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Vito Corleone: Chasing the gems of New York City on 18mm

Ukrainian-born photographer Vito Corleone left everything behind when he was just 20 years old to settle down in Coney Island, with just short of $300 in his pocket. An artist of unparalleled energy, Corleone was fascinated with New York since he was a kid.

From watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on TV to selling a clothing line that featured work by late street photographer Ricky Powell while working in retail, Corleone’s lust for New York only grew stronger.

In 2014, the Ukrainian-born photographer was able to make the cross-Atlantic move through a work-and-travel program as war arose between Ukraine and Russia. And in spite of the harsh reality of things, it wasn’t long before he felt like he belonged in the city that never sleeps.

ukrainian-born photographer Vito Corleone
“Summer Drip” by Vito Corleone supporting a friend’s clothing brand “Kentpacket”

As we talked, he vividly remembered the Haitian host he rented a room from upon his arrival: “She would make Haitian coffee every morning. She would cover me up with a blanket in the night when it got cold.”

And from little things such as these to the encounter that changed Vito’s life shortly after that, gratitude continuously emanates from him.


Ricky Powell and a soaring debut for Vito Corleone

Struck by the visuals of Ricky Powell’s work which he discovered through the clothing line back in Ukraine, Corleone immediately looked into the famous photographer when he arrived in the city. “I thought I should go to one of his exhibits,” he said.

But Corleone was still under 21, so he couldn’t get in. “So I asked outside if Ricky could come out,” he continued. And so Ricky Powell came out for a conversation that lasted over two hours and gave Vito Corleone his start in photography.

That day, Corleone took a picture of Powell right outside Club MK where Powell had captured the renowned portrait of Cindy Crawford in 1989.

ricky powell
Ricky Powell aka The Lazy Hustler, by Vito Corleone

That day the late photographer gifted him the print of his choice (with no hesitation, Corleone had one in mind: Warhol and Basquiat), and marked it with the following: “I like your style, kid. Do you.”

Though Powell passed away in February of this year, Corleone claims he still feels Powell’s spirit in the air, and hears his voice in his head.

“He’s the Godfather of my photography.”

Vito Corleone

“Grab your camera and go”

A plumber by day, Vito is a photographer every second in between, if not simultaneously. As unlikely as it may sound, the Ukrainian-born photographer explained how similar photography can be to his day job.

“In plumbing… you can’t lie to yourself. You can’t leave anything unfinished, or you’ll have water everywhere and who knows what other costly problem. It’s the same practice in photography. It’s not enough to just see what you see. You need to push what you’re doing to the end.”

Vito Corleone

“Well, maybe that’s just for life in general,” he concluded. The analogy left me speechless.

vito corleone
“Hustle and motivate” by Vito Corleone – advocating for freedom from street violence

It was humbling to hear Vito talk about his craft. He sees his body of work as a representation of the “universal journey” of living in the moment. Able to make the mundane feel special, while never failing to capture what is out of the ordinary, he insists:

“You need to be able to see things in the present.”

Vito Corleone

But the spontaneity in his work in no way suggests any lack of intention. The Ukrainian-born photographer just lives with an urge to share the way he sees things hoping to convey his excitement about them.


New York, New York

Vito Corleone strongly believes in respecting the history of the streets, knowing the sidewalks he walks, and steering clear of stereotypes. He claims:

“If you don’t know the city, you’re wasting your energy on it. But if you do know, then the city will give you the energy you need.”

Vito Corleone

Although his eyes find magic everywhere, I asked Vito if he had any favourite spots to visit around the city.

“Probably this old gas station in Brooklyn,” he said. “There’s always fancy rides, old models of cars… They were drawn by hand back then.”

The Ukrainian-born photographer has a great appreciation for how those showcase the flavour of their era.

ukrainian-born photographer vito corleone
“High stakes, low rider” by Vito Corleone shot in Coney Island

And authenticity comes across poignantly when looking at his work and hearing him speak.


Up close with Vito Corleone

“The closer you get the more interesting things become.”

Vito Corleone on working with 18mm

Vito recently pushed the boundaries of his creative process by taking one photo a day for 365 consecutive days. A challenge for the self, he recognized that it allowed him to continuously seek new perspectives, something he considers vital for his craft.

The Brooklyn-based artist believes photography can change the way people see things. It can connect us and remind us that while “we’re all so different, at the same time we’re all human.”

And it’s all those differences, that uniqueness, that Corleone seeks to share in a way that speaks to the world.

Since that day outside Ricky Powell’s exhibit, Vito’s camera has never left his side. It was Powell who told him “You need to be ready every day.”

Living by that motto, today Corleone adds: “You never know what you’ll run into.”

And with ambition and passion that soar higher than the city’s skyscrapers, Vito Corleone has much, much more for us in store.

Black Women Photographers offers a new outlook for Black creatives

It’s been just a year since Black Women Photographers was founded, on July 7, 2020, and the organization has already done so much to help Black and non-binary photographers. The organization was founded by Polly Irungu in order to give Black women photographers like herself not only the platform and attention they deserve but also the appreciation and pay.

With 600 members from all around the world, big strides have been made to help the community. Just recently, BWP partnered with Nikon, receiving $40k in grants and $10k for gear. 

Polly Irungu, who just quit her job to do BWP full time, sat down with Kulture Hub, to discuss BWP’s inception, and what she hopes the future will look like.


How Polly Irungu’s love for photography developed

Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, Irungu moved to the states when she was four. Settling in Kansas, before moving to Oregon. The constant moves, and being in a new place made it hard for her to adjust, and that’s when her teachers in high school suggested she join the yearbook club, and that’s where it all started.

Polly Irungu
Headshot of Polly Irungu (Photo credit @Polly Irungu)

Falling in love with the camera, she soon learned about photojournalism, something she didn’t even know was a career option. Telling people’s stories through the photo was what she wanted to do, so she worked a job in high school to get equipment to foster her dream.

“I bought a camera and a laptop with my McDonald’s money and the rest really feels like history,” Irungu says.


The beginnings of Black Women Photographers 

During her time at the University of Oregon, where she pursued journalism, Irungu noticed how few Black photographers were actually in Oregon. But just because she didn’t see them, didn’t mean they didn’t exist.

She would come to find this out when she joined the National Association for Black Journalists (NABJ).

“I found that there’s actually hundreds and thousands of Black journalists across the country. And I had no idea because all I knew was, you know, what I saw around me, and I didn’t see any,” she says.

“And so for me, that sparked a fire. I found a tribe at that conference.”

Polly Irungu

After attending the conference, Irungu desired a sense of community, and that’s what she went after. The first steps were seeing if others wanted the same thing, and that’s when she reached out to Black women photographers on Twitter, asking if they were interested in creating a community. It seems simple, but that’s the power of social media.

“If you feel like you could do right by your community, then do right by your community. If there’s a space where you feel like that’s not out there, that’s not creative. You can go out and create it,” she says.


Black Women Photographers’ progress

Last year, during the pandemic, BWP created a COVID-19 relief fund for photographers who needed financial relief, raising over $14k for them, as well as an additional $10k for Nigerian photojournalists who were covering SARS.

On top of their recent Nikon financial grants, there’s also a $1,250 grant opportunity thanks to Flickr. Also, BWP has partnered with Capture One, an industry-standard software, which has donated over 100 licenses to the community, as well as offered free training and resources for BPW members.

With all the opportunities new emerging photographers are getting, Irungu gets to finally witness the fruits of her labor.

“That’s the whole reason why I started this organization, because I’m trying to make it easier for the next emerging Black woman photographer out there. Because why in the world, why should someone else have to go through the same uphill battle?”


The future of BWP and what Irungu hopes to see

Polly Irungu wants to keep the great work going, and wants Black photographers to continue getting the recognition and pay they deserve.

However, she also wants to see the support from allies continue. With Black Lives Matter protests erupting last year, allies joined together in support. Irungu hopes to see that continuing, not just in a moment of unrest, but constantly.

“I don’t want to see us settle for exposure or for whatever opportunity that may come during like Black History Month or whatever. I’m starting to see that momentum and a tide turning, and that’s great,” she says.

“But you never know how long it will last. I just hope that they’re still supporting, and beyond posting a black square or whatever they did at that time. I want them to continue showing up for Black creatives.”

Polly Irungu

Checking in with Tim Rivera, New York’s resident subway wrestler

Its been nearly two years since Kulture Hub interviewed New York comedian and filmmaker Tim Hann Rivera. At that time, he and his content were blowing up from his hilarious video “Subway Mania- Triple H vs Kane vs Stone Cold Steve Austin.” The video shows him and his partners dressed up as iconic retired wrestlers, and having a narrated, full-fledged title match in a subway car, surrounded by an astounded audience.

It didn’t take long for the video to become wildly popular. To date, the video has nearly 2 million views on Youtube, and the videos that follow have also seen great success.

However, two years ago seems like a lifetime ago considering everything we have gone through. So, we thought it was only right to catch up with the visionary behind the “Subway Mania” series. We wanted to find out what he’s been up to, how he was affected by Covid, and when we can expect some new content. He did not disappoint.


Tim Hann Rivera’s wrestling inspiration

Kulture Hub: I know in your last interview that you said none of you were wrestlers, or even aspiring wrestlers. Where did the idea come from? Were you and everyone featured wrestling fans growing up?

Tim Hann Rivera: Uh yeah, so I just had this idea, where one of my friends posed on a subway chair as The Rock. We had a real WCW replica championship belt and I thought it would be hilarious. But I always want to put a story behind it. So I said we should do a wrestling promo on the train and talk crap to one another.

Immediately people in the comments were asking “Where’s the match? When’s the match?” So we gave the people what they wanted. I got a lot of inspiration from the “Attitude era” where people were fighting in different locations, not just rings. So I decided I would do that with my stuff, but have it in the subway.

Hell yeah, I was a wrestling fan growing up. I really connected with the Attitude era, WCW, and ECW. It made me genuinely happy. I loved all of the different storylines in such a small space. I cared less about the fighting than I did about the storylines and the characters.

Tim Hann Rivera

The epic title fights

KH: I think that what I appreciate most about the subway wrestling series is the nuance of the performances. The overreactions, the crowd hype, and the wrestlers’ mannerisms are all on point. In your eyes, what aspect of subway wrestling makes it so funny and successful?

THR: I think everything that you said is accurate. I think it’s also funny because, like, were not bodybuilders. You know what I mean? We’re average guys in the subway in underwear and tights. Imagine walking around New York and you really see someone dressed as Kane. We really left our houses like that.

That, and it’s just funny with the commentary, and it makes it even more funny that the matches were really, truthfully entertaining for people. There was a story behind it. I read comments from many people saying things like “I can’t believe how good this is”. Even though it is clearly a joke, people thought it was really good. Everyone played an important role in making that happen.

KH: I’ve seen that you have done some hype videos on Youtube for upcoming matches. Is there currently a new video in the works? Anything you are ready to reveal for our readers?

THR: I’m definitely trying to come up with a new subway video. I feel like now that things are opening up again, I would really love to have a big event in Harlem. We gonna have to make the “Subway Mania” title belt match as well. Right now “Mankind” is the champion so, he has to defend it!


Covid challenges to Subway Mania

KH: Briefly take us through some of the challenges your content creation went through as a result of the pandemic.

THR: Engagement with people. I like engaging with people while I’m making videos. A lot of my content depends on it. With the wrestling videos, I obviously need an engaged audience. In my other content, when I’m Jim the Gentrifier I need to engage with people and get their reactions.

It’s been especially tough with the masks because they hide people’s reactions. I think for everybody it’s taken a toll, but since things are opening up more, it’s time to get back to creating content.


Tim Hann Rivera’s other awesome content

KH: Let’s talk about some of your other Youtube content. Who is Jim the Gentrifier? What is the inspiration for that character and his misadventures?

THR: So, he’s a dude, who you will never know where he’s from, but he thinks he’s a New Yorker! He comes into the hood and he’s trying to change everything! He’s really trying to be cool with everybody, but he’s just being a d*ckhead and trying to change the culture.

He’s trying to be down, but it’s just not happening. I got the inspiration just from my neighborhood and the gentrification that’s going on. A lot of the people, and the businesses we had growing up aren’t there anymore. So, I tried to shed light on what it is, and what has been happening through comedy.


Chicklett

KH: Your Short Story “Chicklett” is an interesting change of pace from the content you usually make. What is it about, and what was your inspiration for the project?

THR: “Chicklett” is about two guys that are having a photo shoot, then one of them has an idea to go viral on the internet. He decides to take a chicken from the slaughterhouse and take photos and videos with the chicken in Harlem. When they go back to return the chicken, the slaughterhouse is closed, so they’re stuck with a live chicken, on a leash, that they don’t know what to do with. So we go around trying to find homes for the chicken.

I got the idea because at one point I actually wanted to have a chicken that I could take photos with. But then I thought “where am I gonna keep this damn chicken?” The character in the story didn’t think that far ahead though. After I was done filming it, I actually did have to say to myself, “okay what do I do with this chicken?” I ended up giving it to one of my friends who owns other chickens.

KH: I saw on your Instagram that “Chicklett” recently became award-winning. What did you win? How did it feel knowing that your content received the ultimate validation?

THR: That film won Best Screenplay from The Mott Haven Film Festival. I felt amazing. Its so cool when you have an idea, and you don’t know how your gonna bring that idea to life. But you get support from your crew and they help you bring it to life.

It was so amazing seeing people acknowledge and enjoy the final product. It made me feel like all the hard work really came through. I knew then that buying that chicken and keeping it in my house for two weeks was worth it. It [was] such an accomplishment.

KH: Have you considered adding more serious things to your repertoire?

THR: Yeah, absolutely. I feel like, I’m funny, and I know I can do funny things. But I also know I can direct and create serious stuff too. I feel like a Jack of all trades. I would love to take on different genres. If the idea is good, I know that my passion will allow me to do a great job at it.

KH: Any closing thoughts for our audience? Shout-outs? Promotions for upcoming projects? Anything that you want people to know?

THR: The grind never stops! I’m never gonna stop doing videos! I’m never gonna stop creating because that’s who I am. With my work, I’m always looking to evolve. I am always looking to push the envelope do things I haven’t done before, and that I have never seen others do before.

With everything that’s going on with the pandemic, I have new ideas, new things written. I just want to do so much, and I’m so excited to take on new challenges. I’m so excited to show people what I got in my bag.

Tim Hann Rivera

There is much more in store for the Subway Mania/ Jim the Gentrifier/ Chicklett creator

Tim is an electric creator, with a great personality, and a vision. We hope that he finds success in whatever additional endeavors he pursues.

If you want to support the “Subway Mania” mastermind, subscribe to his Youtube channel, check out his Instagram, and keep up to date on his wrestling videos and other hilarious content.

Relaxing Music Genres

Here are the 5 Most Relaxing Music Genres Revealed

There is a reason why babies fall asleep after listening to lullabies; these soft, easy tunes help them relax. The power that music has over our minds doesn’t suddenly change as soon as we enter adulthood, so music still can be used to help us relax and even fall asleep if that is the goal. Here are the top 5 most relaxing music genres.

Reggae music is still relaxing the world

Reggae music is one of the most soothing, uplifting, and therapeutic music genres to listen to and there is really never a bad time to start listening. Wherever you are in the world, reggae can add a relaxing and chilled vibe to the atmosphere, including beach bars in Bali or even when played at weddings and other celebrations towards the end of the night.

For great reggae artists, you don’t have to look much further than the iconic Bob Marley. However, in recent years many talented new reggae artists have been producing great music.

Once you find a love for this relaxing and soothing style of music, you will start to understand that reggae music is also about culture, with other areas of it seeping into your life, such as the style of dancing you adopt and the cuisine you begin to indulge in.

We always look to Smooth Jazz

Jazz music has been proven to be so relaxing that it can actually be used to cure your body. The smooth, slow beats help to lower your respiratory rate and heart rate to a more healthy beats per minute measurement, such as Blue in Green by Miles Davis, at 55 BPM, and Almost Blue by Chet Baker, at 56 BPM.

This can help to dramatically reduce stress and even help to recover from a stroke by improving verbal memory, focus, and mood, with one study proving that jazz music increased a listener’s verbal memory by 60%. Furthermore, jazz music can provide natural pain relief for conditions such as migraine headaches and reduce chronic pain when listened to daily.

Country music can be relaxing?

There are different styles of country music to listen to such as country-pop and country-rock, however, the most relaxing kind is certainly classic country.

Listening to country music will make you chill out and focus on the easy lyrics of the song so that you can escape from any stresses of the day. As much as country music is relaxing, it is also fun, and you can find yourself often tapping your foot along to the rhythm quite quickly, helping to boost your mood and feel happier.

Classical and Ambient music has become a go to

Classical music is relaxing in a much more soothing way since it doesn’t have any substantial ups and downs to get you excited and is generally quite slow and flowy.

Ambient music such as the sounds of running water and whale noises have also been renowned for having a positive effect on relaxing people’s minds, with these sounds the first choice for getting relaxed before a poker game for players like Negreanu.

Next time you feel like you need to calm down and just relax, try one of these top 5 relaxing music genres to help soothe your mind and body. 

Washington Football Team is providing grants for Black-owned businesses

The Washington Football Team and United Airlines are joining together to provide economic relief for Black-owned small businesses in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) areas through COVID relief grants.

United Airlines is funding five grants totaling $25,000 for businesses participating in the Washington Football Team Black Engagement Network’s (B.E.N.) Shop Black Directory.

These COVID relief grants will go a long way in providing support and relief for the greater D.C. area.


What will these COVID relief grants do for the greater-D.C. area?

The grants from United Airlines and the Washington Football Team will be put toward business functions such as employee compensation, rent, and operating costs.

“It’s important for us to support the small businesses that bring immeasurable value and cultural vibrance to our DMV community,” said Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII MVP and Senior Advisor to the Washington Football Team President, Jason Wright.

“We know that Black entrepreneurs face many barriers when it comes to running their businesses and recognize that the last year has been particularly tough on small, minority-owned businesses. Which is why we are excited to partner with United to provide additional resources and support for the members of our Shop Black Directory.”

Washington Football Team’s Doug Williams

Washington Football Team’s Black Engagement Network

The Washington Football Team’s Black Engagement Network has been around since June 2020, and the young initiative is designed to provide support for Black-owned small businesses in the DMV area.

The B.E.N. envisions bringing Black talent to the forefront of operations and leveling the playing field as best as possible in DMV communities.

To be eligible for the grants, businesses must be a certified Black-owned diverse supplier, employ fewer than 15 employees, have been in business for over a year with annual revenues of less than $250,000, located in the DMV, and a member of ‘Shop Black’ since or before May 1st, 2021.

Small businesses from the Shop Black Directory are implored to apply from today, July 15, to August 5 by visiting here.

It is an uncomfortable fact that Black-owned businesses are at risk much more than others. Yet still, it is one that we must accept to fully understand. United Airlines and the Washington Football Team are doing their part to try and provide relief and support in extremely difficult times.

CJ Wallace has inspired the cannabis community to THINK BIG

CJ Wallace, son of The Notorious B.I.G., is already using lessons he learned from his father’s life to set himself and his community up for success. His brand, THINK BIG, leads a social movement “fighting for global cannabis legalization​, police and criminal justice reform, and economic reinvestment into communities most harmed by cannabis prohibition.”

For many creative individuals who tend to think in non-linear patterns, cannabis is a catalyst. For some artists, writer’s block does not exist and cannabis elevates their efforts to heights unparalleled. Such is the case for Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G. from Brooklyn, New York, and his son, CJ Wallace.


CJ Wallace and THINK BIG

Although Biggie’s life was tragically cut short due to senseless violence, his hymns and street gospel will live on eternally. The most fascinating part about his cannabis consumption is that it did not slow his role whatsoever, only enhanced his ability to tell a vivid story.

That is a major reason why his son, CJ, has become an outspoken advocate for cannabis and started his own brand by the name of, Think BIG, after his late, great father.

CJ Wallace is the son of emcee Biggie Smalls and R&B artist Faith Evans. Unfortunately, he was only graced with his father’s presence for five months, but continually utilizes his influence and grandiose legacy to effectuate positive change. CJ’s cannabis brand is rooted in three core pillars: creativity, curiosity, and collaboration.

Certainly, Biggie excelled in all three of those categories, and sparking up only amplified his superb abilities. One of the best-selling products for his brand is the Frank White creative blend. Frank White was one of Biggie’s aliases and pays utmost homage to Christopher Walken’s legendary performance in, “King of New York.” 


THINK BIG and Frank White

The Frank White package contains vapes, gummies, apparel, stationery and pens. The strain itself is a diverse blend of orange sherbet, banjo, rattlesnake, and sour diesel.

It hit shelves in April of 2019 and has many flavors and variations. To pair alongside, THINK BIG created the eclectic, “Frank White Ultimate Ghostrider Vol. 1” playlist comprised of Jazz, Country, Rock and Roll and 90’s Hip-Hop to flow in conjunction with the creative individual.

The brand even has itself a dope clothing line.


Reshaping the framework around cannabis prohibition

Throughout CJ’s young life, he has noticed a trend in the cannabis industry that has negatively affected people of color. Prohibition around cannabis has been far more prevalent in communities of color than against white people.

The pointless war on drugs that was manufactured by the government has only stunted the growth of his people and those who are minorities. CJ grew up around incredibly talented individuals such as Missy Elliott and Pharrell.

And he witnessed firsthand how cannabis served as an amplification element for reaching new plateaus within musical artistry. Thus, the prohibition surrounding cannabis was really only to hold Black people down.

“We can no longer stand idly by while our people struggle in the face of unjust marijuana laws and environmental policies that disproportionately target people of color.”

CJ Wallace’s brand THINK BIG

Growing up, he was not taught any of the negative stigmas surrounding cannabis only shown the way that it boosted creativity in an incredible way. The positive aspects of the medicinal plant were evident throughout his life as a way to tap into an abundant source of knowledge and creativity.

By having multiple conversations with his mother and Biggie’s mother, Voletta he was able to learn about his father’s gargantuan impact and decided it would be proper to honor him with his own cannabis business.

think big cannabis stopping cannabis prohibition
Cannabis brand THINK BIG founders (via Marina Thompson)

Partnering with Willie Mack and Todd Russaw of the Lowell Herb Company significantly advanced the strides made for CJ’s cannabis brand. Todd Russaw encouraged Wallace to believe in his brand and to be unafraid to represent his ideals.

Together, they aim to use their ethos and vision to unlock a new world perspective. Their cannabis strain focuses on a crossover between cannabis, creativity, and healing. By offering a product that is omnipresent and omnipotent, connoisseurs are able to lock into a calm, focused headspace that induces heightened creativity. 


CJ Wallace is giving back

Another major reason CJ jumped headfirst into the cannabis industry is because of the direct beneficial results he witnessed the drug had on members of his family.

It has significantly assisted in his grandmother’s fight against breast cancer and allowed her to prolong her time here on Earth. Also, CBD treatments have greatly improved his brother Ryder’s quality of life.

When CJ was in high school, he became familiar with the benefits of cannabis and CBD to assist in the well-being and increased faculty function that became evident for his brother.

Jayden’s Juice CBD products have greatly relieved Ryder’s epileptic episodes and his struggles with non-verbal autism. CBD (pain-relieving agent of cannabis) has allowed Ryder to become less frustrated, calm himself down easier and express his thoughts and feelings in a very valuable manner.

Although reigning from NY, much of the Frank White Creative Blend products are available on the West Coast. Some stockists include Rose Collective in Venice, Sweet Flower in Studio City/Melrose and Urban Pharm in San Francisco.

Ten percent of all proceeds directly benefit California’s Prison Arts Project to give a hand to inmates who wish to partake in visual arts, writing, poetry, music and theater. 

It is clear that cannabis contains many beneficial properties that should be celebrated not stigmatized and CJ learned that directly from reading entries from his father’s journal. His organization is a part of the Marijuana Policy Project, NORML, Minority Cannabis Business Association, Autism Speaks, and the American Breast Cancer Foundation.

CJ continues to advance himself within influential circles of the entrepreneur sector. Catch him on VH1 playing the role of Amir in the latest series Scream and has been featured in films such as Kicks and alongside Will Ferrell in Everything Must Go.

Clearly, cannabis is something to be celebrated for its ability to effectuate brilliance rather than stigmatized for its alleged illicit connotation.

8 ways to go green during your hot person summer

After a tough year, we’ve finally made it to hot girl summer. While you’re out, as Megan Thee Stallion puts it, “having a good-ass time, hyping up your friends, doing you,” you can channel some of that bad bitch energy toward going green. Here are 8 breezy ways to go green and support our environment without sacrificing your hot person summer. 


Drink out of a reusable water bottle

This one’s easy enough if you have access to a good water bottle. Disposable plastic water bottles exacerbate air pollution during manufacturing and are not very biodegradable. Plastic waste tends to end up polluting our oceans.

Reduce your carbon footprint by investing in a sturdy water bottle that you can use day after day, week after week. It’s a hot person summer, so if you’re always on the go, carry it around with you to stay hydrated while still going green.

It’s much better for the environment, and chances are that a reusable bottle will be much more efficient at keeping your beverages cold this summer.


Recycle

Hopefully, you don’t have to be reminded of this one, but recycling is one of the easiest things you can do to help the earth.

Recycling glass and certain plastics reduces air pollution, protects ocean life, conserves landfill space, and more. If you’re unsure about what you can and can’t recycle, look into your city’s policies. 

It is the bare minimum we can all do to go green and support our environment.


Compost

Give landfills a break by composting your food waste.

Instead of tossing your coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetable stems, and fruit peels in the trash, compost them! Not only will it be great for your garden, but your compost will help reduce water runoff and pollution by holding a high volume of water. Read more about how to compost at home here


Conserve water

Saving water leads to less runoff and wastewater entering our oceans. There are countless ways to save water. Here are a few that require minimal effort:

  • Take shorter showers
  • Don’t let your faucet run when washing dishes, brushing your teeth, etc.
  • Collect rainwater for your plants
  • Use soap instead of shower gel 
  • Utilize your pasta water when cooking

Eat locally

By eating the food produced near you, you reduce the amount of miles (and fuel) it takes to get to you. Reducing fuel consumption help keep our air clean.

Additionally, by supporting local farmers, you’re protecting local land from developers. Make a thing of it and take weekend trips to your farmers market for fresh ingredients. Drag your loved ones along and mosey around with a coffee, looking at homemade jewelry and picking out baked goods. 


Walk, bike, and carpool

Reducing vehicle pollution helps keep our air and oceans clean.

If you walk or bike to your destination, you’ll be able to exercise while going green. Now, sometimes, it can be too hot for my taste to walk or bike places, but just do your best! Sun and exercise are rarely bad things. Carpooling is another great option.


Use cloth napkins and paper towels

When you think about the amount of waste this will save, it’s a no-brainer.

If you stick with it, buying reusable napkins and paper towels will save you money in the long run. You can easily find these products on Amazon, but I’d suggest looking at antique malls for vintage napkins or cloths.

It’ll be cheaper, a fun shopping trip, and these vintage items won’t contribute to air pollution from manufacturing. Two birds, one stone.


Opt for eco-friendly beauty

If you’re a wearer of makeup or a user of beauty products, try to be an eco-conscious consumer next time you shop. Some cosmetics are made from marine materials, which is unsustainable.

Reduce waste and go for more ethical brands such as EcoRoots, Dirty Hippie Cosmetics, Ethique, and Fat & the Moon. There are plenty of ethical brands out there, so you’re sure to find one that works for you. You don’t have to sacrifice quality to go green this summer. 


Go green and have your hot person summer

There are so many sustainable practices that we can all participate in not only this summer, but throughout the year.

The human race has inflicted so much damage on the environment, and now that we know more about the consequences of our actions, it is our responsibility to undo that damage. Do your part while living your best life!

Go green and support the environment while still enjoying your hot person summer. You deserve it. 

What makes Parley for the oceans? The platform is saving the world

Lodged on the 5th floor of NYC’s Lafayette Street, Parley for the Oceans is an environmental conservation and collaborative organization advocating for a critical cause: protecting our oceans.

The initiative was launched by Cyril Gutsch in 2012 hoping to encourage a business culture where sustainability is economically more attractive than pollution.

With recent events and the increasing awareness and urgency of the climate crisis, the platform is reaching new heights.


Parley for the Oceans

Parley believes in bringing together individuals from all arenas (scientists, creatives, governments, corporations, activists, etc.) to stimulate our collective creativity.

Indeed, science may be the source of understanding this ongoing emergency. But the organization’s spirit is rooted in finding solutions through our human imagination too.

“Artists, musicians, actors, filmmakers, fashion designers, journalists, architects, product inventors, and scientists have the tools to mold the reality we live in and to develop alternative business models and ecologically sensible products to give us earthlings an alternative choice, an everyday option to change something.”

Parley for the Oceans

“If the oceans die, we die”

With these words spoken by Captain Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd, Parley events have united a plethora of influential voices.

From renowned independent adventurers and photographers to ecologists, artists, athletes, and environmental activists the organization is set to reach leaders and creatives around the world.

“Every second breath we take is generated by the oceans. The oceans give us life. We give them plastic. Let’s invent our way out of this. Together.” 

Parley’s Air Pledge

Something in the way we’ve led our lives until today has allowed us to believe we reign this planet, when truthfully we’re just “on board”. Like many other species, we’re here for the ride, but with one difference: most of them are essential for the Earth’s functioning.

Without them, we can’t be. Yet many of our everyday little activities are letting those vital elements perish slowly. Parley is about directing our energy to inspire an improved lifestyle rather than pave a single path solution to the climate crisis.


Take action in protecting our oceans

“Avoid, intercept, redesign” are the three key words to Parley’s advocacy for creativity and collaboration. For innovation. For step by step ideas and missions to be brought to life.

True as it may be, it is terribly overwhelming to think to ourselves “we have to save the planet,” since 70 percent of the Earth is water, and we know hardly more than what lies just beneath the surface of the oceans’ wonders.

Yet we continue to trash that unknown before getting to know it.

With cleanup programs in the Maldives, Argentina, Canada, Sri Lanka, as well as the US, only to name a few, there might be a project for you to join near home. The journey towards recovering life on this planet begins at its four corners and with each and every one of us.

And it doesn’t end there… Pitch your project, start a movement of your own, launch a fundraiser… If you have an idea, Parley is the place to have it heard.

The possibilities are endless, and excuses are few and far between. However small you start, your action in protecting our oceans matters. And Parley is here to inspire you and let you inspire others.

Constructing a powerful debut fantasy novel, with Aamna Qureshi

“Should she send him to the lady? So that he may live his days with another, leaving the Shehzadi to her envy and her grief? Or should he be sent to the lion? Who would surely tear him to shreds before she had a moment to regret her decision? Either way, they could never be together,” Aamna Qureshi reads in her debut fantasy novel The Lady or the Lion.

Aamna Qureshi easefully reads the prologue of her new book, the words putting into life the fantasy world she has built, in her debut novel. The Lady or the Lion is a story of forbidden love and rivalry, set for release in July.

Qureshi, 22, is excited to talk about her novel and to share her passion for writing and books in general. Her tall bookshelf in her room is an affirmation of this. Her work is a representation of her culture, the setting of the young adult fiction novel inspired by Pakistan with Pakistani, Muslim characters.


Aamna Qureshi’s love story with writing 

Her parents emigrated from Islamabad, Pakistan, settling in Long Island, New York, where Qureshi was born and currently resides with her parents and three siblings.

She attended Stony Brook University, graduating with a minor in English but a degree in applied math and statistics, an odd degree choice for a natural-born writer. 

At 14, she wrote her first full-length manuscript “just for fun.” Growing up she always loved reading, she shares, especially fantasy and romance novels. It instantly became a pastime for her and sparked an interest in writing.

“It was just a natural reaction for me to want to write my own stories one day and sort of recreate that euphoria that I got from reading a really good book, and trying my own hand at writing,” she says.


The debut fantasy novel that is The Lady or the Lion

Being an author was always a dream, but the uncertainty of the publishing industry geared her towards a more “financially stable” degree.

However, she still continued to write despite her internal doubts. Qureshi’s idea for her debut fantasy novel came to her in 2016, while she was still in high school. And her subsequent trip to Pakistan in the summer of 2017, where she was struck by the beauty of the northern side of the country.

The stunning landscape with high mountains, lush greenery, tranquil rivers, and scenic views, cemented the idea, becoming the inspiration for the world she would create in her fantasy novel.

debut fantasy novel the lady or the lion

Southern Pakistan, (Photo credit @Aamna Qureshi)

Before her summer trip, she was used to the western worlds in the fantasy books she grew up reading, not considering including Pakistani culture or characters until that moment. 

“It just didn’t even occur to me, because I had never read a book like that.”


Bringing diversity into publishing and building a connection with readers

Through her work Qureshi is able to share her culture, exposing readers to the beauty of the Urdu language, and a diverse set of South Asian characters.

She also eclipses harmful stereotypes surrounding her culture, especially through her strong female protagonist, the crowned Princess Durkhanai Miangul.

“I really want readers to see that Pakistan isn’t just this stereotypical backwards country,” she says. “It’s really a beautiful country with such a vibrant culture that has so many different parts to it, that I think people will really enjoy.”

She started writing the book in 2018, and got her publishing deal in August 2020, through a Twitter pitch contest. CamCat Books, her current publisher, liked her tweet and invited her to submit to them. After reading her manuscript, they decided to go ahead with publishing.

Qureshi has a clear connection with her readers, constantly keeping them on the loop on her personal blog, and Twitter; one of the many factors for the wide range of approval for her upcoming novel. Qureshi’s audience was the number one thing she kept in mind when writing.

“When I’m writing, I think, I wish this was a book that I read when I was growing up. Something my masjid friends, or my younger cousins will really like, or people that I know will enjoy and relate to and see themselves in.”


Immense support and positive feedback for her debut fantasy novel

Qureshi has received outpouring support from her family, friends, and strangers on the internet, excited to see diverse representation in the book industry.

Early readers on her Goodreads profile gave her rave reviews; connecting most with the diversity of the novel, loving the Pakistani characters, and tidbits of Urdu included. 

Faiza Susan, a resident of Wylie, Texas who works as an analyst for United Healthcare, was one of the early readers, giving the novel five stars on Goodreads.

“It really means a lot for me to have a novel representing Pakistani culture, especially representing a story that showed a woman in charge of her life and refusing to accept the circumstances,” says Susan in her response for the exceptional review she gave on Goodreads. 

“For a genre that is usually dominated by a western perspective, it was really nice to have a Pakistani show our culture in its full glory,” further explains Susan about The Lady or the Lion.

Susan loved the work most for its love story, but also for the vivid descriptions Qureshi paints through her words.

“I felt instantly transported there.”

aamna qureshi

Southern Pakistan, (Photo credit @Aamna Qureshi)

Qureshi hopes she’s one of the many writers to change the direction of diversity within the publishing industry, wanting teens now to grow up with stories like hers and “broaden their viewpoints of the world.”

“So many other authors of color are doing such great work in the industry. It is very slow, but there are amazing books being published by other authors of color.”


What’s to come for Aamna Qureshi

Always writing, it’s no surprise a sequel for her novel is already in the works. But in the meantime she is just eager for people to read her debut novel.

She is looking forward to her book launch, and wants readers to keep an eye out for any updates on her very first book signing. 

“This is just the beginning and things are gonna get even more exciting.”

Aamna Qureshi

NEFT empowers the LBGTQ community with luxury artisanal vodka

Pride itself carries many connotations. As a deadly sin, pride and the sense of being proud represents an unwavering ability to propel oneself above others in an egotistical manner. But pride also means being courageous and brave in one’s shoes. NEFT Vodka celebrates pride with luxury spirits in the form of artisanal vodka.

During June, the month of pride, we recognize those who have the courage and bravery to showcase fluorescence and flamboyance. Cheers to those who celebrate and bygones to those who share disdain. 


NEFT displays a depth of gratitude, servitude, and selflessness

You may think your brand has the hottest items and best value proposition. But all of that does not mean a thing if the market does not deem your product worthy.

Certainly, NEFT surrounds itself with LOVE in order to separate itself from the pack and rise above the saturation that exists within the beverage industry.

neft vodka
This brand provides elegance for a balanced pallette (via NEFT)

The brand does this through genuine networking, key collaborations, and originality. Its originality lies within unbreakable “barrels” that come in either 750 ml or 1L containers that fit in your hand but look like they were plucked off a forklift.  

Some of the ways the brand affects change within its community are through diligent work with nonprofits such as Project Angel Food and GLAAD.

Conjunction with these organizations magnifies NEFT’s efforts through donations, sponsorships, and a firm grasp of the bigger picture. Altruism remains extremely underrated in our current atmosphere, yet NEFT and its luxury spirits utilize it as a core brand pillar.


The artisanal vodka brand represents real authenticity

The brand’s oil drum-like barrels come in three different styles: Black, White, and Pride.

It is important to note that the luxury spirits brand also designates pride efforts year-round.

As a lifestyle brand that symbolizes love, inclusivity, equality, and diversity, NEFT Vodka is a nifty product.

luxury spirits
NEFT gives life and provides stellar, seductive and romantic cocktails (via NEFT)

Its background is mighty rich, as well. NEFT possesses Russian heritage, Austrian craftsmanship and worldwide enjoyment.

The Austrian water is filtered for nearly fifty years and their four grains of ancient Lower Saxony Rye ferments for about four years. Together, they have delivered a product that is crisp and slowly distilled with pristine patience to create a gentle delicacy.


Being relatable is key

NEFT Vodka conquers the beverage industry with galvanizing earthiness. A way that it pokes head and shoulders above is how it provides a down-to-earth vibe.

By generating authentic stories, this brand provides the human nature factor. This means it highlights real humans doing real things for all the right reasons. 

artisanal vodka
Tell your tale and live your truth (via NEFT)

These real tales told by impactful humans courtesy of NEFT Vodka are made possible by mixologists like Luke Barr.

Luke Barr turns Austrian water into indelible clear liquor. Clearly, he is not the only one as this team moves as a unit to make a difference for all involved. Their pressing desire to shift the landscape of the industry hangs its hat on the fact that we are all capable of LOVE.


NEFT Vodka is an industry leader for a reason

NEFT’s focus on international spirits and an ability to reach outside of its comfort zone does not go unnoticed. NEFT and its luxury artisanal vodka permeates the culture with ultimate empowerment.

The vibrant and fluorescent flavors provide a superb array of accents. NEFT pays homage to those who paved the way and operates with integrity. Grab a mixing container and give NEFT Vodka a vigorous shake, slight stir, and garnish appropriately! Cheers!