Fostering a thriving neighborhood
Driving Urban Innovation
We moved our headquarters to Newark in 2007 to expand economic opportunities in the city, and our commitment has only deepened since.
From creating jobs to supporting a vibrant downtown fueled by innovation, culture and creativity, our initiatives are designed to see Newark thrive.
Our Impact
$1.76 billion in economic impact generated annually by Audible’s initiatives and core business in Newark, New Jersey and the surrounding area.
Building Community
We stand by Newark in the most concrete way possible – by transforming prominent spaces into hubs for innovation and community. In our largest philanthropic investment to date, we opened The Pillars in 2025, creating a 15,000 square-foot retail hub that will bring new energy to the neighborhood. The space was designed to attract foot traffic, create jobs and increase amenities for our neighbors and visitors, and is home to three local retail businesses that have received support from our Business Attraction Program.
In 2019, we transformed an 80,000 square-foot church into the Innovation Cathedral, a state-of-the-art technology center for our company. The renovation created 185 construction jobs, and in the process, we preserved many of the landmark’s historic elements like its distinctive stained-glass windows, organ pipes and bowling alley.
Advancing Local Business
Our multi-award-winning Business Attraction Program helps innovative companies expand or relocate to Newark. It offers financial incentives, including up to $250,000 in grants for office space, along with mentorship, networking opportunities and more, to support small businesses and startups benefit from all that the city has to offer, particularly those who have historically faced barriers to access. We aim to boost local spending, create jobs, increase commercial occupancy rates, and equitably grow the city’s innovation and retail ecosystem, positioning Newark as the standard for inclusive urban growth.
We also support Newark’s local restaurants, helping sustain the small businesses that form the backbone of a healthy economy. From 2020 to 2024, Newark Working Kitchen (NWK), an initiative created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, funded local restaurants to prepare and deliver more than 1.6 million meals to over 10,000 of the city’s most vulnerable residents, keeping the lights on at dozens of restaurants and infusing over $16 million into the local economy. NWK now offers a range of supports for restaurants, including driving patronage through targeted discount codes, an emergency relief fund, and opportunities for Audible employees to offer business mentorship.
30+ participating businesses in the Business Attraction Program.
$4.1+ million in total funding for our Business Attraction Program.
1.6 million meals delivered by NWK.
$16 million infused into the local restaurant economy by NWK.
200 jobs preserved by NWK during the pandemic and beyond.
Increasing Local Spending
We want our employees to experience everything Newark has to offer. Through our Lunch Out and First Taste programs, which are an extension of NWK, we subsidize employee meals at local restaurants and give employees vouchers to try a different local eatery each month. This keeps employee spending in the neighborhood and helps local businesses succeed.
For Audible employees who want to live in Newark, we provide a monthly, post-tax subsidy for housing expenses through our Live Local program. The number of Audible employees living in Newark has tripled with the program, further growing the local economy and deepening our roots in the community.
The Live Local program has tripled the number of Audible employees living in Newark.
Creating a 24/7 Cultural District
At Audible, we work with our neighbors to create public spaces that pulse with art, culture and community, reflecting the city’s rich history and bright future.
The Newark Artist Collaboration commissions large-scale public artworks from local artists throughout downtown, including murals, window activations, digital artworks and more. These installations highlight the vitality and talent in Newark today, as well as the city’s storied past – from its artistic activism to its cultural icons and jazz scene. Together, the works reflect our commitment to investing in Newark’s creative community and the artists who call the city home.
In 2023, we collaborated with the City of Newark to unveil a new monument downtown, honoring Harriet Tubman and Newark’s role in the history of Black liberation. Audible created a permanent on-site audio experience at the monument, weaving together stories of Tubman’s life with narratives of the Underground Railroad and the history of free Black communities in New Jersey.
We also host a series of ongoing community events – from farmers markets to coding meetups and everything in between – that promote local businesses, bring people together and keep the neighborhood buzzing. In 2025 alone, we were involved in more than 150 events that collectively drew over 17,500 attendees.
Over 20 local artists and artist collectives have been commissioned by NAC.
Over 75% of NAC artists are women.
We’ve invested over $1.3M+ in NAC as of 2025.
Engaging the Community
Our community investment extends beyond Newark too. At our global hubs, Audible employees donate their time and talents by mentoring students and creators, supporting small businesses, tutoring students to build STEM skills and improve literacy, and volunteering with charitable organizations.
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