Audible’s urban innovation initiatives support policies and solutions that help make the communities we operate in more equitable, resilient and prosperous for all residents.
From working to expand innovation corridors to creating vibrant, 24/7 streetscapes, we collaborate with leaders to attract investment and development while supporting local businesses. In our hometown of Newark, New Jersey, the result has been a thriving neighborhood activated with events, dining, and entertainment that is of Newark and for Newark. Our work in this great American city provides a blueprint for our offices in the other cities we call home and serves as an example of how to put investment and innovation to work for all of our neighbors.
30,000+ meals have been served through our Lunch Out Wednesday program.
1 in 6 of Audible’s headquarters employees live in Newark, New Jersey.
65% of Audible employees in the Live Local program have moved to Newark since joining Audible.
2 in 5 customer care employees are hired through recruiting activities in Newark.
Audible’s founder, Don Katz, has made creating urban equality a defining purpose for our company. Inspired by Newark’s spirit of innovation and resilience, we work hand-in-hand with the local community to bring meaningful change to downtown and beyond.
Many of our efforts are centered in downtown Newark, where we work to support a vibrant neighborhood, anchored by thriving local businesses, innovation, art, and cultural diversity. Our Newark Squared initiative celebrates and enhances our neighborhood, providing ongoing opportunities for growing startups, small businesses, and the community. A key pillar is our Business Attraction Program, which helps diverse and innovative businesses join Audible in Newark. We also host regular, free events and programming for the Newark community such as a farmers’ market that supports local businesses, yoga classes, and children’s events.
We’ve worked with the City of Newark and other civic, educational, corporate and cultural institutions to increase walkability, safety and beautification for the whole community. We've leveraged our presence, reputation and network to spark investment on behalf of the city, and we’ve contributed to the expansion of city greenspaces, the Sensory Lab installation, and the creation of Newark's free public Wi-Fi network in Harriet Tubman Square and Military Park.
Through our Business Attraction Program, we’re working to strengthen Newark’s technology, entrepreneurial, and small business ecosystems by empowering innovative and diverse businesses to join Audible in Newark. Providing benefits like relocation assistance, grants for office costs, and business mentorship with Audible executives, our efforts aim to leverage Newark’s unmatched data infrastructure, increase retail and commercial occupancy rates, and boost local spending to preserve and create jobs, while thoughtfully and equitably growing the city’s innovation ecosystem.
Audible restored and transformed a city landmark—a historic 80,000-square-foot church—into a state-of-the-art technology center while preserving many of its historic elements, including its distinctive stained-glass windows, organ pipes and bowling alley. Don Katz also started Newark Venture Partners, a venture capital firm that has invested in over 100 promising tech startups, many of which choose to headquarter in Newark, bringing jobs and increased foot traffic along with them.
The Newark Artist Collaboration is tapping into our community’s artists and makers to commission immersive, homegrown ideas - from street-level audio activations and lighting installations to local street art collaborations.
The Newark Artist Collaboration offers ongoing opportunities to Newark-based artists and encourages local investment in our creative community. It features large-scale installations and public artworks throughout downtown Newark from over 20 local artists and artist collectives — recognizing the critical role they play in enhancing the vibrancy and cultural capital of the city.
These installations celebrate the vitality and talent in Newark today, as well as the city’s storied past, from music history and artistic activism, to cultural icons and the jazz scene. They proudly reflect Newark’s arts-rich history while collectively envisioning its bright future.
The Places by Audible app brings the Newark Artist Collaboration, historical landmarks, and cultural locations to life for all to enjoy, with unique audio storytelling from the creators and artists themselves.
Audible, the City of Newark, Queen Latifah, and others joined together to unveil Newark’s new Harriet Tubman monument, which includes an immersive audio experience produced by Audible.
Watch nowRead how Audible is supporting local artists and showcasing their work in our headquarters city of Newark, New Jersey.
Read moreAudible Founder Don Katz was honored at the 2022 PEN America Gala with the Business Visionary Award.
Read moreThe Architect’s Newspaper describes how the Newark Artist Collaboration uses “art as a way of healing and economic revitalization” in Newark.
Read nowPBS State of the Arts spotlights the Newark Artist Collaboration and the projects created by local artists.
Watch nowAudible and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka celebrated the launch his political memoir, The Book of Baraka.
Read moreAudible sponsored the Newark Arts Festival, offering free walking tours of the downtown arts initiatives Newark Arts Collaboration and Four Corners Public Art.
Read moreBefore the pandemic, our Lunch Out Wednesday (LOW) program subsidized hundreds of employees each week to “lunch out” at local restaurants. This program increased employee engagement within the neighborhood and helped support Newark’s retail economy. According to Luis Valls-Amabile, owner of Fresh Coast, “Audible really helped us get our name out...and it’s really made a huge difference.”
Many participating restaurants echo Luis’s sentiment, and reported serving hundreds of additional customers and making thousands of dollars more in sales each month. When the pandemic hit, our dedication to these restaurants continued through Newark Working Kitchens. A citywide collaboration, the meal delivery program has sustained hundreds of jobs and kept beloved restaurants open by hiring them to cook and deliver free meals to thousands of residents in need. And we continue to support small businesses by offering companies in our Business Attraction Program monthly ‘Buy Local’ stipends for their employees to shop at local businesses.
Outstanding candidates are closer than many companies think. We’re passionate about developing a talent pipeline and recruiting from the communities we call home. Our Future Leaders program gives Newark high school students hands-on skill development through internships, where they work side-by-side with Audible employees. Our development workshops, collaborations with nonprofits like Per Scholas that train people for tech sector jobs, and customer care community recruiting help build a strong pool of qualified local candidates for Audible and other companies in Newark.
Two in five customer care employees are hired through Audible’s recruiting efforts in Newark and collaboration with community and workforce organizations, including Newark Works, Covenant House, Veterans Administration, and Newark Public Schools. The program prepares job seekers for the hiring process with résumé reviews and mock interviews, and boosts their job readiness with workshops on effective communication, critical thinking, and time management. Not only does this help candidates build the skills necessary for careers at Audible, it gives them the tools they need to succeed at other Newark companies, strengthening the city’s future.
A year ago, Marlesha Ross was moving between temporary shelters with her daughter, unsure if she could find a good job opportunity in her hometown of Newark. A meeting with an Audible recruiter changed all that. Learn how Ross has made a home at Audible.
I never felt that there would be lucrative employment within Newark. Once I met with [the Audible] team they gave me the initiative, the boost in skills, that was necessary to go through this process. I value the commitment Audible has taken on within the community.
”Denise DavisCustomer Service OperationsWe want our employees to support the local economy and be active members of the community. We created the Live Local program to provide all Audible employees living in Newark with a $500 a month post-tax subsidy toward their housing expenses. The program has tripled the number of Audible employees who live in Newark and infuses an estimated $424,000 annually into the local economy for every 10 Live Local participants.
We expanded our Live Local benefit to companies in our Business Attraction Program, whose Newark-based employees can access monthly living subsidies for up to one year. Audible also provides our employees tickets to NJPAC and Prudential Center events, including New Jersey Devils hockey games, and Newark Museum of Art memberships to encourage employees to explore the city’s cultural institutions and support local artists and makers.
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