Making In America: Calling All Immigrant Founders & Creators at NY #TechWeek
🇺🇸 We believe in the American Renaissance: Build Here and Build Now!
Meet ambitious leaders and professionals who moved to America to chase dreams, build companies, and create jobs.
As a builder, you know how to create; you don't want to deal with the complexities of immigration, and we are here to educate and help.
What are your immigration options if you want to start your own company? How can you transition from a corporate visa sponsor to becoming a full-time creator? Are H-1B visas your only choice? We will address all these questions and more.
🎙️ The event will begin with a panel featuring:
Sampei Omichi: A first-generation immigrant, Sampei escaped deportation by building a business in 60 days. He raised over $6.5 million from investors like Kindred Ventures and Balaji Srinivasan to secure his residency in the U.S. by founding Ellis. Today, Ellis is a high-tech, high-touch immigration law firm offering premier support for startups and growing businesses.
Amie Wiley: A first-generation immigrant from Ireland, Amie turned content creation into a full-time business. In addition to sharing her life on social media, she is the founder of Active With Amie, a coaching program that helps women struggling with their training, nutrition, and mindset.
Hugo Van Vuuren: Born and raised in South Africa, Hugo immigrated to New Zealand and America. While still in graduate school he co-founded Work-Bench in NYC, an early-stage enterprise tech venture fund, and the Experiment Fund at Harvard, alongside Accel, NEA, and Polaris Partners. Today he cofounded Castle, and loves helping other immigrants via The Parachute Project.
Don Collins: Originally from Ireland, Don first encountered the complexities of the U.S. immigration system through his work with the Silicon Valley Internship Program. In this role, he connected top Silicon Valley startups with elite international STEM graduates to fill internship positions and sponsored their J-1 visas. Leveraging this experience, Don is now the Executive Director at The Parachute Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps global talent and their employers secure cap-exempt H-1B visas without the unpredictability of the lottery. The Parachute Project offers a reliable alternative to the notorious H-1B lottery.
🌍 The panel will be followed by a happy hour-style mixer where panelists, founders, and creators will network with each other and meet international students.
Who are we?
Making It in America is a gathering of immigrant founders and creators who aspire to build companies, often facing logistical hurdles due to immigration issues. We are committed to guiding you in the right direction, connecting you with individuals who can provide letters of recommendation, linking you with potential employers, and serving as a sounding board for your ideas.
👋 This event is organized by Sagnik Basu, an immigrant entrepreneur currently working in news and co-founder of a production agency. Sagnik was born in India and sought education in the United Kingdom. He moved to the USA by himself in 2017 with $300, because he likes bigger portion sizes.
He believes in American dynamism and wants to support others who are building in the USA. This event represents the essence of creativity, advancement, and perseverance that propels the United States onward.
Needless to say, please come as you are. You don't have to be an immigrant to register for this event. We welcome EVERYONE who believes in America, the spirit of entrepreneurship, and is ready to have a good time!
Ellis is a high-tech, high-touch immigration law firm offering premier immigration support for startups and growing companies. Ellis' mission is to simplify immigration for one billion Americans.
This event is a part of #TechWeek - a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem.
📸 Photography and Filming
Please note that this event will be photographed and filmed. We reserve the right to use photos and videos from the event for marketing purposes. By attending the event you consent to your image being used for these purposes.