About
Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) is a global nonprofit that connects refugees and other displaced people with skilled job opportunities in other countries, so they can rebuild their lives through safe, legal labor migration. Among the more than 100 million people forcibly displaced today are doctors, engineers, software developers, and skilled tradespeople whose careers have been interrupted but whose expertise remains. TBB exists to close the gap between that untapped talent and employers facing critical skill shortages.
Mission
TBB is transforming skilled migration systems for refugees by removing barriers, creating new opportunities, and rewriting the story of displacement. Its vision is a world where displaced people can safely migrate for work, using their skills to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.
What they do
- Matching displaced people with international employers in need of their skills, providing end-to-end support throughout the recruitment, visa, and relocation process.
- Advocating for displaced people to be included in labor migration pathways, employment opportunities, migration financing, and training and certification.
- Building the evidence base and ecosystem needed to scale refugee labor mobility globally, sharing learnings, developing partnerships, and making the case to policymakers.
- Advising governments on the design and implementation of displaced talent visa programs, and supporting employer-led advocacy for inclusive recruitment.
History
In 2014, US attorneys Mary Louise Cohen and Bruce Cohen began exploring labor mobility for refugees as Fellows with the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative, refining their ideas through consultation with refugees, advocacy organizations, and UN agencies in Beirut. Around the same time, Australian tech entrepreneur John Cameron created a proposal for an international refugee jobs marketplace, which Amnesty International presented to the Australian government. When they learned about each other, the three joined forces, and Talent Beyond Boundaries was born in 2016. The first refugee candidate to relocate through TBB's program was a Syrian software developer named Tarek.
Scale and impact
TBB reports that more than 2,500 displaced individuals, including professionals and their families, have secured a path to safety through its pathways across thirteen countries. Per its impact page, 2,505 people (candidates and family members) have secured a path to safety, 977 candidates have secured job offers, 1,326 people have relocated, and 411 employers have hired through TBB. The organization reports a 93% retention rate of candidates one year after relocating, and 97% of surveyed employers rate their candidates' technical skills as meeting role requirements. TBB operates affiliated entities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, for fiscal year 2024 the US entity, Talent Beyond Boundaries Inc (EIN 81-1936850, Washington, DC), reported total revenue of $1,845,427, total expenses of $3,058,745, and net assets of $89,889. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization; separate registered charities operate in the UK, Canada, and Australia.
