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Elevate Dayton

July 28, 2022

How immigrant entrepreneurs are revitalizing Dayton

Mirza Mirza and dozens of other Ahiska Turk families have helped revitalize Old North Dayton. (Photo by Stephen Starr)

Immigrant businesses like Grey Wolf Transportation are driving population growth and filling critical workforce gaps in Dayton.

By Stephen Starr, Elevate Dayton

July 20, 2022

Driving through Old North Dayton, the promise and challenges facing the city are on show for all to see. Old warehouses sit alongside damaged trees—scars of the Memorial Day tornadoes of 2019—and colorful new street paintings speak to the neighborhood’s eclectic history and diverse community.

It’s here that, over a decade ago, Mirza Mirza and dozens of other Ahiska Turk families moved in, renovating old homes and establishing new businesses that have since helped revitalize this historic part of Dayton.

Mirza came to Dayton in 2010 after spending several years in Oakland, California, where he studied pharmacy at college and worked part time as a janitor. Before Oakland, home for Mirza was the Krasnodar area of southwest Russia.