The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues operates a cap-exempt H-1B visa fellowship that enables skilled foreign nationals to secure U.S. work authorization while delivering experiential education to university students through nonprofit partners, charging employers $4,000 per month per fellow.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues does
The Build Fellowship, operated by Build Fellowship, LLC (a Delaware LLC under the Open Avenues Foundation) and led by Founder & CEO Danielle Goldman, runs a cap-exempt H-1B visa fellowship program. The core service enables foreign nationals who qualify for an H-1B visa to bypass the annual H-1B lottery (which has selection odds below 25%) by obtaining a cap-exempt H-1B through one of its nonprofit-of-higher-education partner employers. Fellows work a minimum of 5 hours per week for the sponsoring nonprofit on mission-advancing educational programming while concurrently being employed full-time by a separate U.S. company, and the program reports a 99% visa approval rate. As of the latest disclosure the program has 513 active fellows, has trained 6,000+ students across 861 skills, and operates through partnerships with universities (Boston University, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Queens College, Franklin Cummings Tech, Grand Valley State, Hult, among others) and an immigration-law-firm network of nine named firms (Alcorn, Klug, Goldman & Partners, Curran Berger & Kludt, Messner Reeves, Oguz Law, Webber Arredondo Oja, Peters Immigration Law, etc.).
Commercially, The Build Fellowship charges sponsoring employers (benefactors) $4,000 per month per fellow under a 12-month minimum subscription, which covers the fellow's part-time salary, taxes, payroll, legal/petitioning costs, USCIS filing fees (including premium processing), ongoing compliance, extensions, amendments, consular processing, H-4 dependent filings, and access to fellowship software; fellows themselves are not permitted to fund their own fellowship. Distribution is multi-channel: direct sales to enterprise employers, inside-sales/PLG to individual candidates via webinars and an online resource library, and channel partnerships with immigration law firms (a $1,000 third-party referral fee is published). The product portfolio extends beyond the visa program itself to include experiential educational programming for university students and, as of June 2026, The Immies — an industry awards program for immigration attorneys presented at the AILA Annual Conference. Customers span biotech (Foghorn Therapeutics, Parallel Bio), AI/autonomous vehicles (Outrider.ai), food tech (Branchfood), enterprise tech (Telgorithm, Koodos Labs), and education (Franklin Tech).
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues
- Legal name
- Build Fellowship, LLC
- Website
- https://buildfellowship.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues operates a cap-exempt H-1B visa fellowship that enables skilled foreign nationals to secure U.S. work authorization while delivering experiential education to university students through nonprofit partners, charging employers $4,000 per month per fellow.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Immigration Services / Visa Sponsorship
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry) (EDAIAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate/Industry-Sponsored International Internship Programs (EDAIAFAH)
Keywords
Where The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fellowship Program Fees: Companies (benefactors) pay $4,000 per month for each Build Fellow. This covers 5 hours per week of salary, taxes, insurance, payroll fees, legal and administrative costs for visa petitioning, USCIS filing fees including premium processing, ongoing compliance, refiling, extensions, amendments, immigration support, consular processing, H-4 dependent filings, and fellowship software.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Fellowship Program - $4,000/month |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Build Fellowship provides a cap-exempt H-1B visa fellowship for foreign national professionals, allowing them to obtain U.S. work authorization through part-time employment (5+ hours/week) with nonprofit partners while working full-time for U.S. companies. Companies act as benefactors and pay $4,000/month per Fellow, with a 12-month minimum commitment, covering salary, taxes, insurance, USCIS filing fees (including premium processing), ongoing compliance, extensions, amendments, consular processing, H-4 dependent filings, and fellowship programming.
Product overview
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues is an immigration services organization offering a cap-exempt H-1B visa fellowship program. The core offering is the Cap-Exempt H-1B Visa Program, which allows foreign nationals to secure work authorization by working part-time (5+ hours per week) with nonprofit partners while simultaneously being employed full-time by U.S. companies. The program is complemented by Educational Programming where Fellows train U.S. university students in specialized fields, and supported by Resources and Guides for various stakeholders. The pricing model is $4,000/month for companies sponsoring talent. The organization does not offer a technology product in the traditional sense but rather provides immigration and educational services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Immies: The first-ever national awards program dedicated exclusively to honoring immigration attorneys, presented by Build Talent Labs.
Products and services
- The Build Fellowship Cap-Exempt H-1B Visa Program A nationwide, cap-exempt H-1B visa fellowship offered to foreign nationals who qualify for an H-1B visa in the United States. Fellows obtain a cap-exempt H-1B visa with a Build Fellowship non-profit partner, working 5+ hours per week while providing mission-advancing work through educational programming. The program enables concurrent full-time H-1B employment at U.S. companies without lottery participation.
- Educational Programming for University Students Build Fellows lead hands-on experiential training programs at U.S. universities, offering research, published content, 1-on-1 instructional sessions, and project-based guidance to students in fields ranging from computer science and data science to molecular biology, finance, and engineering. More than 6,000 students have been trained across 861 skills.
- The Immies 2026 Awards Program The first national awards program dedicated exclusively to honoring immigration attorneys, presented by Build Talent Labs (a Danielle Goldman organization). The Immies 2026 recognized nine award categories including Trailblazer, Against All Odds, Thought Leader, Resilience, Community Impact, Breakthrough, Paralegal of the Year, Associate of the Year, Power Partnership, and People's Choice.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% visa approval rate for eligible foreign nationals accepted into The Build Fellowship
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Boston UniversitycoreUniversity partner hosting Build Fellows for experiential learning programs. Students at Boston University have access to global expertise, subject matter training, and hands-on Build Projects in various specialized fields.
- Vanderbilt UniversitycoreUniversity partner providing students access to experiential learning with Build Fellows who are global experts in specialized industries. Students receive 1:1 domain-specific training and mentorship.
- Ohio State UniversitycoreUniversity partner in the Build Fellowship network offering students career services, industry knowledge, and skills development through experiential learning projects led by global talent fellows.
- Queens CollegecoreQueens College student Wilber participated in a Build Project with Remix Labs under fellow Shritesh Bhattarai, eventually becoming the first junior-level no-interview hire at the company.
- Franklin Cummings TechcoreTechnical college partner providing students access to Build Fellows for real industry exposure, global perspective, and mentorship opportunities in technology fields.
- Grand Valley State UniversitycoreUniversity partner in the Build Fellowship network, providing students access to global talent fellows and experiential learning in specialized fields.
- Hult International Business SchoolcoreInternational business school partner offering students access to Build Fellows for global expertise and hands-on projects in business and entrepreneurship.
- Alcorn Immigration LawcoreImmigration law firm partner and member of the Law Firm Network. Sophie Alcorn, founder, is a certified specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law and refers clients to the Build Fellowship program.
- Klug Law FirmcoreImmigration law firm partner with two attorneys in the network: Managing Shareholder Noah Klug (recognized as a leading business immigration attorney by Who's Who Legal) and Jonathan Hammond (handling nonimmigrant/immigrant visa petitions, DACA, 601 waivers, PERM).
- Goldman and Partners ImmigrationcoreImmigration law firm partner with four attorneys in the network: Jeff Goldman (30+ years in business immigration, 31 professionals on staff), Kasia Loor (employment-based permanent residency and H-1Bs), Michael Haven (business and family immigration), and Malvena Driscoll (20 years in immigration and nationality law).
- Curran, Berger & KludtcoreImmigration law firm partner with Dan Berger, who is an Immigration Fellow/Visiting Scholar at Cornell Law School and on the Legal Advisory Board of the Presidents' Alliance on Immigration & Higher Education.
- Messner ReevescoreImmigration law firm partner with David Asser (Partner) and Krischelle Joseph (Paralegal). Both were recognized at the Immies 2026 awards for exceptional work in immigration law.
- Oguz LawcoreImmigration law firm partner founded by Dorukhan Oguz, winner of the Immies 2026 Community Impact Award. The firm prioritizes service to underrepresented communities through multilingual outreach.
- Webber Arredondo Oja, LLCcoreImmigration law firm partner with Robert (Bob) Webber, who has been practicing U.S. immigration full-time since 1999, specializing in temporary work visas and green card strategies.
- Peters Immigration Law P.C.coreImmigration law firm partner with Alex Peters, who describes The Build Fellowship as an essential solution to problems posed by an unpredictable immigration landscape.
- Build Talent LabscoreCo-founder Danielle Goldman's organization that presents The Immies awards. The Immies is the first national awards program dedicated exclusively to honoring immigration attorneys, held at the AILA Annual Conference.
- Open Avenues FoundationcoreParent organization of The Build Fellowship. The Open Avenues Foundation runs the micro-internship program and provides the educational programming infrastructure through which Build Fellows deliver experiential learning to students.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Intern Abroad HQ: Provider of international internship programs across multiple countries and industries. Comparable to Build Fellowship's provider-run, multi-country, multi-industry international work placement model and similar positioning around experiential work-based learning for global talent.
- Upwardly Global: Nonprofit that helps skilled immigrants and refugees rebuild professional careers in the U.S. through training, mentoring, and employer connections. Comparable on the workforce re-entry mission for foreign nationals and on the partnership model with U.S. employers and educational institutions.
- Parker Dewey: Micro-internship platform connecting college students with short-term, project-based work for U.S. companies. Comparable on the B2B subscription model (companies pay per project) and on the educational programming component Build Fellows deliver to students at partner universities.
- Open Avenues Foundation: Parent organization of The Build Fellowship. Operates the micro-internship program and provides the educational programming infrastructure that Build Fellows use to deliver experiential learning, sharing mission, target audience (foreign talent, U.S. companies, universities), and operational backbone.
- Boundless: Tech-enabled immigration services platform for individuals and families navigating U.S. visas and green cards. Comparable on the target customer (foreign nationals needing U.S. immigration pathways) and on the digital-first delivery of immigration support.
- AIESEC: Global youth-led organization running international internship and fellowship programs across multiple countries and industries. Comparable to Build Fellowship's provider-run, multi-country, multi-industry international work placement model and similar beneficiary audience of students and early-career professionals.
Broad incumbents
- Envoy Global: Immigration management platform that combines technology and legal services to help companies sponsor and relocate foreign talent. Comparable on the immigration compliance and visa sponsorship product for U.S. employers hiring foreign nationals, though broader in scope than the cap-exempt fellowship niche.
- Fragomen: Global immigration law firm serving corporate clients with visa processing, compliance, and strategic immigration advisory. Comparable on the immigration processing capability and the corporate customer base, though it is a large professional services firm rather than a fellowship product.
- Deel: Global hiring, payroll, and immigration platform offering visa sponsorship and Employer of Record services across many countries. Comparable on the immigration sponsorship and global talent enablement offering, though it operates a much broader platform rather than specializing in cap-exempt H-1B.
- Velocity Global: Global Employer of Record and immigration services provider enabling companies to hire talent across borders, including visa sponsorship in the U.S. Comparable on the immigration-enabled hiring value proposition for U.S. companies, though operating as a broader international employment platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues social profiles
Digital presenceThe Build Fellowship by Open Avenues financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues
What does The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues do?
The Build Fellowship provides a cap-exempt H-1B visa fellowship for foreign national professionals, allowing them to obtain U.S. work authorization through part-time employment (5+ hours/week) with nonprofit partners while working full-time for U.S. companies. Companies act as benefactors and pay $4,000/month per Fellow, with a 12-month minimum commitment, covering salary, taxes, insurance, USCIS filing fees (including premium processing), ongoing compliance, extensions, amendments, consular processing, H-4 dependent filings, and fellowship programming.
Is The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues a public or private company?
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues founded?
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues was founded in 2023. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues based?
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues make money?
One revenue line is on record: fellowship Program Fees.
Who are The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Intern Abroad HQ, Upwardly Global, Parker Dewey, Open Avenues Foundation, Boundless and AIESEC. Broad incumbents are Envoy Global, Fragomen, Deel and Velocity Global.
Does The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues.
What industry is The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues in?
The Build Fellowship by Open Avenues's product category is Immigration Services / Visa Sponsorship. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAFAA, Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry), with a secondary code of EDAIAFAH, Corporate/Industry-Sponsored International Internship Programs. Its SIC code is 7361.