Lisa Nesser arrived in Thailand 15 years ago with $500 in her bank account and a round-trip ticket home. But after seeing the way Burmese refugees were being denied entrance to Thai schools, she decided to open her own school in her back yard. Since then, she’s created a small empire of social enterprises in Chiang Mai (a vegan restaurant, a zero-waste store, a donation center, and many more), and has mentored dozens of Burmese refugees to help them start their own successful social enterprises. Lisa is a powerhouse social entrepreneur, and it was an honor to sit down with her for this conversation.