When Nasi Kajana left Tirana nearly thirty years ago, he believed he was coming to America only to study. He was eighteen, from a small Eastern Bloc country that had just opened its borders after decades of isolation, and his plan was simple — to earn a degree at High Point University in North Carolina and return home. But history had other plans for him.

In the mid-1990s, as Albania descended into chaos and thousands of people fled the country by any means possible, Kajana stayed in the United States. What began as a temporary journey soon turned into a story of survival, transformation, and purpose.

“I didn’t think I was going to be in business at all,” he told The Buckley Report on FOX8 News. “I studied to be a humanitarian, and that’s what I did for the first few years of my life.”

During those early years, Kajana devoted himself to helping others. He worked with families displaced by disaster — including victims of Hurricane Katrina, helping them find homes and start over in North Carolina.

“There are effective ways of helping people” he said. “It will always be that way.”

But by 2004, Kajana’s life took an unexpected turn. Along with another immigrant partner, he bought a small building in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. There were no roasting machines, no employees, and very little equipment — just an idea and an ambition to grow something meaningful.

“We started by importing coffee from Italy. It was just espresso” Kajana recalled.

That modest beginning became Fortuna Coffee, a company that today stands among the largest wholesale coffee suppliers in the American Southeast. From their North Carolina headquarters, they now ship products as far as California and Washington State — more than 3,500 items crafted for cafés across the country.

Kajana’s vision, however, goes far beyond roasting beans. His team designs entire coffee shops — creating floor plans, workflows, and interiors — through a concept they call “One Stop Coffee Shop.” What started as a single import venture is now a full-scale coffee ecosystem employing about 50 people, with plans to double in the near future.

Despite his success, Kajana’s story remains deeply rooted in his immigrant experience and Albanian identity.

“There’s stigma. There are good and bad everywhere,” he said. “But if we look at what built America — and what continues to build it — taking the immigrant out of that equation is like taking the America out of America.”

For Kajana, becoming an American citizen represents more than a document or a flag; it represents belonging — a sense of gratitude and purpose forged through years of effort and resilience.

“When immigrants become Americans, look at the tears, the joy, the emotion in that room,” he said. “It’s not just about a piece of paper. It’s about a way of life that’s been waiting in line for a long time.”

From the shores of the Adriatic to the heart of North Carolina, Nasi Kajana’s journey is a story of rebuilding — of turning hardship into creation, and dreams into enterprise — one cup of coffee at a time.