother fled Ethiopia?

• To escape a dictatorship

• To reunite with family in the US

• To pursue higher education

• To find better job opportunities

How did Alfa's father treat her during the year she was with him?

• He was abusive and threatening

• He ignored her completely

• He was supportive and caring

• He provided her with education

What was Alfa's response when her father asked if she wanted to return to her family?

• She said she wanted to stay with him

• She remained silent

• She said she wanted to go back

• She asked for more time to decide

What did Alfa do after her father allowed her to leave?

• She hitchhiked on a truck to Addis Ababa

• She went to a nearby village

• She stayed in the desert

• She returned to her father

What did Alfa consider her experience with her father to be?

• A lesson in trust and forgiveness

• An experience she wished to forget

• A source of immense strength and courage

• A traumatic event with no positive outcome

What organization did Alfa Demmellash found?

• Empowerment for All

• Rising Tide Capital

• Ethiopian Entrepreneurs

• Capital Growth Initiative

What is a critical characteristic of a true entrepreneur according to Alfa's story?

• Making the best out of a negative situation

• Focusing solely on profit

• Avoiding risks at all costs

• Working independently without help