CitizensNYC LIVE

On this new episode of CitizensNYC Live, we talk with Rue Parkin, the Executive Director of HelpNYC about their experiences being queer and unhoused and how they bring that personal experience to their work of providing resources for unhoused, unsafe, unstable, or under-supported communities.Rue Parkin (he/they/them) was street and shelter homeless for several years in New York City. Struggling with mental health and substance use concerns they struggled, as did various service providers, to find resources that were appropriate for their needs. It was a continual challenge to find access to low-barrier services.In 2016, having lived in independent supported housing since 2010 and being in Recovery, Rue started a list of resources on their phone that they would text messages to friends and others in need. The text contained information on food assistance programs, substance use treatment programs, and Drop-In and Shelter Intake Centers.  Eventually this became helpNYC.In 2022, helpNYC started Community Outreach to help New Yorkers in need in the community.  Outreach Teams partner with community organizations and government agencies to setup up tables at events, career fairs, and other engagement activities to spread the word about the helpNYC.info Resource Navigator and provide direct connections to helpNYC Listing Partners.As of February 2023, through the helpNYC.info Resource Navigator and our Community Outreach, we have helped over 60,000 New Yorkers since 2018.

On this new episode of CitizensNYC Live, we talk with Von Harris, a disability advocate, Advertising Coach, Podcaster, and D&I Specialist about how disability advocacy rests at the heart of our work to bring communities together and create a more inclusive world. In Von's own words: “inclusion and diversity improve every workspace whether in-office or virtual. I believe in being an advocate and a voice for underrepresented communities. I use this passion to drive the strategic alignment of each piece in its place, which has truly been the key to success for me. Every day brings another opportunity to help guide each person, each puzzle piece toward its rightful place toward the bigger picture.” 

On this new episode of CitizensNYC Live, we laugh along with Dr. Cheng Zhu, a Harvard lecturer and innovation consultant who studies and educates on the ways humor can improve professional development and success. Dr. Zhu has served as Research Associate at the Harvard Business School, Research Assistant at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Center for Public Leadership, Faculty at the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Senior Faculty and Researcher at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). 

Women's History Month is in full swing, and we're shining a light on a woman who is leading just by being her authentic self. In a time when things can be more of a façade for social media purposes, Lorenley Baez brings this modern approach to her leadership role as an Associate Provost, Academic Advising & Career Development at The New School. As a Latina woman from the Dominican Republic, she's experienced what she refers to as “systems thinking.” That's another way of saying that the old way of doing things will not continue to push us forward as a whole. So how do we change this? Lorenley believes it all starts with listening, reflecting, understanding, and then reacting. Hear more on this episode of the CItizensNYC LIVE podcast.   

We're shinning a light on an individual who's always working to bring together and improve his community: Christ Follower Rev. Raschaad Hoggard of Abyssinian Baptist Church. He's a prime example of someone who does his life's work by combatting social injustice, sees education as a central part of driving change, and encourages others to share the light within themselves.  Episode Note: Our host CitizensNYC CEO Dr. Rahsaan Harris was inspired by our founder Osborn Elliot's book Men at the Top (Harper, 1959). In it, Elliot studies the attitudes and ambitions of leaders at the top, after he interviewed over 200 top U.S. executives. Stay tuned for the next chapter of the series as we explore what leadership looks today. 

True leadership takes resilience. Just ask our guest, Jesse Leon. Now a Social Impact Consultant & author of the book, "I'm Not Broken", he had to overcome his experience being trafficked as a young sex worker. Jesse shares what it took for him to bounce back from that trauma, learn how to accept himself, and how finding and creating community in NYC played a key role in finding his voice as a leader. Episode Note: Our host CitizensNYC CEO Dr. Rahsaan Harris was inspired by our founder Osborn Elliot's book Men at the Top (Harper, 1959). In it, Elliot studies the attitudes and ambitions of leaders at the top, after he interviewed over 200 top U.S. executives. Stay tuned for the next chapter of the series as we explore what leadership looks today.

Our guest is Council Member Joseph C. Borelli is the Minority Leader of the New York City Council. He represents the 51st Council District, which encompasses Staten Island's South Shore. CM Borelli tells us his how profession allows him to be “the best kind of philanthropist.”Listen as Borelli extends what philanthropy means beyond his generosity in funding of environmental and autism initiatives in Staten island, to his generosity in spirit. Learn why developing real friendships with government colleagues is important, regardless of political party.Episode Note: Our host CitizensNYC CEO Dr. Rahsaan Harris was inspired by our nonprofit's founder Osborn Elliot's book Men at the Top (Harper, 1959). In it, Elliot studies the attitudes and ambitions of leaders at the top, after he interviewed over 200 top U.S. executives.Now in Season 3, Dr. Harris sits down with top leaders in NYC government, business, culture and community, and reframes Oz Elliot's Men at the Topchapter titles to ask them:Who are you, professionally and personally?Where are you ‘up from'?Politics: Together we stand?Stay tuned for the next chapter of this intriguing series.

When you have a big goal in mind, just getting started can be the most important part. CEO Rahsaan Harris & Podcast Producer Melaine Morgan reflect on the CitizensNYC podcast journey, while also shining a light on Imani Cruz (Co-Founder of Harlem Cares Collective). Hear about how she started motivating her community to keep the Harlem streets clean, while also balancing a 9-to-5 that is in a completely different line of work.They'll also dive into a leadership discussion about “Men At The Top: A Study of U.S. Men , Their Lives, Methods and Attitudes,” which was written by CitizensNYC Founder, Oz Elliott, back in 1959. Of course times have changed since then, but current CitizensNYC CEO, Rahsaan Harris, is using ideas from the book as conversation starters for today's leaders to speak about.Don't forget! October 17, 2022 - Join us at our new location, Tavern on the Green in Central Park, for cocktails, dinner, and music as we come together to be All In for NYC and rethink, reimagine, and rebuild the greatest city in the world.CitizensNYC makes direct cash grants for neighborhood-led projects, and neighborhood businesses that improve the quality of life in New York City. We are providing $1 million in grants to New Yorkers on the front lines of rebuilding our city. Find out more information here.

There's nothing wrong with having a “fresh start” from time to time. Our guest, Paul H. Deutch (CitizensNYC Board Member & EVP of Omni Agent Solutions) specializes in just that!  During the first half of this episode, you'll hear all about Paul's journey as a bankruptcy attorney and how that's evolved to more business development work these days. Toward the end of this episode, we'll dive into our “Men At The Top” discussion. “Men At The Top: A Study of U.S. Men , Their Lives, Methods and Attitudes” was written by CitizensNYC Founder, Oz Elliott, back in 1959. Of course times have changed since then, but current CitizensNYC CEO, Rahsaan Harris is using the titles of some chapters as conversation starters for our leaders to speak about.October 17, 2022 - Join us at our new location, Tavern on the Green in Central Park, for cocktails, dinner, and music as we come together to be All In for NYC and rethink, reimagine, and rebuild the greatest city in the world.CitizensNYC makes direct cash grants for neighborhood-led projects, and neighborhood businesses that improve the quality of life in New York City. We are providing $1 million in grants to New Yorkers on the front lines of rebuilding our city. Find out more information here.

Welcome to season 3 of the CitizensNYC: LIVE podcast! We're back to continue bringing New Yorkers from all walks of life together to chat about the city we all know and love.In this episode, we'll be joined by Kelley A. Cornish (Senior Partner at Paul, Weiss) & Nitiya Walker (Executive Director and Founder of Seeds of Fortune Inc.). You'll hear them chat about the challenges of being a female leader and how they're empowering others in their community.October 17, 2022 - Join us at our new location, Tavern on the Green in Central Park, for cocktails, dinner, and music as we come together to be All In for NYC and rethink, reimagine, and rebuild the greatest city in the world.CitizensNYC makes direct cash grants for neighborhood-led projects, and neighborhood businesses that improve the quality of life in New York City. We are providing $1 million in grants to New Yorkers on the front lines of rebuilding our city. Find out more information here.

There's a lot going on in the world today—living through a pandemic that shined a light on many racial disparities in the classroom or bans that stripped away the rights women had over their own bodies.We have a very special guest for this episode to speak on these issues and a whole lot more.  He goes by Congressman Ritchie Torres and represents New York's 15th Congressional District, which covers most of the South Bronx. Find out about CitizensNYC 's grant programs here: https://www.citizensnyc.org/grantmaking

What does it take for communities to thrive & be successful? What is philanthropy without public power? The Founding Director Of Economics and Urban Study at The New School, Prof. Darrick Hamilton & Senior Fellow,  Henry Ramos are here to talk about it.Find out how community leaders and neighborhood businesses can take advantage of resources available for those working to improve New York City.CitizensNYC is now accepting applications for its grant programs.Learn more here: https://www.citizensnyc.org/grantmaking

There are  many layers to running a successful non-profit organization.  Having a solid foundation built by a strong team is where you start, then you continue to build your community. Our guest Yin Kong has done just that! With a little help from CitizensNYC, Think!Chinatown has been able to  foster inter-generational community through:Neighborhood Engagement, Storytelling & The Arts. Hear all about the Think!Chinatown in this episode.

No matter where you're from or your walk of life, everyone can find a niche in NYC. It's a one of a kind city that focuses in on inclusivity.  This episode focuses on just that.Join in on this discussion, with our guests:Yin Kong, Founder of Think!ChinatownPeter H. Kostmayer Former CEO of Citizens Committee for New York Doug Hirn, Counsel at Debevoise & Plimpton, LLPFind out how community leaders and neighborhood businesses can take advantage of resources available for those working to improve New York City.CitizensNYC is now accepting applications for its grant programs.Learn more here: https://www.citizensnyc.org/grantmaking

During the pandemic, many overlooked disparities were amplified. One in particular was food insecurity.  CitizensNYC welcomes 3 guests to talk about how we can come together to fix this issue: Joel Press, Founder of Press Management LLC (Honoree)Andrea Markezin, President of Table Management Douglas SIlver, Founder of Gotham Food PantryFind out how community leaders and neighborhood businesses can take advantage of resources available for those working to improve New York City.CitizensNYC is now accepting applications for its grant programs.Learn more here: https://www.citizensnyc.org/grantmaking

March is all about celebrating women all around the world and shining a light on all they do! To do just that, we've got 2 special guests:Brandee McHale, Head of Community Investing and Development at Citi Tella Walker, Interim CEO for the Nonprofit Finance FundThey'll speak about the first women heading CitiBank, building institutions and improving the resource allocation process.Find out how community leaders and neighborhood businesses can take advantage of resources available for those working to improve New York City.CitizensNYC is now accepting applications for its grant programs.Learn more here: https://www.citizensnyc.org/grantmaking

There's a lot of power in accessibility and opportunity, even when it comes to the game of soccer. Sola Winley (Major League Soccer) & Bobby Akumah (Dare2Dream) talk about the impact that the game had on their lives and what they're doing to bridge the economic gap in minority communities. This episode's guests are: Sola Winley (EVP & Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer of Major League Soccer)  Bobby Akumah (Founder of Dare2Dream)Find out how community leaders and neighborhood businesses can take advantage of resources available for those working to improve New York City.CitizensNYC is now accepting applications for its grant programs.Learn more here: https://www.citizensnyc.org/grantmaking

 What does leadership look like to you? It's very rare that you put the words “leader” & “vulnerability” in the same sentence. We've partnered up some amazing non-profit leaders to break down that typical visual of what a leader looks like. Leaders are every day people  who strive to make change in their neighborhoods.  This episode's guests are:Charles Best (Founder & CEO of Donors Choose) Tony Hillery (Founder of Harlem Grown)Chayanne Sanchez ( Amaya's Bookreads, Inc.)Find out how community leaders and neighborhood businesses can take advantage of resources available for those working to improve New York City. CitizensNYC is now accepting applications for its grant programs. Learn more here: https://www.citizensnyc.org/grantmaking

 Wells Fargo Invests $250K in NYC Small Businesses Through Partnership with CitizensNYCHear how both organizations are helping underserved small businesses stay open and preserve jobs.In this episode, we're joined by: Bill Jordan, Sr. VP, Relationship Manager (Wells Fargo)Catherine Domenech, VP of Social Impact and Sustainability (Wells Fargo)Natasha Williams, Sr. Managing Partner (The Cornelius Group)Find out how your neighborhood business can take advantage of the resources that are available to you. CitizensNYC is now accepting applications for its grant programs. Learn more here: https://www.citizensnyc.org/grantmaking

From getting back on the subway, to being around one another again for the holidays, Citizens Committee for New York City, CEO Dr. Rahsaan Harris and his wife Elizabeth come together once more to kick-off Season 2 of the CitizensNYC: LIVE Couples in Conversations podcast.The couple talk about the value of fellowship, how New Yorkers are continuing to make adjustments as the city gets a bit closer to normalcy, and their hope for the city as new leadership will soon assume office at highest city and state levels.CitizensNYC is now accepting applications for its All in Neighborhood and Neighborhood Business grant programs. Learn more here: https://www.citizensnyc.org/grantmaking

In this episode we sit down with New Yorkers for New York honoree Dr. Frida Polli and New York City Council Member Adrienne Adams.CM Adams represents district 28 in Queens, which is one of the world's most diverse counties in America. Nicknamed the World's Borough, her district is home to a famously large Caribbean and South Asian community. She helps explain the city's cultural immigrant initiative and why city leaders feel it is important to help fund programming for the general public, focused on the cultural history and traditions of immigrant communities.Dr. Polli is a transplant to New York City, with native roots in Italy and the United Kingdom. She talks about the glory and challenges of being an entrepreneur, mother of three, living in New York City -- and her life work of helping everyone realize their true potential at work through her company pymetrics, Inc. pymetrics helps companies build the workforce of the future, using behavioral science and audited AI technology, resulting in more diverse teams and more efficient processes.Our honoree Dr. Frida Polli is an award-winning Harvard and MIT neuroscientist turned CEO. She was named one of Inc.'s Top 100 Female Founders in 2019, one of Entrepreneur's Top 100 Powerful Women in 2020 and has received the MIT 100K, and Harvard Business School's Kaplan Life Science Fellowship Award, and a NARSAD Young Investigator Award.

This month we are commemorating Pride month with an episode about falling in love in the big apple.   We sit down with two married couples who have been supporting the work of CitizensNYC for years. Our VP of Development & Communications Scott Young, and his husband Joeseph Garreffa share why New York City has offered them a sense of comfort and purpose since they both left their hometowns and relocated to the city. Meanwhile Young Citizens Committee member Alison and her newlywed husband Jon Weidman, are both native New Yorkers who have always shared a love for the city. They explain why New Yorkers not only tolerate but embrace the beautiful struggle that is NYC.  Ever wonder why it seems a certain soul is always drawn to NYC? Let these couples tell it, you can find anything you want here.

This month we are honoring TIME's Chief People Officer Sue Suh, as part of the organization The New Yorker for New York campaign. In this episode we sit down with former board member David Hochman and his wife Alexandra, along with current board member Nithya Sowrirajan and her husband Matthew. The couples discuss the many ways the city has changed since the pandemic began, how CitizensNYC's strength in mobilizing citizens to help themselves is especially relevant today, and the energy that is returning as the city begins to open up again. David's great aunt Mollie Parnis, was a founding member of the organization and famous dress designer. Our honoree Sue Suh has spent most of the past decade at one of the world's largest private philanthropies, the Rockefeller Foundation. Prior to Rockefeller, Sue spent five years in a variety of roles at the U.S. Departments of State and Defense in Washington, New York, and Tripoli, Libya, including a two-year stint at the U.S. Mission to the UN.This episode was sponsored by Cynthia Hochman.

In part two of Rhina Valentin and Michael Max Knobbe's conversation, the duo discuss the power of community, exploring small businesses in East Harlem and the importance of supporting art organizations and local artists throughout NYC.Nicknamed “La Reina del Barrio” Rhina is a native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent, a beloved spokesperson for her community, and the founder of La Reina del Barrio, Inc. She is a recipient of The 2020 All Inclusive Change Maker Award, and was named one of 25 Bronx Influential Women back in 2015.

In this episode, New Yorkers for New York honoree Rhina Valentin takes the mic with Michael Max Knobbe, Executive Director of BronxNet. BronxNet is a public, educational, and multimedia network that provides local television to the local community. The two colleagues take a stroll down memory lane to talk about the diversity of culture Uptown and in the Bronx, and how much the creative energy positively impacts the community there. Rhina is the host of OpenFriday also known as "The Jump Off" and has been a part of the BronxNet family for 15 years. 

There are infinite stories of New York City. Father-daughter duo, Peter and Sandra Goldmark take on forty-one of those stories in their new book Haikus for New York City.  Peter Goldmark (author) was honored by CitizensNYC back in 1985 for his work as a public servant in NYC. Sandra Goldmark (illustrator) is a grantee partner, for her work as founder of Fixup, a social enterprise that employed local theatre artists and technicians to fix household items, re-envisioning repair as a viable and necessary part of a sustainable and equitable circular economy.In this episode, Peter and Sandra give listeners a glimpse into their new dynamic book of Haikus, a moving and witty celebration of the city nine million people call home. Copies are available for purchase here: https://www.haikusfornyc.com/ 

New Yorker for New York honoree Susan Cullman and NYC attorney and tech executive Rebecca Cohen discuss the power of mentorship, the importance of championing woman's rights, and why it is up to women to chart their own course in life. Susan, whose family established roots in NYC centuries ago, serves as a board member or a former board member of several NYC nonprofits including Citizens Committee for New York City, The New York Women's Foundation, The New York Landmarks Commission, Mount Sinai Health System, and many others.

In this episode, we're sitting down with Susan Cullman, an active board member of Citizens Committee for New York City, and NYC Attorney and Tech Executive Rebecca Cohen. Susan is being honored this year as part of the organization's New Yorkers for New York fundraising campaign, where she is being honored for her legacy as an activist both in NYC and the nation's capital. The couple talk about the uniqueness of New York City's neighborhoods, the beauty of living in a walking city and their special connection to Mount Sinai Hospital. Cullman has dedicated 17 years of service to CitizensNYC.

Board member Janet Burak sits down with grantee partner Nicole Lee, for the launch of CitizensNYC's new virtual fundraising campaign The New Yorkers for New York. Nicole Lee is the campaign's first honoree and says CitizensnNYC put a battery in her back, with the grants she received because it helped her gain access to the capitol her community needed and still needs to improve. Janet Burak has been involved in CitizensNYC for 15 years. 

Ernie Lyles is the newest board member to join CitizensNYC! He is the CEO of The HiGro Group a New York-based private equity firm and is joined on this episode of CitizensNYC: LIVE Couples in Conversations Dr. Rahsaan Harris and his wife Elizabeth sit down with Ernie and Princess Lyles to discuss their NYC love story, HBCUs and the important role that faith and community plays in their lives.

CEO Dr. Rahsaan Harris and his wife Elizabeth sit down to discuss how their quarantine experience has allowed their family to get to know one another on a deeper level, the joys of living in Harlem and how stooping makes a comeback in NYC.