New York Tech Week: Built in America. By Immigrant Founders

Happy Summer, folks!

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend.

NY Tech Week is back — and we’re doubling down. Last year was a blast, so this year we’re hosting two events.

FRIDAY, JUNE 6 - Visas For High-Skilled Immigration

Are you an immigrant looking for your next job, building a company, or planning to leave your corporate role to go full-time as a founder? If you're also curious about your visa options, this is the event you don’t want to miss.

Check out the panelists:

Sampei Omichi: A first-generation immigrant, Sampei avoided deportation by establishing a business within 60 days. He successfully raised over $6.5 million from investors, including Kindred Ventures and Balaji Srinivasan, to secure his U.S. residency by founding Ellis, a high-tech immigration law firm supporting startups and growing businesses.

Mihailo Bozic: He was laid off, rejected from 26 jobs, and nearly deported—all because he needed visa sponsorship. Frustrated by a system stacked against skilled immigrants, he built what didn’t exist: Migrate Mate, a platform that helps others find visa-friendly jobs. Originally from Australia and now based in New York, he’s on a mission to make skilled migration easier for millions.

Hugo Van Vuuren: Originally from South Africa, Hugo's immigration journey spans New Zealand and the United States. While in graduate school, he co-founded Work-Bench in NYC, an early-stage enterprise tech venture fund, and the Experiment Fund at Harvard. Currently, he co-leads Castle and actively assists fellow immigrants through The Parachute Project.

As the landscape of high-skilled immigration in the United States continues to shift—with policy updates, backlogs, and increasing scrutiny—navigating the system has never been more complex or more critical. Yet, despite the hurdles, America remains the best place in the world to build companies, raise capital, and scale big ideas.

We will dive deep into the H-1B, O-1, and EB-1 visa categories, offering founders, operators, and professionals practical guidance on how to secure and maintain these visas in today’s evolving environment. We’ll unpack the legal nuances, share real-world strategies, and explore how to thrive—legally and entrepreneurially—within the system.

Oh, and by the way… Making in America is hitting the streets of NYC to interview immigrant founders and hustlers. We’re capturing real stories—why they moved to America, how they got started, and all the things we usually save for the group chat. This time, we're putting it on the feed—because it’s time immigrant hustle stories went mainstream.

We will post the interviews on Instagram and all the other socials…stay tuned!

Okay, onto the next event…

THURSDAY, JUNE 5 - High-Value Immigration Options (EB1A, E2/E3, and EB5)

Space is extremely limited, and we’re curating the room to ensure attendees are genuinely eligible or actively exploring these visa pathways. If you have RSVPed above, kindly also fill out this form.

I am co-hosting this event alongside some other awesome people from:

Greencard Inc., a paralegal firm specializing in O-1 and EB-1A talent visas, working alongside immigration law firms to provide end-to-end support from profile building to filing. Lodestone Legal 

Lodestone Legal, an immigration law firm based in Cambridge, MA, focused on employment-based immigration, including O-1, EB-1A, E-2 and E-3 visas for professionals and startups. EB5Loan 

EB-5 Loan is an all-in-one platform that helps you secure your EB-5 visa with just $400K down, offering built-in low-interest financing (as low as 5% APR) and access to a vetted network of regional centers and attorneys.

Thinking of moving to the U.S. by putting your capital to work? We’ll break down how investors can gain U.S. residency through routes like EB-1A, E-2/E-3, and EB-5 by backing or building American businesses.

EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program

For foreign investors who invest a minimum of $800,000 in U.S. commercial enterprises (in targeted employment areas) that create at least 10 full-time jobs. Offers a pathway to permanent U.S. residency (Green Cards) for the investor and their family.

E-2 / E-3 Treaty Visas

Available to citizens of certain treaty countries who make a substantial investment in and actively manage a U.S. business. Both are nonimmigrant, renewable visas, but do not lead directly to a Green Card.

Check out our mission, past panelists, and event videos at: www.makinginamerica.org

​​​Check out this video from last year's a16z NY Tech Week event!
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​Who are we?

Making It in America is a community for immigrant founders and builders who aim to establish businesses, often navigating the complexities of immigration logistics. 

We are dedicated to supporting these entrepreneurs by:

• Building Networks: Connecting them with like-minded individuals, potential employers, and sponsors.

• Fostering Partnerships: Helping them find co-founders to bring their visions to life.

• Finding Their Groove: Assisting in their acclimation and success in the U.S. business landscape.

Join us to meet ambitious leaders and professionals who have moved to America to pursue their dreams, start companies, and generate employment opportunities.

👋 This event is organized by Sagnik Basu, an immigrant entrepreneur currently working in the news and a builder in the production space. 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 community represents the essence of creativity, advancement, and perseverance that propels the United States onward.

He also believes in the limitless potential for creating jobs and companies, emphasizing that legal immigration should fuel entrepreneurial growth in the USA to ensure America remains THE global leader.

Build in America. For America.

​-Sag