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Between immigration uncertainty, talent shortages, hiring pressure, & the fast pace of change in today's workplace, there is no shortage of issues keeping leaders up at night. This conversation brings together perspectives from immigration, HR, & business-ownership perspective to talk openly about what employers, founders, & other professionals are facing right now.
We will touch on challenges that are especially familiar in the tech & startup world, like moving quickly, competing for global talent, & planning amid uncertainty, but the themes will resonate across industries. Most importantly, this will be a solutions-focused discussion about what is working, & how we can better support businesses & employees. Expect a candid & practical conversation about building teams & creating opportunity for all involved.
Agenda
5:30pm: Doors Open
6:00pm: Welcome + Presentation & Discussion
7:00pm: Networking (Beverages & lite fare will be served)
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Presenters
Christopher Gregorio, Counsel, Fragomen
Christopher is an immigration attorney based in New York who advises companies & highly skilled professionals on complex U.S. immigration matters. He joined the firm's New York office after serving as a law clerk at Fragomen in 2011, beginning a career focused on helping organizations & individuals navigate the evolving landscape of federal immigration & nationality law.
Christopher works with clients across a wide range of industries, including financial services, consumer & industrial products, energy, pharmaceuticals, & financial software. This breadth of experience has given him deep expertise in employment-based immigration, short-term work visas, intracompany transfers, & permanent residence strategies for business professionals & technical talent.
He is particularly experienced in supporting researchers, designers, scientists, & other specialists seeking extraordinary ability & outstanding researcher classifications, helping translate professional achievement & internal prominence into successful immigration outcomes.
Kimberly Grant, Counsel, Fragomen
Kimberly is a seasoned immigration lawyer known for providing high-touch service & creative solutions to difficult immigration matters. She holds a wealth of experience & a proven track record in immigration law, dedicated to demystifying immigration processes to help organizations across various industries secure visas & green cards for their top talent. Kimberly also represents individuals, often finding solutions to immigration hurdles. She frequently lectures on developments in U.S. immigration law & global mobility trends, & she leverages her knowledge to craft training & compliance programs for employers.
A trusted advisor to HR & global mobility departments, she assists corporate clients in navigating the constantly evolving immigration landscape, proactively anticipating developments, including limited appointment availability at certain embassies, & planning accordingly with clients to overcome potential challenges. Over nearly two decades, Kimberly's success rate has consistently remained high.
Kimberly has a deep focus on the life sciences industry, assisting scientists, physicians & researchers with relocating for work in the United States. She has worked with Fortune 500 pharmaceutical & biotech companies, renowned hospitals & medical device manufacturers. She has significant experience with J-1 & O-1 visas, cap-exempt H-1B visas for academic medical centers, waivers of the two-year home residency requirement & various green card options, such as Outstanding Researcher petitions, Schedule A, National Interest Waivers & PERM applications. Kimberly has also successfully secured a number of emergency visa interviews & travel waivers.
Natasha Persad, Founder & CEO, The HR Xperts
Natasha Persad is an executive Human Resources leader & organizational strategist with more than two decades of experience shaping high-performing cultures across Fortune 500 companies, global enterprises, & fast-growth organizations. She is recognized for her ability to design & operationalize people systems that strengthen organizational capability, accelerate performance, & enable teams to thrive through periods of significant change. Her career spans leadership roles in the United States, Europe, Asia, & Latin America, where she has guided companies through transformation, M&A integration, workforce modernization, & large-scale operational redesign.
Natasha's expertise includes building end-to-end talent systems, leading enterprise workforce planning, & architecting performance, leadership development, & culture programs that align people with purpose. She has a proven record of designing recruiting engines that deliver exceptional talent with speed & precision, including filling more than 130 mission-critical roles in 60 days. Her leadership is grounded in systems thinking, operational rigor, & a deep commitment to creating clarity in complex environments. She has also led cross-border HR operations, including labor relations & compliance in Brazil, where she partnered with unions & government agencies to modernize policies & strengthen employee engagement.
Holly Diamond, Founder & CEO, Work Onward
Holly Diamond is a serial entrepreneur & social impact founder passionate about building businesses that drive equity in the workforce. She is the founder of DHD Consulting, a leading recruiting firm specializing in global companies, & WorkOnward, an AI-powered hiring platform designed to make job opportunities more accessible for immigrant & underrepresented communities.
With a background in social work & over a decade in recruiting, Holly has deep expertise in employment-based immigration, supporting candidates & employers through the full spectrum of visa pathways - including OPT, H-1B, E-2, & O-1 visas. She understands firsthand the complexity that immigrants & international talent face when navigating the U.S. hiring landscape, & has built her businesses around removing those barriers.
Holly is known for her innovative, people-first approach to solving hiring challenges & supporting economic mobility. Her work has been backed by Techstars, Village Capital, & the Robin Hood Foundation. She also owns Mista Oh, a Korean restaurant in Flatiron, NYC, which she opened during the pandemic to support her family.
About NY Tech Alliance
NY Tech Alliance is a vibrant, inclusive community connecting innovators, founders, technologists, & changemakers across New York City's tech ecosystem. Rooted in a shared belief that collaboration fuels innovation, we've grown into one of the region's most dynamic hubs for connection, learning, & impactful relationships.
Through meetups, curated events, mentorship opportunities, & programming tailored for impact, we create spaces where ideas can flourish & voices from all backgrounds can be heard. Whether you're just starting out or scaling a venture, our network is designed to help you grow, connect, & lead.
We serve a broad & diverse community, from students & founders to investors, corporate partners, & civic tech leaders, united by a shared passion for innovation & community. Together, we're building equitable pathways for careers, collaboration, & meaningful contributions to the future of tech in New York City & beyond.
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