What do cryptology, soul-searching, orange scarves, food sustainability, and a harmonious Japanese dog have in common? They all are part of the multilayered, fascinating life of David Landraf - event producer extraordinaire.
Who knew that when Juriël Zeligman’s mom “invited” him to leave the house when he was 17 years old, that his career would take him on such a wild trip. From his early days as a club promoter and party producer in Amsterdam to international artist manager to high-level elevated spectacle producer in New York, Juriël’s career has been nothing if not unique. Sitting down and getting to hear Juriël’s story for the first time in our six years of working together was both illuminating and inspiring.
Anthony Robinson is a personal trainer living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Anthony’s philosophy on having a positive mental outlook followed by hard work both in and out of the gym helps transforms the lives of the people he works with. Being a sneakerhead is Anthony’s fascinating secret passion, and the fact that he shares his coveted sneaker collection with people in need is inspiring.
Gregory Boroff of City Harvest speaks about his job with deep passion. Coming from a childhood where his family depended on food assistance for a time, this is personal for him. People being in need of food assistance is a serious subject and yet Gregory manages to find and spread joy, infusing a sense of being part of something wonderful to those around him. Seeing a City Harvest truck on the streets in NYC, one gets the sense that something good is on that truck for someone in serious need, and Gregory and his team are behind the good things happening at City Harvest.
“The idea of not knowing where one is going to be tomorrow is something that frightens a lot of people. I grew up moving countries every two or three years, and I found comfort in the temporary nature of it. I continue to live that way. “
An inspiring and humorous conversation with Ramon Ray, best-selling author, global speaker, entrepreneur and founder of Smart Hustle Media. Ramon knows how to make the business of business fun. His high energy, engaging persona lights up the room. We had a great time learning about the man who helps small business owners become successful entrepreneurs.
Finding talent and giving it a voice and a space to grow is the essence of what Saadia Zahid does. Currently managing Studio 525, an event space in Manhattan, Saadia’s path from Dubai to New York City was full of personal loss and growth. Saadia embodies the term “good human” and it was inspiring to hear about the depth of her personal and professional background and vision for the future.
Kate Dunphy is a gifted musician, performer, composer, and arranger, leading two successful working bands based in NYC. Kate’s passion for music is inspiring on many levels - not the least of which is that her band is bringing back music from the early 1900s to an audience who may be discovering it for the first time, and some who are revisiting cherished memories. Kate’s day job in healthcare is awe-inspiring; she works in pediatric hospice - giving palliative care for children who are at end-of-life. To balance both these passions takes an extraordinary person - and Kate Dunphy is just that.
“Being an event planner is like being a duck on water. The top of the duck looks relaxed, while underneath it's paddling like crazy.”
Jaclyn Zendrian is an educator and an event planner who is helping shine a light on the little known disease PSP. Through the non-profit entity, CurePSP, Jaclyn curates events that help educate and connect patients and their families with others who have experienced many of the same pitfalls.
“That’s The Power Of Google - creating something that hasn’t yet been created.”
Molly Shapiro’s day-to-day work at Google Beauty involves helping clients create successful and unique marketing strategies. Molly is a marketing professional at Google by day, a passionate sculptor reconnecting with a dream project, a budding improv artist, and much more than “slightly comedic.”
“If I put out good into the universe, it will come back. It always does.”
Carline Beaubrun is an event planner whose vision goes far beyond color schemes, table settings, and flower arrangements. Carline has an innate ability to connect with her clients. Her kind spirit and infectious smile cause people to open up and share aspects of their lives that they wouldn’t normally reveal.
“We construct a world that we’re in charge of but that other people feel welcome in. We create a space where anything can happen.”
Executive Producer, Lizzie Jacobs, and Host, Mary Phillips-Sandy discuss their podcast Let’s Talk About Cats. The show’s premise Tell me about your cat, and I’ll tell you who you are guides the conversations in a funny, quirky, off-beat way.
“I learned how to have somebody go ”oh my god, you just drew that?” I don’t think working for praise necessarily works to your advantage."
Oliphant backdrops have special magic that’s coveted by photographers the world over. Iconic images featuring supermodels, celebrities and world leaders are made better when photographed on an Oliphant drop.
“With everything I work on, the intent is to invite people to feel good and to feel inspired and thrive."
Jody Levy is the pioneer behind Wtr Mln Wtr. Jody brings energy and vitality into every part of her life and business(s). We recently sat down and spoke about art, life, reality, and of course, Watermelons.
“I don’t know how artists start with nothing and create from there.”
Jeremy Driesen is a drummer, photographer and event producer. According to Jeremy, a photographer works within a frame to create images, a musician finds creativity within the ‘frame’ the songwriter provides, and the event production ‘frame’ is meeting client objectives.
“Some people think that they don't have anything to share and you have to help them see it. Others are just too shy to share and in that case, you try to make them feel safe.”
Timothy Phillips Alexander is the founder of Lightning Society — a forum for change-makers, people who believe in the power of ideas and one on one relationships to change attitudes. Lightning Society’s experiences are designed to foster passionate individualism and collective expansion.
"Some of the best artists in the world are people who don’t have the button that keeps us all as functioning members of society saying 'I shouldn’t do that.’
Bob Pittman is a media pioneer who has consistently driven innovation across multiple platforms and industries, including radio, cable television, digital and mobile. Bob is CEO of iHEART Media and a big lover of Burning Man.
“I don't have a formula. For me, jewelry is non-verbal communication with the outside world.”
Lilly Zeligman is a jeweler with a unique sense of beauty and style. Her flawless sense of color combinations, proportions and materials are the results of many years of experience and a sincere and deep love for jewelry. Lilly has the innate ability to connect people with jewelry that resonates with their inner energy.
“I help empower other women by imparting positivity and self-confidence through sharing my own personal vulnerabilities on Instagram.”
@Messa is an Instagram Influencer, sharing her personal journey as an actress and model. In a world where people often hear ‘no’ more than ‘yes’, Messa’s body-positive message inspires others to love themselves as they are while reaching for their highest potential.
“ I help folks look at food outside of their normal scope of consumption to view it from a more thoughtful perspective.”
Elle Simone is a food stylist and chef, helping people see food in a new way. Working at America’s Test Kitchen, Elle’s approach to food styling has been influenced by her battle with cancer as well as her Detroit roots.
"I want people to not take experience for granted. People don't realize Experience is a thing! When you get up every day, ask what experience are you delivering, and to whom?
Michael Blatter is an experiential marketing innovator and pioneer. As CEO of Mirrorball Agency, Blatter has built a team of creators united by a clear mission: to design experiences that stimulate people’s emotions and create deep, meaningful memories.
“Through journaling, I became aware of my habit of trashing every idea and being harsh with myself, killing my creativity. This realization changed my perspective.”
Scott Rhea is an image-maker whose work is represented in visual metaphors. Sparked by a personal journey to find the source of his creativity, Scott was ultimately seeking to become less dependent on people “liking” his work.
“People who are shy aren't shy when they're wearing a fabulous costume — they’re as happy as they will ever be.”
Jim Glaser discovered his love of costume-wearing at the NYC Halloween parade in the late 80’s abd found a sense of liberation in the way costume brings together fashion, art, theatre, and acts as a uniting force for people.
“ Finding the essence of the truth of a character is fascinating to me.”
Kathryn Leigh Scott is a farm girl who came to NY in search of an acting career. Kathryn paid her way through acting school by working at the Playboy Club; a job she credits for giving her self-confidence and the ability to be self-sufficient. Finding herself cast in the number one soap opera of the day, “Dark Shadows” Kathryn never looked back.
Frank Meo has been inspiring photographers and creatives for decades. Helping people find their passion, and then teaching them to drill down and get really clear, is Frank’s own passion. Using logic, planning and strategy Frank gives photographers real tools to create an action plan that helps move their careers in the right direction.
Winzday Love uses music to help people open up and reconnect to themselves. The way she sees it, it’s easy to open people’s hearts and minds when your music is authentic and comes from a place of love. For Winzday, music is magic, it’s the glue that holds everything together and is an amazing conduit for release.
“Much of the brain we don’t use — or at least we don’t completely understand how it is used. “
Dr. David Simpson, a Professor of Neurology at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is a researcher and a scientist working to advance the knowledge of medicine, both in terms of understanding disease and treating disease. Dr. Simpson is doing ground-breaking work using Botox to treat musicians and others suffering from movement disorders, such as focal dystonia.
"I want to be like Matisse - cutting up paper when he was blind. He wasn't telling someone else to do it. You read about artists with such bad arthritis that they tape the brush to their hand so they can still paint. It's the act of it that's very important. It's ephemeral, what drives me. It's something that defies words. It just is.
I think that as humans we’re meant to be in strong tribe-like groups. Technology has led us towards isolation. I think in most people there is a desire and a need to be around people that accept us for who we are. I want to help build a community who creates together, dreams together and is able to make positive changes together.
“Coding is about taking structure and ideas and expressing patterns in a way that is both efficient and easy to understand.”
Daniel Panzer cut his coding teeth while working for Jonsar Studios, creating the apps that make our company run. Daniel’s analytical mind helped create the systems of display and delivery that are integral to the immersive photographic experiences Jonsar Studios creates at events.