To That Point

Ensemble reimagines the places we visit and the people we interact with through the lens of performance, and reflects on what it means to "perform." In the second Director's cut, Jasmin summarizes the key learnings from both the production and analysis sides of Ensemble and what we expect to come in the post-COVID renaissance based on our research.  

Throughout this project, we learned about the stages we exist on - and what that means for the ways people think, how they behave, and what they are collectively imagine will be the next era of New York City. One of the most special moments of the human experience is coming together to create ephemeral experiences. In the last episode of Ensemble, we reflect on our time studying New York's revival and its relation to performing art, and discuss the enduring signals that point to what may be coming next. 

The last stop is our favorite borough, Brooklyn (yes.. Jasmin is biased).  We set out to study human interaction in various tableaus that feel more personal and intimate, like your favorite neighborhood bar or a casual rooftop kickback with friends.The pandemic forced us to find new ways to connect and socialize - often through technology. As we chat through how we're feeling socializing in person again, we also acknowledge the impact of social media and digital stages. Artists had to adapt their craft to virtual stages and learn new ways to engage an audience. After spending two years connecting with friends via Instagram and Facetime calls, Montana recalls the first IRL performance she attended this summer and how anxious it felt to be around strangers. As the flood gates open further, we reflect on the challenges we've experienced as we emerge from lockdown.. and the need for more vulnerable conversation that will allow us to critically acknowledge that we are forever changed.  

Arguably one of the most magical and ephemeral forms of performance art in New York City is street performance.. from buskers at subway stations, to jazz bands at city parks, and even well-dressed fashionistas on Broadway.  With venues closed during the pandemic, city streets became a common ground for any kind of artistry. As restrictions lifted many of these performances persisted, offering an optimistic accompaniment to the city's reopening.  

Anyone who's spent a night out in New York knows that the real pulse of the city is found on a different kind of stage: the dance floor. Yes, we heavily leaned into this episode during our research... and we absolutely whipped out our field mics at Paul's Casablanca.  As the city reopened, we couldn't wait to get back to our fav nightlife stapes. We made our way through downtown Manhattan, seeking out caricatures of what performance might look like outside the theatre. Cocktails and film camera in hand, we observed the cool kids make their grand re-entrance into society... from exclusive lounges to candle lit dinners.  

We head west and travel along the High Line to visit new institutions who are reinventing what performance looks like in the 21st century. We stop by The Shed in Hudson Yards to meet with Dupe Ajayi, Senior Strategist in charge of Intersectional Marketing & Partnerships. Dupe shares more about her role, what it means to be a New York institution, and how recent cultural movements are challenging the performing arts industry to be more accessible and welcoming to intersectional audiences.  As we learn more about how performance can be reinterpreted, the lines between stage and audience continue to blur. Tucked away between art galleries in Chelsea is the pseudo-hotel theatrical venue under the name The Mckittrick, better known for its immersive show Sleep No More. The interactive production fosters a new experience for audiences and artists alike, leaving audiences puzzled and questioning the notion of what a "stage" is. As we continue to break the traditions that separate art forms and audiences, we recognize how this dynamic might present itself beyond the theatre... in real life settings like restaurants, parties and dance floors.  

Our next stop is Midtown Manhattan, home to iconic New York landmarks like Times Square and Broadway. Although billboards and marquees were dim in 2020, 2021 proved to be optimistic as shows began to return to the stage and the stage lights flickered back on. We take a look at upcoming broadway revivals the the accompanying tribulations related to the #MeToo movement, inclusion and diversity, and more... and how this might start to break some of the deep rooted traditions and rituals related to performance.   

Our adventure starts on the Upper West Side, home to beloved and prestigious arts institutions like Lincoln Center and The New York City Ballet. As pandemic restrictions lifted, many institutions celebrated their long-awaited return to the stage with traditional stories. While we crave the familiar, we also recognize that we've grown and changed a lot in the past year. As the curtain rises and shows begin once again, we take a look at how audiences and performers are returning the stage.. and start to imagine where those stages could exist outside the walls of a theatre.   

Emerging from the pandemic, Jasmin and Montana sit down for drinks at the Crosby Street Hotel and chat through what's next for New York City, what's happening in the performing arts world that could inform the post-pandemic renaissance, and how we might marry our love for the arts with our strategy skillsets to embark on a new research project dubbed 'Ensemble." 

Ensemble is a narrative-style podcast documenting the re-opening of New York City in 2021 through the lens of performing arts. In the first Director's Cut, Montana introduces the origins of the Ensemble project and gives you a glimpse at what you'll hear this season. We'll be dropping two episodes per week. You can choose your own adventure and click through episodes based on your interest, but we recommend listening to the season from the top, in order, as the episodes naturally flow into each other  and follow the progression of the city reopening. 

The Burn it Down series intends to demystify the illusions of popular freelance and corporate careers. We phoned up friends who’ve made impressive career pivots to learn more about why they did it & how they made it happen... and convinced them to give us the FULL picture - the good, the bad & the ugly.  Lilia Karimi is a creative entrepreneur, yogi and author with an impressive track record. Today, Lilia walks us through how she paved a professional career path out of her passion for wellness & hospitality.  Lilia studied at the Cornell Hotel School with a focus on sustainability and started her first company Giving Bag during this time. After graduating from Cornell and working in consulting, she found herself craving more creative and impactful endeavors. After a few months, she left consulting to go work for other hospitality companies, and then started her journey into yoga and entrepreneurship. Some of her recent projects include founding Luv Collective, writing a children’s book, and working at a VC firm focused on the psychedelics industry.Learn more about Lilia and her projects at https://www.lifebylilia.com/Book your next celebration, event, or wedding with Luv Collective. Check out Lilia's first company Giving Bag, a sustainable hotel amenity program.Add  The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and Lily Finds her OM Way: A Child's Introduction to Yoga to your reading lists.  Follow us on IG: @tothatpointFollow us on TikTok: @tothatpoint

The Burn it Down series intends to demystify the illusions of popular freelance and corporate careers. We phoned up friends who’ve made impressive career pivots to learn more about why they did it & how they made it happen... and convinced them to give us the FULL picture - the good, the bad & the ugly.  Will Davis is a product manager, entrepreneur, and soon-to-be software engineer. Will started his career in mechanical engineering and made his first career pivot when he left his job at General Motors to get a masters at Cornell Tech. He landed a product management job out of school and went to work at prominent tech companies, including WW and Thirty Madison. After spending a few years in the industry, Will decided to quit his PM job and accept a spot in On Deck’s No Code fellowship to develop some of his side projects with a broader community of techies. In today's episode, Will gives us his unfiltered thoughts as he leaves PM to pursue software engineering. Follow  Will's #buildinpublic  journey on Twitter at @_willdavis_Learn more about the On Deck No-Code Fellowship Program Follow us on IG: @tothatpointFollow us on TikTok: @tothatpoint

The Burn it Down series intends to demystify the illusions of popular freelance and corporate careers. We phoned up friends who’ve made impressive career pivots to learn more about why they did it & how they made it happen... and convinced them to give us the FULL picture - the good, the bad & the ugly.  You may recognize the name Levi Barrie as the audio engineer for To That Point, but he also wears a number of other creative hats: filmmaker, photographer, and freelancer. In this episode Levi talks about how he navigated corporate jobs in the creative industry, and eventually found the confidence to pursue freelance work full-time.  Follow Levi on IG @levibarrie for things he captures with professional cameras, @telephoneportfolio for things he captures and edits on iPhone. You can find all of Levi's publicly available video work on vimeo.com/levibarrie, and see his full portfolio at levibarrie.com.  Okay Spill is an advice column by mother-daughter duo Teresa & Alessandra Rey. They field questions from  readers and publish responses (think "Dear Amy"-style) along with a recommended beverage to toast, boast, or roast. It's the experience of sitting down with a friend or confidante for happy hour or drinks, but in an online forum.  Visit Okay Spill to spill your heart out.  Follow us on IG: @tothatpointFollow us on TikTok: @tothatpoint

Jasmin & Montana recap the past few months and talk about what’s coming next in 2021 for the To That Point podcast.Follow us on IG: @tothatpoint,Follow us on TikTok: @tothatpoint

Minus Us is a  creative collective that elevates second-hand clothing via in-house printing and custom designs. They work with local  artists in various creative fields to give a new life to thrifted clothing. You can find hand-painted denim, screen printed jackets, and stamped bustiers in their inventory. In our conversation with founders Johann and Reese, we talk about leaving a corporate job for design, how they got into thrifting,  why they want to change the way people see  second hand clothing, and their aspiration to create a shop-able digital editorial that allows you to experience the art that inspired the clothing while shopping the clothes themselves.  Shop Minus Us at https://minusus.com/ and https://thecanvas.nyc/collections/minus-us Follow us on IG: @tothatpoint, @minus.us 

The Canvas by Querencia transforms vacant retail spaces into hubs focused on sustainable development. Using the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, they curate a collective of ethical and sustainable brands and provide them access to global markets and technologies. Beyond just retail, The Canvas is beginning to expand its services to provide tools and analytics to help foster growth for their partners.In our conversation with co-founders Devin and Tegan, we learn about The Canvas' unique retail business model, debate the difference between true greenwashing and cancel culture in the ethical fashion industry, and discuss the potential future of The Canvas as a venture lab for sustainable development.  Learn more about The Canvas at https://thecanvas.nyc/ Follow us on IG: @tothatpoint, @thecanvasbyq, @thecanvasbyq.bowery, @thecanvasbyq.antwerp  

Swedish innovator Renewcell turns discarded  textiles into Circulose - a new natural material for fashion. The sustaintech company launched the worlds first clothes made from circular cotton, and is transforming the traditionally linear manufacturing process by leveraging technology to transform textile waste into a new biodegradable material that closes the loop on fashion. Retail giants like H&M and Levi's have since adopted Circulose to create sustainable clothing lines, and Circulose was named one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2020.  Learn more about Renewcell at https://renewcell.com/ Follow us on IG: @tothatpoint, @renewcell, @circulose 

 Irina McKenzie is the founder of FABCYCLE, a Vancouver-based B2B collection service of textile waste that enables designers to close the loop on textile waste by transforming scraps into resources. FABCYCLE works with designers, schools and factories to divert their textile waste, such as scraps or unused fabrics, from the landfill by recycling or reusing them.Learn more about FABCYCLE at https://www.fabcycle.shop/Follow us on IG: @tothatpoint, @fabcyclevan

Founded by Parsons graduates Siying Qu and Haoran Li, Private Policy is a New York based genderless streetwear brand  pioneering social impact in fashion by focusing on one socio-political topic each season. The duo strives to spark important conversation through clothes, actively breaking boundaries within gender, within different cultures, and most importantly between fashion and the world.The Designing with Purpose theme  turns a critical eye to the fashion industry to understand what it takes to design purposefully. We are spotlighting founders and designers at prominent fashion houses to understand how they entered the fashion world, discovered their purpose for designing, and use their platform to take a stance on global issues. IG: @tothatpoint, @privatepolicyny

Co-founder Mia Park shares how two entrepreneurs with business backgrounds entered the world of fashion and cannabis. Sundae School is a boutique 'smokewear' label that wants to transform the smoker stereotype and educate communities on cannabis consumption and culture in order to destigmatize the plant across countries and generations. They are not shy about speaking up, and have raised their voices to stand with causes like criminal justice reform, racial equity, and human rights. IG: @tothatpoint, @sundae.school

Jasmin and Montana share the inspiration behind the 'designing with purpose' theme. We’re taking a critical look at the fashion industry to try and answer the big question: what does innovation look like in fashion when you actually care about the people making and wearing the clothes?We reached out to prominent fashion houses to understand how they make an effort to mind more than just the clothes they make. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to hear from the designers and entrepreneurs themselves on how they founded their companies, discovered their purpose for designing, and use their platform to take a stance on socio-political issues. IG: @tothatpoint

Within each theme, we’re  spotlighting a  local business  you should know about. With any grad school program, you’ll get a list of required reading. Add a few books from Harriett’s Bookshop to that list. Jeannine Cook, owner of Harriett’s Bookshop in Philly, is a writer and educator who utilizes her passion for arts and academics to spark conversation in her local community.  Learn more about Harriett's: https://www.harriettsbookshop.com/ Listen to Human City: https://humancity.simplecast.com/Follow along on Instagram @tothatpoint

Aly Yee, second year MBA student at the London Business School, shares her perspective of an American studying in Europe. Learn more about what grad school looks like outside the U.S., and the pros/cons of going international for b-school.  

Over the next few weeks, we’re talking to friends pursuing masters degrees at some of the top universities. We want to better understand why they decided to leave a successful career to go back to school, how the pivot to virtual has impacted their experience, and their take on whether or not a virtual masters degree is worth it. Today we’re talking to Ezinna Nwokonko, second year MBA student at the Kellogg School of Management, to understand how to make the most of your remote or hybrid business school experience this year.

MBA applications rates have been declining over the last few years, even at top schools. Students are more reluctant to leave their jobs for two years to pursue an expensive degree, especially when tech giants like Google are offering competitive certificate programs that are cheaper and take less time to complete.Now, many of you are probably familiar with the MBA… it’s drilled into all business folks that to get into a higher salary band and meet the right people, you’ve got to go to business school. This episode, we’re learning about another option… the Harvard GSD’s MDE, a Masters in Design Engineering.