Shri Thanedar is a supporter of welcoming refugees and immigrants and building a robust refugee resettlement program. Thanedar is an immigrant, scientist, entrepreneur, husband, father, and grandfather who knows what it’s like to not know how you’re going to pay for your next meal. He grew up in poverty in India, in a family of 10, where he remembers going to the river to get drinking water. At the age of 24 he came to America in search of opportunity and a better life, with $20 in his pocket. Through hard work and a little bit of luck, he was able to earn an MBA and a PhD in Chemistry. He began an entrepreneurial career, building small businesses that created more than 500 well-paying jobs. After he retired from the business world, he answered the call to fight for social, racial and economic justice. In 2020 he was elected to the Michigan State House to represent Detroit in Lansing, fighting to bring funding back to his community and taking on special interests. Now, Thanedar is running to represent Michigan’s 13th District in Congress.