About this Event
Open Atlas Summit 2026
The 2025 edition brought 800+ immigrants into one room for two unforgettable days. Founders met their co-founders. Engineers found their next role. People who had been navigating visa uncertainty alone finally got real answers from attorneys who've been in the trenches.
In 2026, we're going bigger. More speakers. More tracks. A job fair. Founder lounges. And the kind of late-night conversations that actually change things.
This is Open Atlas Summit. The room every immigrant wishes they had on day one
? Speakers (so far) include:
• Mani Krishnan, Founder & CEO of Shastha Foods
• Finn Reynolds, Head of Insights at Lawfully
• Nupur Dave, NRI expert and author
• Priyanka Vergadia, Sr. Director at Microsoft
• Abhijay Vuyyuru, AI Product Manager at YouTube
• Veeraj Gadda, Solutions Manager at PayPal
• Kamal Singh, Partner at Westbridge Capital
• Jyotika Gupta, Partner at Z21 Ventures
• Preetha Ram, Managing Partner at Pier 70 Ventures
• Dhravya Shah, O-1 Recipient at 19 y/o. Founder at Supermemory
• Sagnik Basu, Exec Producer at Washington Post
• Bob Webber, Immigration Attorney
• Phuong Le, Partner at KLDP
• John Pratt, Litigation Attorney
• Duden Freeman, Former Consular Officer
• Ricky Murray, Former Head of EB5 at USCIS
• Michael Valverde, Former Associate Director of Field Operations at USCIS
• April Padilla, Former Head of EB1A at USCIS
• Shev Dalal, Former Deputy Chief Counsel at USCIS
New speakers announced weekly.
? Programming
Three tracks running across two full days:
- Track 01 - Founders & Builders: Fundraising, GTM, and the visa playbook for immigrant founders going from idea to Series A.
- Track 02 - Career & Craft: Senior IC and EM panels on big tech, comp negotiation, and navigating layoffs on a work visa.
- Track 03 - Visas & Belonging: Frank conversations with immigration attorneys, former USCIS officers, O-1 and EB-1A recipients.
Plus a job fair, founder lounges, and the kind of late-night conversations you can't get on a Zoom.
✅ Why You Should Attend
- Build your network with 1,000+ high-skilled immigrants. Founders, engineers, attorneys, and investors
- Get real answers on visas, green cards, fundraising, and career growth. From people who've been through it.
- Find your co-founder, your next investor, or your next hire
- Learn from 50+ speakers who walked the same path you're on
- Leave more connected, more informed, and more equipped than when you arrived
What to Expect
Friday, August 21
A dedicated Job Fair and Hackathon bringing together builders, employers, founders, and community members for a full day of opportunity, collaboration, and new connections.
Saturday, August 22
A full day of keynotes, fireside chats, workshops, and tactical sessions across immigration, careers, startups, money, AI, admissions, and life after the visa grind.
Topics will include:
• Admissions and getting into top schools
• FAANG hiring, layoffs, and career growth
• Startup fundraising and building as an immigrant founder
• J-1 and cap-exempt H-1B pathways
• O-1, EB-2 NIW, and EB-1A
• E-2, EB-5, and alternative immigration options
• Wealth building, taxes, and long-term financial planning
• Personal branding and standing out in tech
• Creator careers and non-traditional paths
Legal Lounge
Attendees will also have access to one-on-one attorney consults designed for high-skilled immigrants navigating major career and life decisions in the U.S.
Consults will cover:
• Starting a company as an immigrant
• Protecting your IP and founder interests
• Visa strategy and immigration planning
• Understanding your options before making major career or life decisions
Meet Our Sponsors
The Open Atlas Summit is made possible with the support of organizations committed to helping immigrants build successful careers, companies, and lives in the United States.
Title Sponsor: Manifest Law
Sponsors:
• Zen EB5
• GoElite
• Carnegie Evaluations
• Westcliff University
• ImmiTranslate
• Open Venture
About Open Atlas
Open Atlas is a 10,000-strong community of high-skilled immigrants in America. Founders, engineers, students, and creators building their future here. The Summit is our flagship annual gathering. Last year, 800+ people came together for two days of world-class programming, expert workshops, and genuine community. This year, we're going bigger.
Meet our Co-Host
American South Asian Network (ASAN) is the leading platform powering South Asian progress across the United States. We elevate, empower, and unite a rising generation of South Asian creators, entrepreneurs, executives, and change-makers through community, culture, and capital!
Location: India Community Centre, 525 Los Coches St, Milpitas, CA
Friday Aug 21
?: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Hackathon
?: 11:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Job Fair
?: 06:00 PM
ASAN VC Founder Connect
Saturday Aug 22
?: 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast
?: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Keynote: Building an Immigrant Food Empire from the Ground Up
?: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Fireside: From Scientist to Founder to Investor: Reinventing Yourself in Ameri
?: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
O-1, NIW, EB-1A: Are You Actually Qualified?
?: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing
?: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Return-to-India Playbook: Career, Money, Family, and Timing
?: 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Inside the FAANG Hiring Black Box: What Really Gets You Hired
?: 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Deep Tech Startups: AI, Space, and the Frontier
?: 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Alternatives to H-1B: The Visas Nobody Talks About
?: 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Bootstrapped to $1M ARR: How Founders Get There Without VC Money
?: 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Making EB-5 More Achievable: Process, Smart Financing, and Key Considerations
?: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Lunch
?: 02:00 PM - 02:45 PM
Your Career Needs a Brand: How to Stand Out in Tech
?: 02:00 PM - 02:45 PM
How Immigrants Quietly Build $10M+ Net Worth
?: 02:00 PM - 02:45 PM
Laid Off on H-1B — What Are My Options?
?: 02:00 PM - 02:45 PM
Not an Engineer? How Immigrants Win in Marketing, Construction & Media
?: 02:45 PM - 03:00 PM
Pitching to VCs as an Immigrant Founder
?: 02:45 PM - 03:00 PM
EB-5, Gold Card, or Wait It Out?
?: 02:45 PM - 03:00 PM
EB-1A: What Are My Odds?
?: 02:45 PM - 03:00 PM
The Human Edge: What Becomes More Valuable in the Age of AI
?: 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
Getting Accepted to gBETA, YC, and Other Early-Stage Accelerators
?: 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
Consular Interviews in 2026: How To Not Get Denied at the Window
?: 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
Building a Voice, Building a Career: Content Creation as a Career Strategy for
?: 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
When USCIS Goes Silent: How to Fight Delayed Petitions
?: 04:15 PM - 04:35 PM
Fireside: What Happens Inside USCIS
?: 04:35 PM - 04:55 PM
Immigration Policy Changes in 2026: What's Real and What's Noise
?: 04:55 PM - 05:15 PM
The Immigrant Advantage: Building Businesses That Create American Opportunity
?: 05:15 PM - 06:00 PM
Closing Remarks: What We Build From Here
Event venue & nearby stays
India Community Center (ICC), 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.