BEAVERCREEK, Ohio — One in every five business owners in the U.S. is an immigrant, according to the latest research from the New American Ecoonomy. Many of the immigrant-owned businesses are popping up in Ohio. One entrepreneur made it his mission to expand his businesses and help others. 

For Ryan Dzhalilov every cut is a reminder of how he got here.

“I went from living in a house without air conditioning or water to living probably my best life now,” he said.

Dzhalilov and his parents are Turkish immigrants who came to America after facing racism, poverty and segregation in his home country of Russia.

“The racism was the most part where they were segregated, as in schools. Lke they would put all the Turkish kids in one class and then they would put all the Russian kids in another class and then when you went somewhere, they wouldn't want to serve you or your Turkish,” Dzhalilov said.

He had one goal when he came to America through an immigration program.

“My dream was to be my own boss,” said Dzhalilov.

When his family got to the U.S., they were cutting hair to get by. Now, after almost two decades in the U.S., Dzhalilov owns D’s, a barbershop in Beavercreek, near Dayton.  

“I saved up, saved up. I worked, I went to school and worked at the same time. And I just saved and then I saved up enough to open up this one," he said.

D's has been up and running for more than a year and they’re adding another location to the Dayton area, where he says he wants to give back. 

“I like sponsoring people, so I never had anything when I was a little kid, so I want to give more out to the kids nowadays,” Dzhalilov said. 

He’s sponsoring youth sports teams to help kids like he once was try to make it, he said.