Author: Christa Avampato

The short of it: Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day. The long of it: My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events. While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series. A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist. My company: I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media: • I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference; • I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable; • I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me. Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
creativity

Carnegie Hall radiates joy as Dudamel, Lang Lang, and Castillo open the 2024–2025 season

Christa Avampato
Carnegie Hall 2024–2025 Season

Last night I had the great honor of joining a sold out crowd to open Carnegie Hall’s 2024–2025 season, and I’m so happy my friend, Ashley, could enjoy it with me. There were so many surprises and delights as the program mixed well-known favorites with first-of-their kind discoveries during a thrilling concert. 

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel is beloved among classical music lovers and Hollywood as one of the greatest of our time. He gives a full-body experience to his conducting and the joy he gets from leading the exceptional Los Angeles Philharmonic is evident to everyone who has the good fortune to see him do the work he loves. What knocked me out was the absence of a physical score. He conducted entirely from memory and never missed a beat. Even among world-class conductors, this was an incredible feat. 

Lang Lang joined Dudamel as the soloist for Rachmaninoff’s well-known Piano Concerto №2 in C Minor, Op. 18. At turns sweeping, fun, serious, and heartfelt, it spans the range of human emotion. Like Dudamel, Lang Lang gives his entire being to the music and also performs entirely from memory. At multiple points in this piece, Lang Lang’s hands and fingers were moving so quickly they appeared to blur. He’s an absolute wonder to see live and the audience was on their feet as soon as the piece ended demanding an encore, which Lang Lang happily gave.

The second half of the program was anchored by baritone soloist Gustavo Castillo performing Estancia, Op. 8 by Alberto Ginastera. The lyrics derive from José Hernández’s poem Martín Fierro, a heartbreaking story of the plight of the gaucho (a farmer or cattle herder in Argentina) losing his rural way of life. Last night this work received its first complete Carnegie Hall performance on record, demonstrating the Hall’s dedication to lesser-known works deserving of the spotlight. Castillo, Dudamel, and the Philharmonic kept the audience’s rapt attention right to the end. 

This season at Carnegie Hall will prove to be a bright light for music lovers of all genres, especially classical, pop, salsa, and reggaeton. With opening night, Dudamel and Castillo officially began the 2024–2025 season-long Nuestros Sonidos (Our Sounds) festival that celebrates the heritage and influence of Latin culture in the U.S., including those from the Caribbean. As usual, a plethora of talent will grace the Hall’s stages. I’m particularly excited about Pink Martini, Angélique Kidjo, Joyce DiDonato’s master class series, Ivy Queen, Asmik Grigorian, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Isata Kanneh-Mason, Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson, Angel Blue and Lang Lang, and Samara Joy. 

There’s no better way to spend a year than reveling in music, familiar and new. See the full program and purchase tickets at https://www.carnegiehall.org/.

Photos below by Christa Avampato.

creativity

How the brown ocean effect changes everything we know about hurricanes

Christa Avampato
This satellite image shows Hurricane Ida bearing down on the Gulf Coast in 2021, a storm fed by the brown ocean effect. Image from NOAA.

When Helene devastated North Carolina, it had been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm. (Sustained wind speed alone is what determines the type and category of a storm.) North Carolina didn’t get the eye of the storm either. That didn’t matter. What devastated North Carolina was the amount and rate of rainfall. 

The mountains of western North Carolina were thought to be as climate proof as a place could be. 350 miles from the coast. Over 2,000 feet above sea level. Helene showed us a dangerous aspect of storms that means there are no more climate havens — the brown ocean effect. 

Hurricanes become especially dangerous when they can spend extended periods of time over warm water. Conventional thinking and history have shown us that when a hurricane reaches land, the land dissipates its strength and the storm, eventually, fizzles. This is why coasts have historically been in greater danger that inland areas. The brown ocean effect changes that. 

When land is warm and saturated with water, as happened in Western North Carolina, it acts as something akin to ocean. While it doesn’t typically kick up the wind speed of a storm like Helene, it provides an excess of moisture and heat. Because the ground is saturated, the massive amount of rain can’t be absorbed. This leads to flooding and landslides. The devastation, loss of life, and high number of missing people in Western North Carolina caused by Helene is partially from the brown ocean effect. The heavy rains dumped on saturated land ravaged everything in their path from houses to infrastructure to power and communication lines. There is even footage of a casket unearthed from a cemetery and carried away by the rushing water. 

The brown ocean effect can happen anywhere there’s land. As rains become heavier and more frequent from climate change and global warming, it can take hold in many more places. Every land mass can provide ocean-like fuel for a storm. 

At the time of this writing, Hurricane Milton is barreling toward Florida. It’s a Category 5 with winds at 180 miles per hour, spinning over the hot waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Stronger than Hurricane Katrina. Even if it weakens, it still has all that water in it that it will drop when it hits land. Also, weakening in this case may be every bit as devastating as wind because it may slow down and pick up even more moisture from the Gulf. The land in Florida is already saturated, as the land in North Carolina was before Helene arrived. It’s a frightening alignment of circumstances. 

On Monday night I watched hurricane specialist John Morales get choked up on air giving the news update on Milton becoming a Category 5. These storms are no longer once-in-a-century, once-in-a-lifetime, and perhaps not even once-in-a-season. This may now be our new normal that is anything but normal.

creativity

My dual goals to end food insecurity and food waste

Christa Avampato
Photo by Ella Olsson on Unsplash

Today I started a new research project on food waste with the hope of starting an entrepreneurial venture in this space. In the U.S., 16 billion pounds of food from food retailers alone end up in landfills every year while 47.4 million Americans (13.5% of households) face food insecurity every day. 1/3 of waste in U.S. landfills is food and food waste causes 6% – 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change. We have plenty of food to feed everyone. It’s not in the right places at the right time so the waste is a logistics and operations issue.

Utilizing the methodology from my University of Cambridge / Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) dissertation, I’m conducting interviews with food retailers, rescue organizations, distribution organizations, institutional food providers, and policy makers to find an unmet need in the market that would help prevent food waste. Today I had my first interview with the largest food rescue organization in NYC. It went very well. I’m excited to continue these conversations and work on this idea.

Solving this dual challenge of food waste and food insecurity is important to me personally as well as from an environmental and business perspective. I grew up in a home that was food insecure and we often didn’t have enough food to eat. We were lucky to have the free lunch program at school. So many are not fortunate enough to have that kind of safety net. My goal with this business is to serve them and protect the planet. If you know someone or an organization I can talk to, I’d love any referrals.

creativity

Getting through breast cancer awareness month as a survivor

Christa Avampato
Photo by Angiola Harry on Unsplash

Today is the 4-year anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis. Everything is pink as far as the eye can see. It’s breast cancer awareness month, and the awareness is everywhere. If it exists in solid form, it can be made pink. This month helps raise awareness around the importance of screening, early detection, research, causes, and symptom identification. 

As a breast cancer survivor, all this awareness can be triggering. It can bring back difficult memories, re-ignite fears, and cause those dreaded what-if questions that are often just a breath away. As a survivor myself, I use every day to advocate for cancer survivors and those who know a survivor. Here is a list of how survivors can care for themselves during this sensitive month, and how you can provide support for the survivors in your life.

For survivors:
1.) It’s okay to acknowledge fears. Acknowledging them is the first step toward moving through them. It’s also important to remind yourself that these are future fears. they have not happened. They are not your present. 

2.) Be kind to yourself. Spend time with others. Go for a walk. Eat nutritious food. Do something you love. Find joy. In moments of difficulty, don’t judge yourself. Give yourself grace. 

3.) When those what-ifs creep in, remind yourself how far you’ve come and all you’ve overcome. Getting through cancer and treatment is a long, often-lonely journey. When you look back at your road, be proud of all you’ve faced and how you’ve grown.

4.) Remind yourself of the gifts. Cancer is terrible. There’s no way around that. It also gives incredible gifts. I grew closer to people during and after cancer. I have even more gratitude. My heart holds even more love. I don’t have bad days anymore. Every day is a good day because I get to have it. It wasn’t so long ago that I almost didn’t get a tomorrow. At several points in my journey, I was on the brink of dying. That I’m here at all is a miracle my doctors still don’t fully understand. As my surgeon says, “We don’t question the good.” Just live. Really live. 

5.) Share your story. There are people who are where you were. Be a symbol of who they can be on the other side of cancer. This helps you and them. 

For those who know a survivor:
1.) Check in on them. Ask them how they’re doing. Be a safe person for them to open up to. Being there for them is an incredible gift. 

2.) Donate to breast cancer organizations in the name of the survivor. No amount is too small and it means a lot to survivors that other people are being helped in their name. Research saved my life and I’m part of multiple research studies that are helping others. It’s empowering. 

3.) Do something special for them. Have a coffee date or a meal with them, plan a fun day out, give them a call, or send a card or text to tell them you’re thinking of them. All these small gestures really make a difference. Time is our most precious resource so if you want someone to know they matter to you, give them some of your time. 

creativity

Are we thinking about leadership with the wrong metrics?

Christa Avampato
Photo by Steve Leisher on Unsplash

“We don’t elect a president based on policies. We shouldn’t. We should elect them for their character, because we don’t know what’s going to come up.” ~Retired Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, former National Security Adviser

When we consider hiring (or electing) leaders, we often jump to their experience and policies. General McMaster is asking us to consider who they are. We live in a highly dynamic world. From one day to the next, we’re experiencing dramatic and sweeping changes. New information is widely and broadly disseminated at lightning speed. We need leaders who can operate in this paradigm and help others navigate it, too. 

Rather than looking at a leader’s past experience, what if we think about how they approach the future? Can a leader adapt and adjust? Are they flexible? Do they have a learning-mindset? A grow-mindset? Are they thoughtful? Are they collaborative? Do they care about the people they serve and support? Are they surrounded by bright, eager, caring people? Do they exhibit empathy and compassion? Is love a core value, and how have they demonstrated the use of love in their leadership?

How might hiring (and elections) shift if we embraced General McMaster’s advice? What kind of world might we be able to build together if the strength of someone’s character was consider at least as much as their experience and policies? 

This switch undoubtedly makes hiring and elections more nuanced, complex, and time-consuming. However, given the state of the world and rate of change we’re experiencing, leadership has never been more important to the stability of our planet and society. We deserve to have leaders who are up to the challenges of today and tomorrow. To find and hire these leaders, we need to invest the necessary time and effort to find out who they are, what we care about, and how they can help us move forward together.  

creativity

Zillow will provide climate risk data on for-sale listings

Christa Avampato
Man looking at loss of home to a tornado in Cambridge Shores, Kentucky in 2021. Photo by Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash

If you’re a prospective homebuyer and concerned about climate risk, Zillow is about to make your search much easier. By the end of 2024, for-sale listings on Zillow’s website will include climate risk information for flood, wildfire, wind, heat, and air quality by partnering with First Street, the gold standard for climate risk financial modeling. First Street’s models are developed by leading scientists and vetted through a peer-review process to transparently calculate the past, present, and future climate risk for properties and make it available for all. This ensures the climate insights given on Zillow are both credible and actionable.

Zillow will also include insurance recommendations, climate risk scores, interactive maps, and show if and when a property has experienced past climate events. It will be the first and only real estate listing site to provide this detailed data, giving the company a significant point of differentiation.

Consumer demand
Zillow decided to provide this data based on overwhelming consumer demand. Zillow research in September 2023 showed 83% of prospective U.S. home buyers consider climate risk. That percentage varies by geography—90% in the West, 85% in the Northeast, 79% in the South, and 77% in the Midwest. The average age of a U.S. homebuyer today is 39. Millennials and Gen Z are entering the home buying market and care deeply about climate. Zillow is centering their current and future users. 

A potential shift in the real estate market
This data could significantly shift the real estate market and the migration of home buyers within the U.S. because climate risk is growing more pervasive. Across all new listings in August 2024, 55.5% have a major risk of extreme heat, 1/3 for extreme wind exposure, 16.7% for wildfire, 13% for air quality, and 12.8% for flooding. 

The risks vary widely by geography. Over 70% of new listings in the Riverside, California metro area have a major wildfire risk. Wildfire risks impact 47% of new listings in Sacramento, and roughly 1/3 of listings in Jacksonville, Phoenix, San Diego, and Denver. 76.8% of new listings in the New Orleans metro area have a major flood risk, while roughly 1/3 in Houston, Miami, and Tampa and over 1/4 in Virginia Beach are at risk of flooding. In general, Midwest markets hold the lowest climate risk with less than 10% of new listings having any major climate risk in Cleveland, Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Kansas City.

Accuracy of First Street climate risk data
Some cities and the federal government through FEMA provide some climate risk information. This includes designated flood zones that help consumers partially assess risk. However, this is not comprehensive enough to help consumers holistically gauge insurance needs and potential future risks. This is where First Street’s modeling really shows its financial value. 

Consider Hurricane Debby, the storm that wreaked havoc along the U.S. east coast in August 2024. First Street’s analysis found 78% of properties flooded by Debby were outside FEMA flood zones, meaning flood insurance isn’t mandatory. 85% of these properties would have received an insurance recommendation on Zillow, highlighting how First Street’s climate risk data can inform buyers during their home search.

Climate data can change where and how we build
Not only does First Street’s data on Zillow inform prospective home buyers and real estate agents; it can also serve home builders, municipalities, and the federal government. Home builders can use it to assess the value of their potential construction sites. Municipalities can use it to assess where they need to focus their infrastructure dollars for climate resiliency and adaptation builds. The federal government can use the data to re-evaluate and assess FEMA designations for climate events and more effectively consider plans to support the expansion of the available housing market. It may also help us as a society plan for migration within the U.S. as we face climate change impacts. 

What I find most refreshing about Zillow’s approach is that it’s not about politics or marketing. It’s about science and data. Zillow isn’t telling consumers which property to buy, or which risks they should consider. It’s providing the data in a clear, consistent manner so consumers can make the most clear-eyed choices possible. With this data in-hand, consumers can understand the risk they’re taking and how to prepare for it. In this risky world of ours, that’s data we all desperately need.

creativity

NYC’s Harbor is cleaner and more resilient. Thank the oysters.

Christa Avampato
Billion Oyster Party. Photo by Christa Avampato.

On Thursday night I wound my way through Brooklyn’s Navy Yard. Past industrial buildings, natural gas smoke stacks, and heavy machinery, I found myself at building 269 to celebrate a sustainability milestone in our city. 

For 10 years, Billion Oyster Project has used the nature-based solution of oyster restoration to clean the water of the Hudson River to a level unprecedented in the last century. Restored oyster reefs will also protect the coastline from storm surges, a threat the city faces from climate change. To commemorate all their work, and look toward the future, 2,000 guests gathered together this week to sample trays of freshly harvested oysters, enjoy small bites and drinks from over 20 of New York’s best restaurants, and celebrate the efforts of oyster over 50 oyster farmers from all over the country at the organization’s 10th Anniversary Billion Oyster Party — Back to Nature, Back to Health. 

New York City used to be the oyster capital of the world, home to half of the world’s oysters. When the Dutch arrived in the 1600s, New York Harbor’s oysters measured up to 10 inches long, the city was known for them, and the oyster industry helped lay the foundation for the city. Liberty and Ellis Islands where the Statue of Liberty now stands and where millions of immigrants landed to begin new lives here were originally known as Oester (Oyster) Islands. New York’s oyster industry ended due to overharvesting, water pollution, and shoreline build-outs from the city’s rapid expansion. The pollution of the river prompted a typhoid scare, and the city shut down oyster farming in 1927. 

The book The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky tells the fascinating history of New York’s oysters. The Billion Oyster Project is creating its future. The city’s 220,000 acres of oyster reefs were once homes to whales, dolphins, seals, seahorses, herring, striped bass, and hundreds of other species. Thanks to Billion Oyster Project, they’re on their way to being this home again. Today, the organization has 18 active oyster restoration sites across 16 acres of New York Harbor. Their efforts have restored 100 million juvenile oysters to the harbor. Oysters are starting to reproduce in the Harbor — a clear sign that this once booming industry can be revived and be self-sustaining. Billion Oyster Project’s goal for the next 10 years is to restore one billion oysters to New York Harbor by 2035.  

To grow the oyster population 10-fold in the next 10 years, they need our help. Volunteer, become a member or donate, share their mission through education efforts, dine at their restaurant partners, or attend an event. 

All photos taken at Billion Oyster Party by Christa Avampato.

creativity

New technology boosts beehive health

Christa Avampato
Bee pollinating a dahlia. Photo by Christa Avampato.

As someone who’s inspired by ancient wisdom and modern technology, I have a crush on Ubees. They’re a New York City-based agri-tech startup whose state-of-the-art technology enables remote, real-time monitoring of the health of beehives, the pollination status of the field, and the local weather information. With bee populations under threat, Ubees technology is vital to preserve crop health and yield. 

The company is an incredible example of how nature-based solutions and modern technology can support one another to create transformative change. Their technology benefits the bees and the surrounding crops, farmers, and environments. By repopulating and supporting the health of bees, Ubees helps farms boost their resilience and diversify their revenues through regenerative agriculture.

In addition to their connected hives, Ubees is also launching new consumer products. In collaboration with the coffee company Nespresso, they have developed Coffee Blossom Honey and Coffee Blossom Honey Syrup. Launched in August 2024, these products are available in New York City and Walnut Creek, California Nespresso boutiques.

Learn more about Ubees impact and expertise at https://www.ubees.com/.

creativity

How trees are saving our morning cup of coffee

Christa Avampato
Nespresso Colombian coffee farm using agroforestry. Photo from Nespresso.

As I sip my morning coffee, I am grateful for trees. What do trees have to do with our coffee? In Colombia, everything. Trees are changing Colombian coffee, and the planet, for the better.

Arabica coffee grows at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,000 feet, on the sides of steep mountains. Colombian farmers have to consider ways to decrease soil erosion and increase biodiversity to pollinate their coffee crops. Collaborating with Nespresso, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and PUR, they are rewilding their land and everyone is benefitting.

At Climate Week NYC, Andrew Nobrega at PUR, Julie Reneau at Nespresso, and Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez at Cornell Lab of Ornithology reviewed their research, actions, and inspiring outcomes. Below, the picture on the left is a coffee monoculture in Colombia just south of Bogotá, meaning it only has coffee planted. The picture on the right shows agroforestry and regenerative agriculture— same amount of land, same amount of coffee planted, and filled in with other tree and plant species.

Nespresso presentation at 2024 Climate Week NYC. Photo by Christa Avampato.

In less than a decade, biodiversity above and below ground has increased between 10% and 20%. Farmers have diversified their income streams with additional crops, improved soil quality and water resources, decreased soil erosion, increased land resilience to storms and other climatic events, and sequestered carbon. Most importantly to the farmers, they have improved the quality of their coffee. 

Coffee was never meant to be a monoculture. It’s a forest plant that thrives in shade, which is exactly the optimal environment that agroforestry and regenerative agriculture practices provide. For more information on these programs at Nespresso, visit https://www.sustainability.nespresso.com/regenerative-agriculture.

creativity

The energy U.S. wind needs to make headway

Christa Avampato
Photo by Jesse De Meulenaere on Unsplash

While offshore wind scales around the world, U.S. wind can’t seem to find its sea legs. China has 129 operating offshore wind farms, followed by 39 in the UK, 30 in Germany, and 26 in Vietnam. The U.S. has just 2. Why is U.S. wind lagging behind other countries?

In the past few years, the U.S. has sought to push forward on wind. However, that’s coincided with cost surges, supply chain challenges, high interest rates, permit delays, and opposition from wildlife organizations, local residents, and fishing groups who feel there hasn’t been enough project vetting to ensure safety. Wind’s worries intensified this summer when a 300-foot-long wind turbine blade made by GE Verona collapsed on a wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. Given the state of our planet and the extensive need for energy transition to clean, affordable electricity, our planet can’t afford to wait.

To get U.S. wind on track, we need to employ what I call the 4 considerations of problem-solving in today’s warming world: creativity, collaboration, connection, and climate. 

Creativity
With surging costs, scare resources in the supply chain, and safety issues of today’s wind turbines, we need to redesign them with materials that are abundant, affordable, and durable. Sounds like a job for recycled plastics to me. Vestas, a manufacturer of wind turbines, agrees. There are many factors to consider in turbine design and what they’re working on right now might not be the right solution. However, it’s this kind of redesign thinking that’s needed given the numerous challenges. 

Collaboration
Launching a large-scale offshore wind farm is an all-hands-on-deck project. Government (local, state, and federal), finance, design, engineering, marine science, wildlife advocates, and local communities have to rally around it and pool their talents and efforts. Right now, many of these parties are fighting one another and it’s sinking the projects. If we lose the momentum of this moment to the tired us-versus-them paradigm, we may lose the opportunity to make this energy transition before the worst outcomes of climate change find their way to us. 

Connection
While China has many operating wind farms, ~16% of its wind power has historically gone unused, costing ~$1.2 billion. This is mostly due to a lack of connections to the grid. The energy doesn’t do anyone any good if it can’t reach them when and where they need it. Like the design of the turbines, we may also need to rethink how we connect new wind projects to the grid.

Climate
This is the bit that I find most disturbing about offshore wind because it’s the one we cannot directly control. Wind is generated by the difference between land and sea temperatures. Research is beginning to show that difference decreasing due to rapidly rising ocean temperatures from climate change, generating less wind. While we’re making this transition toward clean energy, we also need to enhance the efficiency of turbines to do as much as we can with the wind we have in an ever-hotter world.  

With all these challenges for offshore wind, I wondered if it was worth it. Should we abandon the wind effort and focus solely on other forms of clean energy such as solar? As I listened to energy experts at Climate Week NYC, it became clear that the U.S. needs offshore wind as part of the energy supply mix. Wind is one of the least expensive and most efficient sources of power. Without offshore wind, the winds themselves may disappear altogether. That’s a scenario none of us can afford.