New American Economy and Open Avenues Foundation launch the Boston New American Festival, in partnership with HubWeek

Media are invited to attend a panel, “Foreign-Born, Boston Built, Immigrant Led,” and a festival reception in Boston, MA on Tuesday, October 1, marking the opening of the Boston New American Festival, a groundbreaking celebration of immigrant contributions to American art, technology, food, music, dance, and more. The Festival aims to transform the conversation around immigration by promoting cultural influencers’ work to convey the shared American experience. The New American Festival first launched in mid-September with a two-day event featuring film screenings, art, comedy, food demonstrations, panels, and more. After Boston, it will travel to Oakland (October 5), Houston (October 12), Kansas City, MO (October 16), Nashville (October 17), and Detroit (October 20). 

The panel, featuring some of Boston’s immigrant entrepreneurs, will take place on Tuesday, October 1st from 6 to 7 PM on Open Doors Stage in the Seaport District. Following the panel, there will be a festival reception spotlighting immigrants whose visionary work is transforming the creative fields. Attendees will listen to live music from artists born in Venezuela and Mexico, and view an art installation that explores themes of human migration and displacement. Immigrant-run food vendors Carolicious, Del Sur Natural, Mr. Tamole, and Magic Bites will serve dishes representing the cuisines of Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and the Mediterranean. Immigrant start-up founders will talk about their personal journeys and present interactive demos that showcase their products. These include a tool that helps consumers and businesses assess their plastic footprint in real time, an e-bike with swappable battery technology, and samples of a tonic for a healthy gut that’s based on an ancient Ecuadorian recipe sourced by family farmers in the Andes Mountains. The evening will conclude with a silent disco hosted by Colombian DJ Karen Santana. 

Along with the Boston-based Open Avenues Foundation and national immigration group New American Economy, this event is hosted in partnership with HubWeek, a three-day (October 1 – 3) event in Boston that brings together innovative thought leaders from the fields of art, science, and technology.

For more information or to RSVP to the 2019 Boston New American Festival, please email Sam Schwarz at [email protected]. 

Who:

The panel will feature:

• Shannon Dooling, WBUR (Moderator)
• Johannes Fruehauf, Co-founder and President of Biolabs and LabCentral
• Polina Raygorodskaya, Co-founder and CEO of Wanderu
• Joshua Feast, President and CEO of Cogito
• Artur Sousa, Founder & CEO of adopets

The festival reception will feature:

• ART: Yu-Wen Wu, Leavings/Belongings installation (http://www.yuwenwu.com/) 
• FOOD: Carolicious, serving arepas and Venezuelan snacks (https://www.carolicious.net/) 
• FOOD: Del Sur Natural (http://www.delsurnatural.com/)
• FOOD: Mr. Tamole (https://www.mrtamole.com/)
• FOOD: Magic Bites (http://www.magicbitesbakery.com/)
• MUSIC: Juan Carlos Ruiz (http://vozjuancarlos.com/) 
• MUSIC: Zaira Meneses of the band El Hauteque (https://zairameneses.com/) 
• MUSIC: Karen Santana (https://www.latino30under30.com/karensantana) 
• STARTUP DEMOS: 
  • SomEv, Inc (https://www.som-ev.com/)
  • Makomas (https://www.makomas.com/)         
  • Aasma’s Dream (https://www.aasmasdream.com/)
  • WorkAround (https://workaround.online/)
  • MuukTest (https://muuktest.com/)
  • Rootastes (https://www.therootastes.com/)
  • Waku (https://livewaku.com/)
  • rePurpose Global (www.repurpose.global) 
  • GoPetie (http://gopetie.com/) 

When:

Tuesday, October 1 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM “Foreign Born, Boston Built, Immigrant Led” Panel 

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Opening Party: Immigrant Festival Reception 

8:00 PM – 9:00 PM  Opening Party: Silent Disco (ft. Karen Santana) 

Where: 

Boston Seaport 

Panel with Immigrant Founders: Open Doors Stage, Boston, MA

Opening Party Festival Reception: Pursuit Stage, Boston, MA

Why:

“Foreign Born, Boston Built, Immigrant Led” aims to spotlight the indispensable talent and creativity that immigrants bring to Boston’s thriving innovation economy. According to research by New American Economy, there are more than 50,000 immigrant entrepreneurs in the Boston metro area, and exactly half of the Fortune 500 companies based in Massachusetts were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants.

“Today, we must do more than shine light on the economic, social, and cultural contributions that immigrants make in the United States. We must deeply engage with communities to demonstrate the connection between immigrants and thriving innovation ecosystems,” said Danielle Goldman, Executive Director of Open Avenues Foundation. “This event will introduce the immigrant founders, creators, and change-makers who are driving growth in Boston and across the U.S.” 

“Immigrant entrepreneurs help to shape Boston’s vibrant culture and growing economy,” said New American Economy’s Katherine Steinberg, who is curating the national New American Festival. “This event will celebrate Boston’s diversity and the contributions of immigrants at the top of their industries.”

About Open Avenues Foundation

Open Avenues Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to equip and empower immigrants to thrive in the U.S. and advance society. Open Avenues Foundation’s innovative programs recognize and catalyze the value of immigrants in three ways: 1) immigrant-led programming to demonstrate foreign nationals’ economic, social, and civic contributions; 2) immigration visa solutions and education to ensure foreign talent continues to stimulate the innovation economy; 3) activation of top foreign talent in local communities to enhance educational outcomes for U.S. students. 

About New American Economy

New American Economy (NAE) is a bipartisan research and advocacy organization founded to educate, empower and support policymakers, influencers, and citizens across the country that see the economic and social benefits of a smart approach to immigration reform. NAE has created a coalition of civic, business, and cultural leaders who span the political spectrum and represent all 50 states. NAE makes the case for smart immigration reform in four ways: 1) we use powerful research to demonstrate how immigration impacts our economy, 2) we organize champions at the grassroots and influencer levels to build support for immigration, 3) we partner with state and local leaders to advocate for policies that recognize the value immigrants add locally, and 4) we show immigrant contributions to American culture through film, food, art, sports, comedy, and more.

About HubWeek

HubWeek is an experiment in collaboration, celebration, and community. Throughout the year at HubWeek events, smart and creative people come together to share their work with each other, their neighbors, and the world. And all of that culminates at the Fall Festival. The 2019 Fall Festival is shining a light on people from Boston and beyond pursuing new ideas and solutions that have the power to change the world. It’s a place to come together for inspiration and connection – a gathering of people from all industries and backgrounds who share a single pursuit: to build a better future.

Media Contact: Sam Schwarz, [email protected], (646) 324-8430 / (914) 406-6048