Making It Here

When Kasumi Quinlan joined Lemontree, she wasn’t starting something new, she was stepping into a vision first created by Alex Godin, who set out to make finding free food as simple and human as possible. Kasumi found a model grounded in empathy and human connection, and the opportunity to grow it into something larger. Under her leadership, Lemontree has become a nationwide service helping p...

When Glenelys Jimenez became a new mom in early 2020, she started thinking about all the things she wished she’d learned sooner. As the oldest daughter of Dominican immigrants, she’d spent years teaching herself how to navigate student loans, taxes, workplace culture, and mortgages… not just for herself, but for her family and friends, too. When the world shut down, Glenelys dec...

City Señoras started as two friends looking for connection… a walk in the park, a cup of coffee, a space to slow down. But what began as a small gathering in Brooklyn has since grown into a self-care social club spanning New York and Los Angeles. Co-founders Alexis Mendias and Jaqueline Padilla have built something special: a place where women, especially Latinas and women of color,...

The art world can feel intimidating, even elitist. But for Karen Vidangos, it’s also been a space to challenge those barriers and open doors for others. She built the Latinx Art Collective, a free, searchable database that helps curators, collectors, and fans discover artists across the U.S. She also created Latina in Museums, an online platform that documents her candid journey navigating a...

Today, we’re turning the mic inward, and sharing a couple of highlights from a recent conversation I had with Epicenter Co-founder and publisher Mitra Kalita on Los Herederos Radio . First, we discuss a sari exhibit that Epicenter has helped bring to life… reframing the sari as a cultural and artistic object, one that carries stories of migration, memory, identity, and resistance. We...

Lucy opened Yu & Me Books in December of 2021, bringing to life an idea she’d carried since childhood. After leaving a career in chemical engineering, she finally built the kind of space she’d always imagined: a community hub grounded in three pillars: championing writers of color, uplifting debut authors, and offering a welcoming third place.  The store quickly found its audi...

Cindy Castro New York is a sustainable luxury brand, producing locally in the city with responsible fabrics and a commitment to garment workers’ rights. The company was founded by Cindy Castro, who grew up in Ecuador and came to the U.S. as an au pair before putting herself through design school. She went on to break into New York’s fashion world, taking risks and building a label...

Brothers Van and Sumit Sharma launched Rupee Beer about six years ago. The idea grew out of their family’s long history in the Indian restaurant business, their parents opened the first Indian restaurants in Maine after immigrating from the UK, and Van saw early on the challenges of finding a consistent supply of Indian beer in the U.S. Rupee Beer set out to fill that gap with recipes design...

At the height of Covid-19 In 2020, as storefronts across the city went vacant, some New Yorkers saw an opportunity. Art on the Ave NYC began filling empty windows with curated exhibitions, each paired with a QR code that let viewers hear directly from the artist. Since then, nearly a hundred spaces, from Columbus Avenue to Washington Heights, Bed-Stuy, and the Oculus, have been reimagined as publi...

Food often carries more than taste. It can bring back memories of family, traditions, and familiar places. That’s the response many people have to the dessert at the center of today’s episode. That dessert is Heritage Bread Pudding, the creation of Tiffany Campos. In less than a year, she has taken her Puerto Rican family recipe and built it into a growing business, appearing at church...

Hard seltzer is one of the fastest-growing areas of the beverage industry. But within that, there’s still room for brands that bring something new to the table. Lunar does this with flavors like yuzu, lychee, and Korean plum, and with packaging that makes its Asian roots impossible to miss. The company was founded by Sean Ro and Kevin Wong, who built the business with a lean team and a clear...

Pollinators play a critical role in our food system, but their decline has immediate consequences for food security, public health, and the resilience of ecosystems. The Bee Conservancy was created in response to that reality. What started as a grassroots effort has grown into programs that bring pollinator gardens across the city, provide seeds and support to urban farmers, and engage residents i...

It’s been just about a year since a once-empty storefront in the 74th Street Roosevelt Avenue subway station in Jackson Heights, became a space for retelling stories. It now houses Los Herederos , a nonprofit blending radio, archives, and public programs to document communities across Queens. The idea took shape in 2015 with a bilingual multimedia project, but the team quickly realized the n...

Opening a brick-and-mortar business in New York City takes more than just a good idea. It takes funding, strategy, establishing connections and a clear sense of purpose. That’s what Adrian Cepeda brought when he founded The World’s Borough Bookshop in Jackson Heights two years ago. His mission? To highlight BIPOC, immigrant, and first-gen authors, who represent the diverse voices of hi...

In New York City, the cost of access often determines who gets to step into the spotlight. Dance classes can run hundreds or even thousands of dollars, pricing out kids who could benefit from them most. That’s where Cultured Movement comes in. It’s a low-cost, culturally rooted dance program that centers confidence, and connection… not perfection. Founded by Sherema Fleming...

In New York City, turning a creative idea into a business takes more than talent. It often means juggling multiple roles: artist, vendor, marketer…  and figuring out how to make a living while staying true to your vision. It’s a balancing act that Nicolás Gabot, the founder of Brooklyn Art Factory, has been navigating for years. He’s the founder of Brooklyn Art Facto...

We’re pulling back the curtain on Epicenter-NYC, introducing the team, sharing how we approach community journalism, and reflecting on what it means to serve our neighbors. We also say goodbye to Adriana Proaño, a founding team member who’s been at the heart of this work. Plus, a big update: we’re relaunching this show as Making It Here , featuring stories of New York...

On July 4th, the Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law, and with it, sweeping changes to food assistance programs that support millions of Americans. Advocates say it includes the largest cuts to SNAP in U.S. history. But this isn’t just about food budgets. Many warn of deeper ripple effects: on children’s health, educational outcomes, and the long-term stability of vulnerable househo...

In today’s global spice trade, farmers often have little control, and consumers end up with bland, aging products on their shelves. The process is opaque, dominated by large companies and layers of middlemen. The team behind Burlap & Barrel is working to change that. From wild cumin gathered in Afghanistan to cinnamon bark in Vietnam, their business is built on direct partnerships w...

Voter turnout in New York City’s mayoral primary was significantly higher than it was four years ago, but the mood on the ground wasn’t one of excitement. It was frustration. Over the past week, I’ve talked to voters across four boroughs along with Mariana Navarrete Villegas and Amanda DeJesus from the Epicenter team. What we heard again and again was this: people are fed up&hell...

A new House bill would require many Medicaid recipients to log 80 hours of work each month or risk losing coverage. Supporters say it promotes self-sufficiency, but critics warn the paperwork alone could drop thousands from the rolls. Experts say that even expansion states like New York, where about one in three residents depends on Medicaid, could see enrollment slip. To help unpack it all, I spo...

Whitney and Samantha Dobladillo, the duo behind Peruvian Sisters , launched their storytelling platform in 2020 to connect with others navigating the complexities of being Peruvian American. Growing up in mostly white schools on Long Island, they often felt out of place, especially when classmates stared at their home-packed lunches like caldo de gallina. In this episode, the sisters reflect on th...

After losing her job during the pandemic, Talisa Almonte turned to art, launching Almonte Studio and building a business rooted in bold colors and personal meaning. In today's episode she talks about honoring her Dominican roots, navigating small business challenges, and growing her brand. Almonte Studio Follow on  Instagram  and  TikTok  at @almontestudio. Shop her art product...

For many of us, photography is reserved for milestones, but what if a portrait could help you reconnect with who you are right now? That’s the idea behind Layra Marz Photography, founded by Brooklyn-based photographer Layra Marte. Her work, which lives somewhere between boudoir and fine art, is about helping people, especially women and femmes of color, feel seen and celebrated. In this epis...

In this episode, we explore the early days of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy and what his unique background, American-born, Peruvian-based, and multilingual, might mean for the future of the Catholic Church. Host Ambar Castillo speaks with Dr. Hosffman Ospino and Dr. Andrew Chesnut about identity, immigration, and how Pope Leo is already reshaping the conversation around faith and belonging. See omny...