Wasi

Wasi is a social start-up connecting border-crossing migrants in NYC with essential social services, community-based organizations, and digital tools. Wasi was created in response to the high need I witnessed as someone who has worked as a teaching artist directly at social services, welcoming unaccompanied minors in the process of family reunification. During the 2023 Blue Ridge Labs Fellowship at the Robin Hood Foundation, I started connecting with street vendor families in NYC, learning about the immense barriers they faced from day one and even years later. Wasi, meaning "home" in Quechua, was inspired by the story of an indigenous Ecuadorian family who shared their migration journey with me. Since launching, Wasi has gathered stories from over 50 new migrants, held workshops with 26 newly arrived kids, tested our programs and chatbot with more than 20 families, and connected migrants with over 120 city services. My role has focused on product design, user testing, and developing digital tools to ensure the platform is intuitive, scalable, and impactful for migrant families.