Luma Mufleh

Luma Mufleh is a Syrian-Jordanian entrepreneur, activist, and founder of Fugees Family, the only network of schools in the United States dedicated exclusively to refugee and immigrant education, whose story of leaving privilege in Jordan to build community in Georgia has inspired audiences worldwide. She speaks on resilience, inclusive education, social entrepreneurship, and human connection across cultural divides, drawing from 20 years of coaching refugee youth. Her TED Talk on educational justice has been viewed more than 1.8 million times.

From Clarkston, Georgia to National Model
Mufleh graduated from Smith College with a degree in Anthropology and was granted asylum in the United States after coming out to her parents in Jordan. While driving through Clarkston, Georgia, she spotted refugee boys playing soccer in the street and organized tryouts, distributing flyers in Arabic, English, French, and Vietnamese. What began as a recreational team became the Fugees, drawing players from 28 war-torn countries. In 2006, she founded the Fugees Academy, the first school for refugee boys and girls in the U.S.

Author, Social Entrepreneur & Stanford Fellow
Mufleh completed the Executive Program in Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford Graduate School of Business and has been named an Emerson Collective Dial Fellow and a Manhattan Institute Civil Society Fellow. She is the author of Learning America and the memoir From Here, and founded Fresh Start, which employs refugee parents at living wages. She speaks on refugee education, social entrepreneurship, resilience, equity and inclusion, and the courage of immigrant communities.

Coaching for Belonging: The New Leadership Advantage

Learn how to build teams that perform with trust, empathy, and accountability. Drawing on decades of experience as a coach and CEO, Luma shows how belonging drives innovation, resilience, and performance.

Takeaway: Belonging isn’t a feel-good idea — it’s a competitive edge.

Leadership Under Pressure: Lessons from the Field

Luma shares powerful lessons on how to lead with clarity and courage under pressure. From refugee fields to boardrooms, she reveals what it takes to stay focused, make tough calls, and motivate teams through uncertainty.

Takeaway: The strongest leaders rise when conditions are toughest.

The Belonging Blueprint: Building Cultures That Last

Discover practical strategies for creating belonging from day one — from hiring and onboarding to leadership and feedback. Luma teaches how structure and accountability build trust and loyalty.

Takeaway: Belonging builds retention, engagement, and results.

From Refugee Fields to the American Dream: A Story of Courage and Connection

Luma’s remarkable journey — from growing up in Jordan to founding a groundbreaking organization in the U.S. — offers an inspiring lesson in grit, hope, and leadership.

Takeaway: You don’t need perfect conditions to do extraordinary things — just the courage to begin.