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 people navigate food insecurity with dignity. Through simple text and chat, trained advocates connect neighbors to nearby pantries and meal programs in minutes. No judgment, no hoops to jump through.

Today, I sit down with Kasumi to talk about her path into this work, what she’s learned from listening to thousands of neighbors, and how thoughtful design can turn a moment of need into one of care.

https://www.foodhelpline.org/donate 

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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 decided to build what she wished had existed all along: a space for people to learn and rise together. That idea became Levanto Collective, a community filling in the life skills and support systems traditional education leaves out. Through workshops on financial wellness, mental health, reproductive health, and career growth, Levanto helps members “unlearn what doesn’t serve them and learn what will.”

Today, I sit down with Glenelys to talk about building Levanto with her own savings, staying rooted in purpose, and how she’s evolved her original idea… from an app into a community built to help others rise.

https://vialevanto.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/levantocollective/

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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, can show up fully as themselves. Their meetups (often featuring movement, journaling, or just meaningful conversation) have drawn crowds of over eighty people, all searching for the same thing: belonging.

In this episode we sit down with Alexis and Jacqueline to hear about what it takes to build a community from scratch, and the lessons they’ve learned from balancing growth with intention.

https://www.citysenoras.com/about-us 

https://www.instagram.com/citysenoras/  

https://www.tiktok.com/@citysenoras

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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 field where Latinx voices are often underrepresented.

Today, Karen shares how financial setbacks nearly took her off the path entirely, why community support is essential for anyone building a platform, and how she’s learned to give imposter syndrome just five minutes before moving forward.

https://www.instagram.com/latinxartcollective/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/latinainmuseums/

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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 also cover the launch of Epicenter Foundation’s latest AI cohort. The program brings together small business owners, nonprofit leaders, and other community voices to learn how artificial intelligence can be used in practical, accessible ways. It’s part of Epicenter’s ongoing effort to ensure that the communities we serve aren’t left behind as new technologies develop.

And before we wrap up, we’ll share a quick preview of what else is coming later this October.

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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 audience, drawing both national attention and strong local support. Then came the July 4th, 2023 fire that devastated the store and forced Lucy to start over. Eight months later, Yu & Me reopened, but the recovery took a personal toll.

Today, Lucy speaks with Epicenter-NYC reporter Ambar Castillo openly about burnout, a mental health crisis, and what it means to rebuild both a business and a sense of self… reflecting on how she’s learning to balance entrepreneurship and self-care. She also shares how her background in chemical engineering helped her turn a lifelong dream into a reality.

Editor’s note: This conversation includes discussion of mental health and suicidal ideation. Please listen with care and take breaks if needed.

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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 that reflects both her values and her vision. Today, she’s running her own brand, navigating the realities of entrepreneurship, and celebrating recognition as one of Vogue Business’s “100 Innovators.”

In this episode, we sit down with Cindy to learn more about the risks she took to invest in herself, how she centers sustainability, and the importance of kindness in an industry that often thrives on competition.

If you’d like to learn more about Cindy’s work, follow her on Instagram at instagram.com/cindycastro_nyc/ or visit cindycastro.com/.

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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 designed to pair with Indian food, using ingredients like basmati rice. The company started by contract brewing in Boston and has since expanded, now distributing in 20 states and selling through major retailers like Costco. Its lineup now includes a rice lager, an India pale ale, a mango wheat ale, and an upcoming non-alcoholic beer.

In this episode Epicenter-NYC Co-Founder and Publisher, S. Mitra Kalita, sits down with Van to learn more about the story behind Rupee, navigating the alcohol distribution system, expanding into new markets, and building a business rooted in community.

https://rupeebeer.com/ 

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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 public galleries.

At the center of it is Barbara Anderson, who co-founded the nonprofit with her daughter, Jackie Graham. As a middle school teacher at the time, Barbara had been using art to help students process the pandemic, George Floyd’s murder, and rising Asian hate. That classroom work became the spark for a citywide initiative… one that continues to give artists visibility, connect neighborhoods, and transform how New Yorkers experience their streets.

Today, Barbara shares more about how Art on the Ave got started, how it’s grown, and what it takes to turn empty space into something that brings a community together.

Learn more: https://www.artontheavenyc.com/ 

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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 fundraisers, pop-ups, the Grand Central holiday market, and soon, Latin Food Fest.

Today, Tiffany talks about the realities of building something from the ground up. From long nights in the kitchen to questions of scale, and what it means to honor her grandmother’s legacy along the way.

Learn more or order: heritagebreadpudding.com

Latin Food Fest: thelatinfoodfest.com

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