“If you free your data, people will come to you.” ~ Deb Boyer, Phillyhistory.org
I heard this quote at one of the last panels I attended at SXSW Interactive, Innovating and Developing with Libraries, Archives, and Museums. Deb Boyer was part of a panel that discussed innovations that are happening within libraries, archives, and museums. Those institutions wrestle with the options of if, how, when, and to whom to release their extensive and rich spectrum of data and information. Do they charge or make it free? Is there a limit to how much someone can use? How should the information be delivered? Deb encouraged open collaboration between institutions and most certainly for anyone interested in partnering with libraries and archives. She believes being open source is the only way to win influence in our interconnected world; but yourself off from anyone interested in your brand by creating complex business models around the content and your influence rapidly diminishes.
At a conference buzzing with a million and one phenomenal ideas, the questions of intellectual property and ownership of ideas comes up a lot. In panels, hallway conversations, and key notes. Someone has a great idea and needs others to bring it to life. Does that mean that they run the risk of losing the idea by sharing it a la The Social Network? Maybe. Though Deb Boyer argued on her panel that there is no other choice. If the goal is to share what we know and bring our visions to life, we have to put it out there and see what comes back to us.
Gary Vaynerchuk talked about something similar in his keynote on The Thank You Economy. He gives and gives and gives and doesn’t worry about what he’ll get in return. In his very straightforward, and slightly crass, way he argued that if we’re generous first, others will follow in ways and quantities that we could never possibly imagine. Karma, baby. Karma.
SXSW is an incredibly generous environment. Sure, people are being provocative and forthright. They’re asking tough questions that have messy answers or no answers at all. They’re putting themselves and their ideas out there in the hopes that others will join them in their creative pursuits. They’re giving away what they know to anyone who’s interested in what they have to say and willing to take the time to listen. They’re all doing exactly what Deb and Gary advocate for. As Gary so eloquently stated, “Forget about having your ideas stolen. Just out care the competition and you’ll win every time in any industry, in any market.”
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
“If you free your data, people will come to you.” ~ Deb Boyer, Phillyhistory.org
