When and how did you become a member of www.nycinv.com? I first found out about NYCinv.com when Harboring Hearts Housing (HHH) Vice President and Founding Member,
Jessica Melore, was featured on the website. Jessica was a heart attack survivor at age 16 and heart transplant recipient at 17. She has a truly inspiring story of survival. She continues to tirelessly work on helping others that have heart disease, cancer, or need an organ donation. I knew any website that would feature such an admiral person as Jessica is a website I wanted to be affiliate with. I applaud this feature of NYCinv.com as well as its support of charitable organizations.
How do you balance your career and giving back so successfully?It is definitely not always easy. I am the Co-Founder of a fashion marketing company called
MadisonPlus.com which keeps me incredibly busy. The life of an entrepreneur as well as a New Yorker though means that you are incredibly motivated to accomplish your goals; it becomes almost an insatiable hunger. The Co-founder of HHH, Yuki Kotani, and I been personal friends before we both relocated to New York City. I have felt very blessed in my life and knew I always wanted to give back. When I heard about HHH’s mission (to provide affordable, temporary housing for cardiac patients during a time of need) and the founder’s personal stories of dealing with heart disease, I knew I had to help. It became a goal of mine and with any goal I set, I make sure to prioritize the time needed to work on achieving it. Nothing though is as motivating as seeing each person’s drive and determination in wanting to make such a positive difference in people’s lives.
How have your experiences with the charities you support changed your outlook on your own life?It has helped me to identify what is truly important in life and further define my own personal values. It has helped me to see how truly blessed and fortunate many of us are in this world and how much we have to give to others.
Who or what has been your greatest inspiration?My greatest inspiration is an idea; the idea that anything is achievable.
It is what keeps me dreaming, keeps me moving, keeps me thinking, keep me loving. I am inspired by what people can do when they really put their minds to it. I love reading stories about how people championed adversity in their own lives. If you want a change, as Ghandi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
Many people want to do their part for those in need, but don’t know the best way to go about it. What would your advice be to them?My best advice would be to go online and do some research on the charities ath are out there that relate to how you would like to help people. Once you have come up with a couple that you feel match your philanthropic interests the best, send them and email or give them a call to find out what kind of opportunities there are for volunteering. Everyone is happy to have some extra help so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask!
Does Harboring Hearts have any fund raising events planned before New Years?Yes, we are having a shopping event called
“Straight to the Heart” at the Jessie James Boutique in New York City’s West Village on December 1st. All day the boutique will be giving a percentage of their sales to Harboring Hearts. Shoppers will also receive gift bags and there will be champagne, cupcakes, and more from 7pm to 9pm. Please come by to show your support and shop with us!
About Her / Her Favorites:
Favorite NYC charity event(s)? Harboring Hearts’ annual Young Professionals Gala
City? Tie- New York for work and Paris for love.
Travel Destination? Paris and Istanbul
Hotel? The James Hotel
Restaurant? Japonais
Museum or gallery? The MoMa.
Book? A Moveable Feast by Earnest Hemingway
Artist? Gustav Klimt
Bar? Bemelmans Bar
Top 3 songs?Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina - Stereo Love
Alice Smith - Gary Song
Glan Hansard - Once
