Cyd Nzioka relocated to the United States at the age of 25 in search of brighter pastures.
However, things did not start out smoothly as she faced a number of obstacles as a result of her move to a new country.
Eventually, Nzioka settled and went on to secure great academic credentials including a PhD in Organization and Management from Capella University in Minnesota.
Despite her outstanding academic credentials, the Atlanta-based entrepreneur had numerous challenges while seeking employment.
Nzioka was ultimately able to find a pharmaceutical job which allowed her to settle.
She did not divulge much about her employment before Tipitoe was founded, but her LinkedIn profile shows that she worked as a Human Resource (HR) practitioner at Pacific Health in North Carolina prior to her pharmaceutical position.
Things became worse in June 2022 when she was laid off from her job.
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With few options, Nzioka and her business partner decided to start an immigration consultation business together.
“The company gave us a severance package, and I had my savings, so I moved to a more affordable place and started a consultancy firm to help fellow immigrants as job hunting was becoming tougher by the day,” she recalled.
Nzioka mentioned that some of the biggest challenges immigrants confront include culture shock, money conversions and language limitations.
“When I was new, I went to McDonald’s and ordered chips and a burger, and they brought me crisps. When you communicate to people from other states, their tone and pronunciation are different, which causes misunderstandings. The trick is to speak slowly,” she stated.
The consulting firm has assisted several newcomers from Africa and Europe in navigating the hurdles of establishing a new life in the United States.
“I help people understand the rules and regulations, especially with some of these things Kenyans get in trouble with, such as bribery, drinking and driving, so they hit the ground running in the right way,” Nzioka stated.
