Alex Stevens at the Brooklyn Be Alpha launch. ©Tony Gale

Alex Stevens, creative visionary

Alex Stevens is the President of Blue Pixel Creates, a experiential event company. Alex and his team make create incredible, immersive events. When you are at an event somewhere for some brand or another and think, wow what they have done here is amazing… that is what Alex does for a living. The bath time is one of the most important things of the day. Parents should enjoy bath time almost as much as the children do and a good bath time can lead to a smooth bedtime as the children are already nice and warm and relaxed, for this reason es important that the parents uses bath toys to make this time more enjoyable, in infantcore.com you can find the reviews of the best bath toys. If you want know about the effects of Kratom and Weed Combination you can read here.

Nominated by Tony Gale

Courtney Hamm, ©Tony Gale

Courtney Hamm

Canada or USA, that summarizes Courtney Hamm. Views of imagery and creativity flow no matter what the question. Courtney has passion for what he thinks, that is transferred through what he sees.

nominated and described by Kayla Lindquist

Minako Yoshino, artist ©Tony Gale

Minako Yoshino

My precious friend Minako first visited New York from her native Japan in the summer of 2001. While attending classes at The Art Students League; her keen eye for color matching and mixing of paints caught the attention of a fellow student. He was in need of help with the painting portion of a landmark building restoration job for the City of New York in the financial district of Manhattan. Minako happily and very successfully complied.

The following day at JFK, bags checked and awaiting her departure flight back to Japan, she received a call on her cell phone. The construction company wanted her, and made a considerable job offer.  A whirlwind trip back home to say goodbye to friends and family, she found herself returning to NYC, just days before the 9/11/2001 tragedy.

Toward the end of the restoration project Minako noticed large blocks of beautiful marble being trashed as part of the demolition of the building. This proved to be the source of raw materials for her initial attempt at sculpture.  Incredibly her first finished piece sold almost immediately and brought her an award from the National Sculpture Society, and birthed her career.

She has since successfully restored the landmark sculptures of the Hearst Tower façade, and was featured in the New York Times. Her paintings have been commissioned by the United Nations.

Minako lives and works in her Bushwick, Brooklyn studio, carving marble sculpture and painting. She has received a letter of recognition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In 2012 she completed the marble statue series “For Japan”, a tribute to her mother country following the 3/11/2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis. Her compassion and warm smile add to her amazing gifts she freely shares with all the people she encounters.

Nominated and described by John Dessereau Sr

Vic Calise, paralympian, Accessibility Coordinator NYC parks ©Tony Gale

Vic Calise

Vic is a paraplegic; he was injured in a mountain Biking accident almost 18 years ago in Forest Park, Queens. We became friendly about 2 years after his injury.  When you speak to Vic for about 2 minutes you forget that he is in a wheelchair and you think of him as someone who can do anything that you or I could do. And he does.  We have two young daughters, 9 and 6, and they think their Dad can do or fix anything. He is a disabled athlete who competed in the Winter Paralympics games in Nagano, Japan in 1998 and who has stayed involved in the sport of sled hockey since.  He works for NYC parks as  the ADA coordinator to make all parks accessible to people with disabilities.  He also organizes events throughout the 5 boros for kids with disabilities. He is frequently asked to speak at different events and organizations around the city.  He is also about to complete his Masters degree all while being totally involved in our daughters activities (soccer coach) and working full time.  And he has a great personality, most everyone who meets him is drawn to him in some way.

Nominated and described by Susan Calise

Michael Nichols, dog trainer. At his home in Bellingham, WA©Tony Gale

Michael Nichols

Michael Nichols is a professional dog trainer with his own business, Positive Canine Guidance. After adopting Iggy, his bullmastiff, Michael asked for help from a trainer who wouldn’t even meet with Iggy and Michael. At that moment, his life’s work was set: to train Iggy and help other people with their challenging dogs. His favorite moment is when the dog understands what’s being asked. “I’m communicating with another species,” Michael says, and his eyes light up. Michael’s generous spirit has led to his work with the Whatcom Humane Society and other animal rescue organizations. You can see a video of Michael and Iggy here and on his website .

Nominated and described by Sarah Pearson

Catherine Todorov, photographed along the Cowlitz River. ©Tony Gale

Catherine Todorov
All too often people are defined by what they do rather than who they are. What makes Catherine interesting has more to do with who she is than what she does. She is often described as an old soul. Wise beyond her years, she has a silent strength that most people can only dream of having. After having battled her own inner demons at an early age, she has risen above to become an example to her friends and family of the power of sheer will and tenacity. She has not let herself be defined by these early experiences and is the first to lend a sympathetic ear. But don’t mistake this for passivity, she is one fiesty lady! As a new mother, she exudes a serene happiness in the role she was meant to play.

Josh Hadar in his studio. ©Tony Gale

Josh Hadar

nominated and described by Tommy Flynn

Troy Campbell, photographed in Times Square ©Tony Gale

Troy Campbell

I met Troy in 2001 when we were both working at a small theatre in Maine.  Not only does he craft properties for theatrical productions, but he is also a talented visual artist, a successful drummer/percussionist (he most recently played for Julia Haltigan and Hooligans, but in college he turned down playing with his fraternity brothers–who went on to be Hootie and The Blowfish,) is a former member of the Big Apple Circus and at the age of 40-something he  graduated from Army boot camp last year.

He is a gentle soul who meanders across the country drumming, building and creating, but that is part of Troy’s allure. You never know where he will turn up next, or who he will be hanging out with or what cool things he is up to.  I haven’t actually seen him in 6 years, but we still manage to keep in touch and I look forward to when our paths cross again.  I know that when they do, we will share some beers, he will tell me some excellent stories and we will talk about art, music and the curious state of being.

Nominated and described by Lori Lynn Bollinger

Rebecca Jennings, in her office. ©Tony Gale

Rebecca Jennings

Nominated and described by Marcy Ito

Austin McCormick, director. ©Tony Gale

Austin McCormick

Wow. Austin McCormick. The multi-talented Artistic Director of the Neo-Baroque theatrical dance group, Company XIV. A one-of-a-kind dynamo. Without question, Austin’s the most wildly creative genius that I’ve met in the 21st century. He’s been establishing himself as one of the top choreographers, directors and dancers in NYC. Austin’s shows feature the most original, imaginative and over the top performances that I’ve ever seen on a NY stage. Erotic, sensuous, risqué, dramatic and sumptuous are just some of the words that come to mind when I think about a show of his. It’s no wonder that his work has been praised by the likes of The NY Times, Black Book Magazine, Dance Magazine, The NY Post, Metro NY, and many others. Austin’s name should appear as the definition of original in the Oxford American Dictionary.

nominated and described by David Gibbs

Ariane Reinhart, photographed on her mother's bench in Riverside Park. ©Tony Gale

Ariane Reinhart

She is a performer who was asked how she deals with rejection at  auditions,  she replied, “every audition is a performance and I love to perform”.  Also she is like a good bottle of red wine, each year she improves.

Nominated and described by Charles Reinhart

Heather Morgan, in Jamaica Bay. Photo by Tony Gale.

Heather Morgan

Heather Morgan is a landscape architect and the first landscape archeologist I ever met. She is one of those people who is interesting
because she is so interested. She works for the US Army Corps of Engineers and knows amazing things about the city and its waters.  Heather is also the only person I know who works on several wetland restoration and collaborative land planning projects of the (protected) Jamaica Bay and throughout the New York City region; and sometimes rescues endangered turtles.

Beside being an interesting person she’s also funny as hell.

Nominated and described by Elizabeth Felicella

Matt DeMatt, in the Meat Packing District. ©Tony Gale

Matt DeMatt

Ted Steeg, photographed in his home in NYC. ©Tony Gale

Ted Steeg

Sun-tanned,blue-eyed, Hollywood handsome, Ted is the guy all the other guys wanted to be. Oh yes, the ladies just might adore this hero of Dan Wakefield’s 1997 biographical novel Going All The Way, later portrayed by Ben Affleck in the movie, a movie in which Ted played another role.

Lithe, athletic, Teddy was cheered  as “swivel hips” in his days as a half-back for the 1951 , 7-0-1 Wabash College Football Team and was later invited to the L.A. Rams training camp.

Playing another role, Ted directed what some have called “the most watched film in history”, the award winning instructional film shown to most people who are about to serve on a jury in NY State.

And, of course, he is remembered in Woodstock, a place equally worthy of its own mystique, where he has had a home for years and  where he pitched  for the champion Deanie’s Whippets in the town’s softball league.

Once- it must have been a summer weekday in the late 70’s- the Whips had a six o’clock game and Ted had business in The City that wouldn’t be concluded in time to take the mound 100 miles away. His application to the town fathers for a permit to land a helicopter on the softball field was regrettably denied. But we could all imagine Teddy in cut-offs stepping off that huey in a cloud of dust and firing a first pitch strike to get things going.

Nominated by Brandon Remler, described by Peter Remler

Charles Reinhart, photographed in his home. © Tony Gale

Charles Reinhart

For a decade, Charles was manager of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, shepherding them through engagements all around the world.  In the 1970s, Charles took over the American Dance Festival a modern dance organization founded by Martha Graham and others in 1934 in Vermont; and moved it to Durham, North Carolina. Under his leadership, ADF has become the “world capitol” of modern dance.  Some features:   A  2-month summer program of student instruction; modern dance premieres of interesting new groups from all over the world; commissions of new works; and restoration and preservation of great modern dance works of the past.   If you know anything about modern dance and/or modern dancers, you know about Charles Reinhart and the ADF.

Nominated and described by Ted Steeg

Robert Ripps, photographed in TriBeCa. ©Tony Gale

Robert Ripps

He has an insatiable curiosity about the world around him.

He has a witty, quirky and fun sense of humor.

He’s able to make the family next door or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Lady Margaret Thatcher or Mikhail Gorbachev or the 1,000 other celebrities feel equally comfortable in front of his lens.

He loves a good meal whether he is in Kyoto, Paris or whipping one up in his own kitchen.

His love of travel, desire to share his experiences and views of the world around him has brought him around the world as a professional photographer.

But no matter where he has gone, one thing is for certain.

Robert A. Ripps always comes home to his native New York.

This love of Gotham has lead Robert, or Bob as he is known to his friends, to take an avid interest in the history of the City of New York. While walking, or preferably biking around the streets of the Big Apple, Bob can tell you pretty much the history of any neighborhood in the 5 boroughs.  He is often at every major museum in the city and regularly attends exhibits, especially if they relate to the subway, architecture or NYC history. His passion for the history of the subway and his knowledge of its vast network is unmatched by anyone I’ve ever met.  In fact, Bob knows the city and the history of its architecture so well, he is able to point out historical inaccuracies in TV shows or films that take place or are filmed here (much to the annoyance of his friends).

It is this love of New York that has also lead him to document life in the city, whether it is the streets of his beloved Tribeca or the underground culture of New York’s craziest night club Webster Hall.

Robert A. Ripps, he’s definitely Mr. New York.

Nominated and described by Michelle Kawka

Liza Binkley, photographed in Union Square. ©Tony Gale

Liza Binkley

Dana Humphrey, photographed in Queens. ©Tony Gale

Dana Humphrey

No, literally, she knows everyone !  After only arriving in NYC 2 years ago from San Diego, Dana has built up an extensive network of contacts.  Her company, White Gate PR has grown tremendously, creating buzz for small businesses, arts organizations and the pet industry !

New York City may be where she calls home, but Dana is also worldly and well cultured.  She has lived in 5 countries on 3 different continents – the US, the UK, Canada, Turkey and Morocco, all before the age of 30 !

In addition to running her busy and thriving public relations business and maintaining a busy travel schedule, Dana is also an athlete having completed the New York City triathlon this past July as well as the Queens Half Marathon in August.

Get to know Dana and you will get to know *everyone !*

Nominated and described by Michelle Kawka

Jean Marie Bellemain, in Paris. ©Tony Gale

Jean-Marie Bellemain

Jean Marie is someone that you would hope to meet if you went to Paris, someone that is such a Parisian character that he seems to have popped right out of a script, Philosopher, actor, writer and passionate about making films, a hopeless romantic character and a big fan of French gastronomy of course.

Nominated and described by Rudy Le Coadic