JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (CNN) -- Alfa Demmellash grew up on less than a dollar a day, and against the backdrop of torture and murder. But these days she's living the American dream and helping others do the same. Alfa Demmellash helps low-income entrepreneurs in New  Jersey start or grow their businesses. "Entrepreneurs are at the very heart of what the American dream is all about," says Demmellash, a native of Ethiopia. And from her small office in Jersey City, her nonprofit, Rising Tide Capital, is helping small businesses flourish. Robin Munn, who runs a flower shop in Jersey City, says the skills she learned through Demmellash helped her transform the way she operates her business. "I was thinking about closing, but once I started taking the classes I found that the fire came back."
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Alfa Demmellash helps low-income entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses
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Her nonprofit, Rising Tide Capital, primarily serves single mothers
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Demmellash, an Ethiopia native, was inspired by her mother's struggle
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