Randi Berry

As a New Yorker, we all know that culture is what makes the city so special: the pop up performance in the subway, the gallery down the block, the indie show in the back of your favorite restaurant in your neighborhood. Every corner of every street, culture is infused into our daily life. The creative economy generates $110B in economic activity for NYC each year, but many of the artists in the city are struggling to survive. Especially since the pandemic, creative spaces have struggled to bounce back. As the sector and the city evolve with new consumer behaviors, interests, and market forces, creatives in NYC are evolving with it.

Randi has devoted her life to making New York City a place where artists can thrive. Through her organization IndieSpace, Randi has supported much of what New Yorkers see as the performing arts sector of the city today. While IndieSpace runs a couple of small theaters, their primary work is focused on the art-making ecosystem. Her background in commercial real estate teed her up to creatively expand where art is made in our city and her micro grants have filled essential gaps artists face (like her Mental Health and Milk and Eggs funds). Randi is piloting a new program, building on lessons from Creatives Rebuild NY, that provides guaranteed income to artists for three years to provide economic stability and a platform for growth. Randi’s focus isn’t just on providing relief; rather, it’s building infrastructure that enables artists to thrive in a city when they’re needed most. If fully scaled, her income model could help artists not just stay in NYC, but ensure it remains the creative capital of America.