NEWaukee celebrates ten years of helping the city be a more social-friendly place to live and work

The Milwaukee-based social architecture agency, NEWaukee, will celebrate its 10th anniversary next on February 8th with a free, public event hosted at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery.

The company has designed in-person experiences, with a focus on changing the way people connect, since it officially began on February 13, 2009.

NEWaukee started as a group of friends hosting bi-weekly socials that changed locations and included live, local music. The founders believed that to build genuine, long-lasting relationships – people needed to meet on a common ground, doing something that they truly enjoyed together.

What began as a social network quickly evolved into the nation’s first social architecture agency, led by Angela Damiani and Jeremy Fojut. The company has been notable for its programming of hundreds of events every year, many of which are free for the public to attend.

Events include community involvement projects, city bus tours, professional development workshops, social food and drink experiences, festivals like the Night Market and Urban Island Beach Party, and more.

“We call our method of work ‘social architecture’ – the conscious design of an environment that encourages a desired range of social behaviors leading toward a goal,” said Angela Damiani, CEO of NEWaukee. “Through our programs and initiatives, we motivate participants to look critically at the place in which they live, to realize its potential and to empower folks to shape their own community.”

Over the past decade, NEWaukee’s initiatives have had a profound impact on the local community. The NEWaukee Night Market has been responsible for millions of dollars of local economic impact over its four-part series every summer. It has also helped change the public narrative about West Wisconsin Avenue, and directly influenced the development of the Grand Avenue Mall and plans for the city-owned 4th Street vacant lot.

YPWeek, a professional development series geared towards young professionals, has expanded across the state of Wisconsin and to national markets becoming a unifying voice for the Millennial and Generation Z voices.

“When I think about what we’ve accomplished in the last 10 years, I’m really proud,” Damiani added. “We’ve helped to create a sense of hope and excitement for what is to come for the city.”

The agency also offers customizable business services and sponsorship opportunities to engage employer’s current and future talent. Last year, NEWaukee announced its joint venture ‘newance,’ a full lifecycle talent agency with CEO Amanda Daering, former Director of People Operations at Centare.