A-TO-A Connect Stage hosted by bcdW Magazine and co-hosted by Intercom embarked on its first journey at Midtown Manhattan’s Fuant Studios (The Hit Factory) —
a space famously marked by countless world-renowned artists.
This time, however, the stage was not for music, but for a groundbreaking experiment in urban community and connection.
Under the banner of Here meets There | Global Ideas, Local Impact, Better New York,
local realities and global perspectives converged,
demonstrating how connections within a city can generate entirely new possibilities.
“Different Communities, Same City”
The first A-TO-A Connect Stage brought together East Asian, West Asian, and African communities in New York,
blending diverse backgrounds and cultures into meaningful dialogue.
Among the local community-based speakers,
visiting guests from Korea notably composed the ‘Anywhere to America’ stage.
This setup made the event unique: speakers shared their backgrounds, identities, and potential contributions within New York,
creating a conversation structure unlike typical local events.
Issac Krismark, John Choe, Jitendra Muchhal
“Within the grammar of a local event, articulating your role as a guest was unfamiliar for many,
but it marked a meaningful beginning.”
Keshida Layone, MC
Jaewon Choi, Representative of Intercom
“Challenging, yet entirely feasible.
That is the message A-TO-A Connect conveyed from New York.”
The dialogue went beyond simple cultural exchange,
becoming a structural experiment where the perspectives of outsiders and locals coexist.
Keshida Layone and Haeun Chang at Art to America Stage
Ken Chester & Ashwin Dhanasamy at Action to Acceleration Stage
Vignan Jangi at Action to Acceleration Stage
Paul Joseph J. Kang at Action to Acceleration Stage
Eric Kim and Amanda Goo at Anyone To A.I Stage
Jaewon Choi, Won Jang, Haeun Jang and Sil Jin at Anywhere to America Stage
“It’s Not an Event, It’s a Process”
A-TO-A Connect Stage is not a one-time event.
This stage served as the first link in an ongoing series, setting the foundation for monthly follow-up events.
Paul Joseph J. Kang, founder of A-TO-A Connect
“Our goal is not to produce results in a single event.
This stage is just the starting point.
We will continue to build stages around different themes each month,
and the accumulated impact will culminate in next year’s ‘A-TO-A Connect Week’ in October.”
Four Stages, One Year of Journey
This series will unfold over a year in New York,
with each stage featuring unique themes, audiences, and formats.
Stage | Theme | Focus |
|---|---|---|
Anywhere to America | Discussing New York’s local challenges with local and global guests | Urban sustainability, local solutions |
Anyone to A.I | The intersection of human-centered AI and creativity | Technology meets human insight |
America to America | Stories from diverse communities across the U.S. | Multicultural collaboration |
Action to Acceleration | Transforming ideas into actionable outcomes | Startups, career development, execution |
These four stages are not isolated events;
they create a narrative of people → ideas → execution within New York’s urban ecosystem.
“Follow-up is the Real Outcome”
More important than the moments on stage are the connections that follow.
A-TO-A Connect Stage is not just presentations or talks;
it is about the meaningful dialogue and interactions that continue afterward.
The structural foundation for this dialogue was built even before the stage,
through the online community platform: community.a-to-a.com.
“This isn’t just networking.
It’s a process where participants co-design the next steps.
That is the real purpose of A-TO-A Connect.”
“New York as a Stage, Connections as Content”
A-TO-A Connect views New York itself as a stage.
On this stage are artists, startup founders, researchers, and community leaders,
sharing their visions for the city’s future in their own languages.
When Fuant Studios became a stage capturing the sounds of people and the city —
beyond music — A-TO-A Connect evolved into an urban platform rather than a simple event.
Stage Speakers and Staffs at A-To-A Connect Stage
Wrap-up & Next Steps
The first stage was not a finished product, but a prototype.
Future stages will continue regularly with different themes,
creating a self-sustaining loop of people → ideas → collaboration → execution in New York’s local ecosystem
Editor’s Note
In the ever-evolving landscape of New York City, connections are more than meetings—they are the spark for ideas, collaboration, and change. A-TO-A CONNECT STAGE exemplifies this philosophy.
Hosted at the iconic Fuant Studios (The Hit Factory), this inaugural stage was not about performances or accolades—it was about people, perspectives, and the processes that bring them together. From East Asian, West Asian, and African communities to visiting guests from Korea, the dialogue explored how diverse viewpoints converge to shape a city’s identity and possibilities.
What makes A-TO-A CONNECT truly remarkable is its commitment to continuity. Each stage builds upon the last, creating a year-long journey that will culminate in A-TO-A Connect Week next October. It reminds us that in New York, as in life, the real impact is found not in a single moment, but in the connections that follow.
As editors, we are proud to showcase this platform—where New York itself becomes a stage, and connection becomes content.
— bcdW Magazine Editorial Team