Meet the Team

G’day, we’re America Josh — the people, the community, and the Aussies who make this whole thing run.

What started in 2017 as one bloke writing down what he was learning about life in New York has grown into a media platform, a weekly newsletter, events across the country, and a community of more than 75,000 Australians across the United States. None of that happens without a team. Here’s who you’re talking to.

Josh Pugh — Founder & Executive Director

G’day, my name is Josh Pugh!

I arrived in New York on January 10, 2017, from Adelaide, South Australia. Nine years (and one US citizenship oath later) I’m now based in Jersey City with my wife, two sons, and our dog, Roo!

I had a fantastic life in Adelaide and in Australia, but in late 2015 I decided it was time to do something new. I sold my company, sold my house, sold my car, and even gave away my cat (“Aslan”) to start the journey to New York.

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Why New York? Because, New York. I don’t have a better story than the fact that if you’ve been here, you know what I’m talking about. The place buzzes, and on a brief visit in 2015 I knew I had to come back.

It worked out. I found a new adventure and accidentally built a whole new career around helping other Australians make the same leap. America Josh was never the plan — it started as a blog so I’d stop having the same coffee conversation 100 times — but it’s now my full-time work.

Day-to-day I run the website, write most of the content, host the webinars and podcast, and handle our partnerships. My background is in digital — websites, social media, and strategy — and I still keep a hand in that world through my company Fortnight Digital. Anything else personal or professional lives at JoshPugh.com.

If you want to chat — coffee, beer, or wine — I genuinely do. Email me at [email protected].

Julie Brock — Head of Events & Logistics

Julie keeps the wheels rolling.

If you’ve been to a Coffee in the East Village or Central Park, a Big Aussie BBQ, a trivia night, the NYC Marathon Cheer Squad, or any of the countless events we run around the country — chances are Julie is the reason it actually happened.

Originally from Williamstown, the seaside town just 13 km from Melbourne’s CBD, Julie made the move to NYC after years of thinking about it. The COVID lockdowns and a healthy dose of empty-nest syndrome tipped the decision over the line. She arrived on an E-3, jet-lagged, and walked into her first Friday Coffee the day after she landed.

She joined the America Josh community as a member before she joined the team — which matters. Julie has personally walked the E-3-to-social-security-to-credit-score gauntlet most of our community is in the middle of right now, so she gets it. As Head of Events & Logistics, she runs our events calendar across the country, coordinates our growing volunteer network, and is the person you’re most likely to bump into at an event with a clipboard, a smile, and a plan.

Want to suggest an event, help run one in your city, or just say hi? Email Julie at [email protected].

The Wider Team

America Josh isn’t just the two of us. We’re powered by a much bigger crew of community members who answer each other’s questions and turn up for each other; volunteers who support our Big Aussie BBQs, the NYC Marathon Cheer Squad, the Big Aussie Xmas Tree, and our regional coffees and meetups across the country; sponsors and partners whose support makes the free articles, the visa appointment calendar, the events, and the weekly newsletter possible; and supporters who back us directly so we can keep building.

If you’d like to be part of the team in any of those ways, get in touch — we’d love to hear from you.

Our Mission

We want to make the transition from wherever you’re from to the US just a little bit easier.

America Josh is here for anyone navigating life in America — whether you’re still planning your move, just arrived, or have been here for decades. We work alongside the other organizations, websites, companies, and services that already exist, not against them. If you know someone we should be working with, please put us in touch.

An Important Note About This Website

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If, however, you are at all uncomfortable, we encourage you to Google the item instead and sign up that way.

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