My house is full of lists – things to do, places to go – far and near, people to contact, things to buy, things to look into. You name the task, and I bet I have a list for it.
Over the past few months as I’ve started my journey to make The Leap into entrepreneurship and a new way to live my working life, I’ve been kicking around an idea that began to take root yesterday, appropriately enough on Leap Day. The timing couldn’t have been more synchronous. Introducing The Geronimo Project, a community of people who took The Leap and share their stories to inspire others.
Back in 2009, I started a column on entrepreneurship for Examiner.com to showcase inspiring entrepreneurs. The column did very well and I wrote a free e-book (please download and share!) to highlight the interviews that were most meaningful to me in my quest to get inside the entrepreneurial mindset. I’ve missed conducting and writing those interviews and since closing out the column in 2010 I’ve wanted to find a way to continue that journey to celebrate the brave people who took a chance to realize their dreams. Also, I’ve become increasingly interested in finding a way to begin doing more video and podcast work. Wrap all that up with my love of teaching (yoga, meditation, personal finance, personal action plans) and it becomes The Geronimo Project.
The site and Twitter feed are incredibly bare bones as I work behind the scenes to bring it all to life. And here’s where I can use your help!
Have you taken The Leap from a stale day job into a career that you love? Do you know someone who did? Did you read an interesting article or see a news clip that highlighted someone who took The Leap? Have you got links to resources, ideas, and advice that you think would be valuable to someone considering the Leap? Do you know someone I should connect with? Send all your ideas on over via email or Twitter – your choice. The more the merrier.
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
I'd love to know what you think of this post! Please leave a reply and I'll get back to you in a jiffy! ~ CRA Cancel reply
