Born and raised in Venezuela, Keila was forced to flee the country when she was 30 years old. She set out towards Peru, in hopes of a fresh start. Though she was officially recognized as a refugee by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Peruvian government had no plan for permanent integration of refugees in the country, and therefore Keila had no real hope of a new life in Peru.

10 years later, she was approved for permanent resettlement in the US thanks to the United States Refugee Admissions Program. Keila was resettled by the IRC in Clarkston, GA along with her two daughters and her special needs brother, whom she cares for.

During her initial cultural orientation at the IRC, she heard about IRC Atlanta’s Microenterprise Development program. This greatly intrigued her, as Keila had been an entrepreneur most of her life. Keila had been a self- employed manicurist and pedicurist for over 20 years. Nails have always been her passion and has propelled her despite all her circumstances.

 “The world of nails is my life and my passion. I cannot see myself not doing nails. I have a passion to help people feel satisfied and comfortable with the health of their nails.” 

So Keila enrolled in IRC’s MED program and began working with a business counselor to pursue relaunching her trade here in Georgia.

IRC Small Business Counselor, Francisco Pirela, was able to walk alongside Keila in developing her business idea and navigating the steps she should take to launch this venture successfully. He also worked with her to access a microloan with IRC’s subsidiary lender, the Center for Economic Opportunity. This loan gave Keila the necessary capital to start laying the foundation of her business.

After careful planning and preparation, KC Nails and Podiatry Professional LLC was born in May 2024. Keila offers mobile manicure and pedicure services to clients in the Greater Atlanta area. Don’t let a busy schedule or Atlanta traffic get in the way of getting your nails done. She can come to you! Keila has been slowly growing her clientele and is well on her way in establishing lasting client relationships. When asked where she sees her business in 5 years, Keila responded,

“A prosperous business. I see myself able to help many people. I hope to be an inspiration to other entrepreneurs that you can achieve your dreams if you apply yourself.”
 

Keila acknowledges that entrepreneurship is not for everyone. Many entrepreneurs experience many problems throughout their journey of launching a venture. She spoke about challenges she has had in the past, 

“The biggest challenge I had was many years ago when I tried to launch a business without being prepared. Ultimately, the business failed. I then had to go back to the drawing board and make sure I had carefully thought through everything and educated myself. I used to think that if I just had the money, I could do anything. But I also needed to educate myself and have a strong plan.” 

Keila feels that one aspect of entrepreneurship that people don’t often think about is the amount of organization and discipline that is required in order to be successful. One must be able to be self-motivated and be able to develop one’s own leadership skills.

When asked about the IRC, Keila had shared of her deep gratitude. 

“The people at the IRC are very kind, personable, and supportive. I have felt so much support from IRC. From my original resettlement to the extended programs like the small business program, IRC has been there to walk alongside with me. I feel so blessed to know the IRC.”

 

Beyond her appreciation for IRC, Keila is very grateful to the US government for welcoming her and her family. She is well aware that she is fortunate to have been approved for the USRAP program.

 “I am unashamed of my Venezuelan origin and I want my American neighbors to know that I did not come here for a free handout. I am deeply grateful for the help and opportunity afforded to me by the US government. I am striving every day to ensure that the helping hand extended to me will not return void to the American people.”

To engage with Keila’s business, you can visit her Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/keilanailspod/