In this spotlight, the department spoke with Joshua about his senior thesis research.

"My thesis, ‘Imagining Enterprise in the Big Apple: An Ethnographic Study of Tech Founders in and Aspiring to New York City,’ is my best attempt at understanding Taylor Swift’s song 'Welcome to New York.'  This study digs into how tech founders—whether dreaming of the city from afar or navigating its daily grind—construct their own narratives about New York as a place of opportunity.

Growing up mesmerized by Hollywood’s portrayals of the city (and lately, Instagram reels), I’m amazed that a place can hold such mythic status, even for people who haven’t lived there. By examining how others envision New York and what it represents to their ambitions, I hope not only to trace the stories these founders tell themselves but also to understand my own fascination with this iconic city."