Culture as Catalyst

Produces and publishes informational content on Caribbean arts, culture, and the role of arts in education and economic development, while operating a family portal for class registration and program access, and accepting and distributing donated musical instruments to support artists and educational initiatives.

Stages annual performances that combine Caribbean music, dance, theater, and visual arts, including tributes to deceased cultural practitioners and recognition of new artistic members, culminating in events such as "The Finale: A Cultural Gift for the Community" and holiday productions.

Hosts annual events such as the Caribbean Pop-Up Carnival in Times Square and the Carnival Festival in Brooklyn, featuring live music, dance, stilt walking, steel pan performances, masquerade, and cultural displays to celebrate and promote Caribbean arts and traditions. These festivals include tributes to cultural figures and are presented as community-wide celebrations of Caribbean American heritage.

Organizes the Authors Connecting Cultural Reading Program and a multi-event literary series that connect published and emerging Caribbean-American authors through live interviews, community conversations, and public readings, presented annually as part of Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Offers ongoing cultural arts instruction in disciplines including steel pan, stiltwalking, piano, violin, guitar, drum set, singing, dance, theater, yoga, and music production for both youth and adults, with classes held weekly and at community partner sites such as schools and libraries. Programs include ensemble participation and are available in spring and holiday seasons.

Conducts workshops and panel discussions on financial literacy, budgeting, saving, and access to capital as part of community events such as the Mas at Chase series in Brooklyn, integrating financial education with cultural programming to support artists and local entrepreneurs.

Provides capacity-building opportunities for emerging artists across visual arts, music, dance, theater, film, fashion, and new media through mentorship, workshops, and performance platforms, including a music law workshop to provide industry insights.

Provides targeted cultural enrichment, live skill support, and wellness activities for older adults, including weekly yoga classes and participation in cultural events, to promote social connection, lifelong learning, and well-being through Caribbean arts and heritage.

Creates and implements arts programs designed to foster cultural exchange and enhance creative skills within communities.

Delivers creative writing and storytelling workshops through the CreateNow program for high school students across New York City, including 20-week after-school sessions, final public readings, and student zine publications; also conducts interactive workshops for elders at senior centers such as Hudson Guild, Henry Street Settlement, and Lenox Hill Neighborhood House since 2017.

Formally established a staff union affiliated with the Technical, Office, and Professional (TOP) Union, Local 2110 UAW, AFL-CIO, to support employee representation and labor rights within the organization.

Organizes and hosts live literary events including 40 annual readings at its Midtown Manhattan location, final readings for CreateNow students, public readings by fellows and mentors, and the annual town hall-style gathering for Asian American writers; previously operated a bookstore and event space at St. Mark's Place.

Offers virtual masterclasses designed to help writers adapt narrative pieces for film, providing skill-building opportunities in cross-media storytelling.

Provides a six-month editorial fellowship for one emerging writer and editor focused on New York’s immigrant and Muslim communities, including a $2,500 grant, direct collaboration with editorial staff, research and editing experience, and publishing opportunities in Open City, a section of The Margins.

Runs multiple fellowship programs including The Margins Fellowship (for four NYC-based writers), The Margins Residency (for four U.S.-based Asian diasporic writers), and the Van Lier Fellowship (for three emerging writers annually), offering financial support ($5,000 stipend), mentorship, workspace access, publication in The Margins, residency time at Millay Arts, and career development opportunities.

Hosts the annual Asian American Caucus at the AWP Conference, maintains an online archive of caucus gatherings, presents the Annual Asian American Literary Awards, and amplifies Asian American voices in social justice movements including anti-incarceration efforts through literary programming and publication.

Produces and publishes The Margins, a digital magazine featuring creative writing, essays, poetry, and reported stories from Asian American and diasporic communities, with over one million total views since 2012 and an average of 3,000 weekly visitors; also publishes special folios, translated works, and co-published print anthologies such as Go Home! with the Feminist Press.

Provides multi-session partnership programs, outreach collaborations, and educational programming for approximately 100 member schools and community-based organizations, including offsite and virtual offerings.