Mahmud Jafri Builds on a Pakistani Legacy in America

This week on JobMakers, Host Denzil Mohammed talks with Mahmud Jafri, who built on a legacy started by his grandfather and began importing hand-knitted rugs from his native Pakistan, creating opportunities especially for women who traditionally couldn’t work outside the home. Today, he has three Dover Rug & Home stores across Massachusetts, including the Back Bay, which have experienced an uptick in sales during the pandemic’s “renovation revolution.” Jafri discusses why he made the journey to the U.S., and challenges he encountered, such as the “concrete ceiling” in the corporate world for foreigners at that time. He also shares thoughts on how to ensure the United States remains a welcoming country, and what can be done to more effectively integrate all immigrants for the benefit of everyone.

Guest

Mahmud Jafri is Managing Director at Dover Rug & Home, an interior design business which he founded over 30 years ago, and CEO at Dover Squash & Fitness. Mr. Jafri has received numerous awards, including the 2013 Immigrant Entrepreneur Award, and was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to his Advisory Council on Immigrants and Refugees. Mr. Jafri is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, International Furnishing and Design Association, and World Floor Covering Association. Dover Rug & Home has been the recipient of the “Best of” Boston Home award, as well as the CNC Reader’s Choice award. The company is consistently recognized for its philanthropy, as it supports over 50 charitable organizations on a regular basis.

Related Posts

Gaetan Kashala Gives Immigrants a Leg Up

January 20, 2022

This week on JobMakers, host Denzil Mohammed talks with Gaetan Kashala, immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo, co-founder of Globex Corporate, a consulting firm connecting the U.S. to Central and Western African businesses and governments, and also the engagement director for AIM, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Guest-christina-qi-34.png 1570 3000 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2022-01-20 11:50:522022-01-20 11:50:52Gaetan Kashala Gives Immigrants a Leg Up

David Keane On How Taking Risks On Immigrants Pays Off

January 13, 2022

This week on JobMakers, host Denzil Mohammed talks with David Keane, immigrant from Australia and founder of Bigtincan, an artificial-intelligence-powered sales enablement platform for leading companies worldwide. David believes that what makes the U.S. special is its culture both of welcoming immigrants and being willing to try new things, to take risks.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Guest-christina-qi-33.png 1570 3000 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2022-01-13 10:57:242022-01-13 10:57:24David Keane On How Taking Risks On Immigrants Pays Off

Johan Norberg on How Diversity Drives Progress

January 6, 2022

This week on JobMakers, host Denzil Mohammed talks with Johan Norberg, senior fellow at the Cato Institute and author of Open: The Story of Human Progress. They discuss the many ways in which America is better off because it has been open to the exchange of ideas and skills that created cures, machinery, and technology.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/norberg-web-post.png 1570 3000 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2022-01-06 10:46:482022-01-06 11:13:17Johan Norberg on How Diversity Drives Progress

Jeff Farrah on Why We Need a Start-Up Visa

December 16, 2021

This week on JobMakers, host Denzil Mohammed talks with Jeff Farrah, General Counsel at the National Venture Capital Association, a D.C.-based group that advocates for public policy supportive of American entrepreneurship.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Guest-christina-qi-32.png 1570 3000 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2021-12-16 10:37:472021-12-16 10:40:10Jeff Farrah on Why We Need a Start-Up Visa

Carlos Castro: From Crossing the Border to Owning a Business

December 9, 2021

This week on JobMakers, host Denzil Mohammed talks with Carlos Castro, president and CEO of Todos Supermarket in Woodbridge, Virginia, a successful business employing more than 200 people. He describes the perilous conditions in his native El Salvador, why he crossed the border to America, and why immigrant business owners tend to hire people like them, in this week’s JobMakers.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Guest-christina-qi-31.png 1570 3000 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2021-12-09 11:38:512021-12-09 11:38:51Carlos Castro: From Crossing the Border to Owning a Business

Alex Nowrasteh on How Immigration Is a Boon to the U.S.

December 2, 2021

This week on JobMakers, host Denzil Mohammed talks with Alex Nowrasteh, the Cato Institute’s director of immigration studies and author of “The Most Common Arguments Against Immigration and Why They’re Wrong.” This week, Alex hones in on a fact that research has consistently found: that immigrants benefit Americans. And, based on his many years of speaking on this topic to anti-immigrant audiences, he provides insight on where anti-immigrant arguments really come from, as you’ll find out in this week’s JobMakers.

https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Guest-christina-qi1.png 1570 3000 Editorial Staff https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png Editorial Staff2021-12-02 11:10:262021-12-02 11:14:49Alex Nowrasteh on How Immigration Is a Boon to the U.S.