Editorial Staff

Danielle Goldman on Why the U.S. Needs Immigrant Talent

/in , , /by Editorial Staff
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

This week on JobMakers, Host Denzil Mohammed talks with Danielle Goldman, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Open Avenues Foundation in Boston, about their work to help high-growth companies and start-ups retain the high-skilled, foreign-born talent they need through cap-exempt H-1B visas. They discuss the example of Eric Yuan from China, who, after getting rejected for a visa eight times, was finally allowed to stay in the U.S. Here, he founded a company that has become indispensable to so many of us, for our kids’ education, our jobs, our healthcare, and staying connected with family members we couldn’t visit during the pandemic: Zoom. Creating innovation when we need it most, Yuan illustrates how the U.S. benefits when we remove immigration barriers in highly competitive industries where talent is scarce.

Guest:

Danielle Goldman is Co-founder and Executive Director of Open Avenues Foundation. Prior to founding Open Avenues, Danielle worked at Rabin Martin, a strategy firm based in New York City where she built social impact strategies, partnerships, and programs for Fortune 100 healthcare companies. In 2018, Danielle launched a national campaign that supported more than 250 migrant families who had been separated at the U.S./Mexico border with health care, housing, and legal counsel. Building on that momentum, Danielle built and grew Open Avenues Foundation to demonstrate the value of foreign nationals in the United States. Danielle is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and part of the 2019/2020 Women Innovating Now (WIN) Lab Accelerator program at Babson College. She also serves on the boards of City Awake at the Boston Chamber of Commerce and the One Little Light Foundation. Danielle received her B.A. in Political Science and Managerial Studies from Vanderbilt University.

Get new episodes of JobMakers in your inbox!

Recent Episodes:

Navigating Labor Shortages: The Role of Immigrants and the Potential of Schedule A

Milliken underscores the current unprecedented combination of low unemployment and high job openings, particularly in sectors like hospitality, healthcare, and education. She addresses the vital role immigrants play in the workforce, and advocates for leveraging Schedule A, a regulation that expedites the green card process for occupations facing high labor demand.

Empowering Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Natalia Frois’ Journey to Success in Building Business Networks on Cape Cod

Natalia Frois, a Brazilian immigrant and CEO of International Business Relations in Massachusetts, discusses how she supports immigrants and Hispanic entrepreneurs by offering classes, resources, and English education, drawing on her trilingual skills and personal experience. Frois shares how her mission aids business success and community integration.

Rising Dough: The Blue Frog Bakery Journey, Immigration, and Community Impact

Entrepreneur Brad Brown, an immigrant, shares his journey and success with Blue Frog Bakery in Jamaica Plain, highlighting community engagement and immigration's broader impact.

Adam Ozimek: Immigration Policy Is Innovation Policy

The United States is built on all kinds of immigrants with all kinds of skills and experiences. While politicians might have us believe immigration is a divisive issue, the fact is Americans across the political spectrum agree at least on this: High-skilled immigrants are good for the country, and we need more of them.

Sebastian Corbat Brings Us Healthy Foods ‘From the South’

Immigrants move for many reasons, and sometimes it can be a matter of life or death if they don’t uproot. Sebastian Corbat came to the U.S. for life-saving treatment, and post-op therapy gave him both a new lease on life and a business idea: We should all have access to healthy, organic and tasty foods.

Benjamin F. Jones Shows How Immigrants Are a Boon for the U.S.

Prof. Benjamin F. Jones, former economic advisor in the U.S. Treasury and a professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, analyzes data that show immigrants are far more likely to start a business in the U.S. and are innovating at higher rates, benefiting the nation.

Duker Cultivates Nourishing Solutions

Denzil interviews Chening Duker, founder of GoodPluck, a farm-to-table delivery service that is transforming the lives of Michiganders and is enriched by Duker's personal heritage and global perspective on organic agriculture.

Miriam Kattumuri Keeps Us Healthy and Green

For Miriam Kattumuri, immigrant from India and founder of Miriam’s Earthen Cookware, which manufactures 100 percent non-toxic, cookware made entirely of clay and entirely in the U.S., her innovation conserves the environment while taking on the most basic tool to get food in our bodies: our pots and pans. 

Erick Widman, Esq.: Immigrants Can Ease Worker Shortage

The immigration system in the United States is complex, to say the least. Visa categories for nearly every letter of the alphabet, exemptions, restrictions, rule changes with every new federal administration. We need more workers, innovators and entrepreneurs in an increasingly competitive world and amid an historic worker shortage and cash-strapped social safety systems due to a greying workforce. Does the United States’ immigration system work in its favor?

Julianne Zimmerman on the Inventive Legacies of Immigrants

This week on JobMakers, host Denzil Mohammed talks with Julianne Zimmerman, managing director at Reinventure Capital, lecturer on Social Entrepreneurship at Tufts University (and named to Forbes' 2022 "50 Over 50" list). Julianne sees first-hand how immigrants collaborate with the U.S.-born to create meaningful inventions that solve real problems - but how rhetoric, policy, and an outdated system can shut them out.