Thunderly's "American Dreamers" Spotlights Immigrant Entrepreneurs Building Businesses in America

October installment celebrates franchise owners who turned new beginnings into business ownership

DALLAS, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Long before they became franchise owners, two entrepreneurs featured in Thunderly's latest "American Dreamers" installment began their journeys thousands of miles away from the businesses they lead today.

One came to the United States from India approximately 30 years ago and built a career in the restaurant industry. The other arrived from Brazil with a doctorate in linguistics before finding an entirely new calling in senior care.

This October, Thunderly, the franchise marketing agency behind "American Dreamers: The Stories of Franchising"©, is celebrating immigrant entrepreneurs building businesses in America through franchising.

Dinesh Goswami moved from India to the United States approximately three decades ago. His entrepreneurial journey took shape in the restaurant industry, beginning with Popeyes and establishing him as a longtime business owner in the Philadelphia market, where he now operates Checkers & Rally's.

For Erika Nogueira, the path to entrepreneurship began in Brazil, where she earned a doctorate in linguistics and worked as a professor. After moving to the United States, her experience caring for her grandparents inspired her to enter senior care, eventually leading her to franchise ownership with Home Helpers Home Care in Sarasota, Florida.

"Immigrant entrepreneurs have helped shape the American business landscape for generations, and their stories capture so much of what we want American Dreamers to celebrate," said Scott White, co-founder and CEO of Thunderly. "Dinesh and Erika came to this country with different backgrounds, experiences and ambitions, but each found a way to turn opportunity into business ownership through the franchise model."

"Starting a business requires courage under any circumstance, but there is something particularly powerful about building one after making a new country your home," added Monica Feid, co-founder and COO of Thunderly. "These entrepreneurs didn't simply find opportunity here. They created it for themselves, their families, and their employees. That is exactly the kind of story we set out to tell through American Dreamers."

The immigrant entrepreneurs spotlight marks the fourth installment of Thunderly's "American Dreamers" campaign, which launched in July in recognition of America's semiquincentennial. Throughout the year, the campaign is sharing stories from franchise owners of different backgrounds and exploring how franchising can create opportunities for independence, economic mobility and community impact.

More information about the "American Dreamers: The Stories of Franchising"© campaign is available online.

About Thunderly

Recently named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies for the second year in a row and annually included in Entrepreneur magazine's listing of Top Franchise Marketing Agencies, Thunderly is a full-service franchise marketing agency built to amplify and grow franchises and other dynamic brands. Throughout its history, Thunderly has helped franchisors award more than 15,000 franchises.

Founded in 1999, Thunderly brings decades of expertise in franchise development under one roof, including lead generation, website design, video production, public relations, social media, thought leadership, influencer campaigns, digital advertising, graphic design, crisis communication, personal branding, podcast production and more.

Known for its proprietary AIM Model© (Amplified Integrated Marketing), Thunderly enables brands to align every aspect of marketing communications into a cohesive, structured strategy designed to maximize visibility in a zero-click world across both traditional and AI-powered platforms.

More information is available at www.thunderlymarketing.com.

SOURCE Thunderly Marketing