“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” ~ Edmund Burke
We’ve got problems.
The environment, education, the economy, healthcare, world peace. These are big issues, and they only scratch the surface of all the needs of our community. It’s easy to trick ourselves into thinking we don’t have the power to generate change. It all seems so daunting and it is if we think of them as all or nothing challenges. But if we could do a bit, and perhaps inspire someone else to do another bit, that might be enough of a daisy chain to get us going in the right direction.
I won’t solve the healthcare system’s many ails, but Compass Yoga is helping people feel better in small ways on a day-to-day basis.
I won’t solve the public education complexities, but I’m working with the Joan Ganzy Cooney Center, the educational center of excellence for Sesame Street, as a pro-bono consultant on their STEM (Science, Technology, Education, and Math) video game challenge that encourages students and educators to create and use games as a means of understanding STEM concepts.
I won’t solve the economic conundrum, but I’m starting The Geronimo Project as a way to publicizing incredible work being done by entrepreneurs and people who take big leaps into careers they love.
These are little things but I care about them and the people that they affect, and that’s enough of a reason to keep going bit by bit. What little things are you up to that are making this world a better place? Keep doing them.
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
3 thoughts on “Leap: Do What You Can. It’s Enough.”
The STEM video game challenge sounds cool – don’t think you’ve talked about that before.
The STEM video game challenge sounds cool – don’t think you’ve talked about that before.
No kindness is too small.
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That’s true – I haven’t mentioned it yet here have I?! Need to write a future post with more detail!
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So true. Love it. Did you see my post on gratitude? I had a scary reminder about being thankful for what I have…
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