Joanna Carpenter

Founder, 86 the Barrier

New York, New York

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Lack of English language proficiency can obstruct employment prospects in the U.S. As the name 86 the Barrier suggests, this organization, founded during the pandemic, is intended to help remove that roadblock, specifically for Spanish-speaking workers in the hospitality industry. Led by Carpenter, a 20+ year hospitality veteran and actor (in 2023, she made her Broadway debut in Sweeney Todd), 86 the Barrier works with hospitality workers, migrants and asylum seekers sheltered in lower Manhattan, teaching them English with a view to becoming an employment pipeline to restaurants, bars and adjacent industries throughout NYC.

Instagram:@thejoannac