Lucille Ball is a towering figure of comedy and of my childhood. When I was little, my mom would take my dad to the train station to go to work and I would wake up, make myself some oatmeal, and watch I Love Lucy reruns with my mom until I had to get ready for school. I loved her spunky, “I can do it” attitude, and in many ways I think I fashioned myself after that side of her.
She wasn’t content with an ordinary life, on screen or off, and I admired that. I wasn’t content with it either. Like Lucy, I had big dreams. I wanted to break through, and she showed me that was possible. That we could find our own way.
Today, Lucy would be 100 years old and though she’s been gone now for over 20 years, she’s still making us howl with laughter. With much love and thanks to her for giving me such special memories, here’s a classic Lucy clip that happens to be one of my very favorites. The Spanish subtitle make it even funnier. Enjoy!
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/
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2 thoughts on “Beginning: Happy 100th to Lucille Ball”
Christa,
Oh, you took the words right out of my mouth. Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett: heroes of my childhood. They made me cry tears of joy like nobody else could. I was a TV addict and loved comedy: I still do. And who can forget Laverne and Shirley? And Kojak? And Baretta? And the Streets of San Francisco? Get Smart? The Three Stooges and Little Rascals? And I Dream of Jeannie? And Mork and Mindy? And The Brady Bunch? And Facts of Life? And Different Strokes? Partidge Family?
Oh, I could give you a bucket list, but thanks so much for these memories. I really admire you for writing about favorite TV Shows.
Lucille Ball is a towering figure of comedy and of my childhood. When I was little, my mom would take my dad to the train station to go to work and I would wake up, make myself some oatmeal, and watch I Love Lucy reruns with my mom until I had to get ready for school. I loved her spunky, “I can do it” attitude, and in many ways I think I fashioned myself after that side of her.
Christa,
Oh, you took the words right out of my mouth. Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett: heroes of my childhood. They made me cry tears of joy like nobody else could. I was a TV addict and loved comedy: I still do. And who can forget Laverne and Shirley? And Kojak? And Baretta? And the Streets of San Francisco? Get Smart? The Three Stooges and Little Rascals? And I Dream of Jeannie? And Mork and Mindy? And The Brady Bunch? And Facts of Life? And Different Strokes? Partidge Family?
Oh, I could give you a bucket list, but thanks so much for these memories. I really admire you for writing about favorite TV Shows.
Cheers.
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Archan! Those are so many of my favorites shows, too. Such great memories in TV.
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