May 2, 2025 • 40 mins
Ricardo Lopez, a chef-turned-social entrepreneur, is revolutionizing how we think about community sustainability. With a background spanning culinary arts, banking, and energy efficiency, Lopez has synthesized his diverse experiences into a powerful vision for carbon-negative urban environments that address both climate change and social inequity.
"We're dying now. Climate change is now. We don't have time," Lopez emphasizes as he outlines his ambitious projects spanning New York City's most underserved neighborhoods. His approach is refreshingly action-oriented, focusing on what he calls "compound hustle" – the strategic intersection of multiple growing industries including cannabis and sustainable construction.
At the heart of Lopez's work is a recognition that environmental justice zones – typically communities of color – suffer disproportionately from poor air quality, limited access to healthy food, and higher rates of environmentally-linked health issues. Rather than just highlighting these problems, he's implementing innovative solutions that turn cannabis cultivation into carbon capture, transforming harvested plants into sustainable building materials while creating economic opportunities for communities historically criminalized for the same plant.
Through his culinary expertise, Lopez also tackles food justice by teaching young people about nutrition and sustainable food systems. These programs have evolved organically into broader initiatives like Hood Appetite, which explores cultural identity through food while addressing the reality of "food swamps" where bodegas outnumber supermarkets 17-to-1.
The conversation reveals how deeply Lopez understands the interconnection between physical environment, cultural preservation, and economic sovereignty. "We let other people control our culture," he notes, explaining how his international projects in Ecuador, Puerto Rico, and the Galapagos Islands aim to reclaim this narrative through sustainable development rooted in cultural authenticity.
Ready to participate? Join the citywide beautification project launching this June across multiple NYC neighborhoods. This isn't a one-time event but the beginning of an annual commitment to community-led transformation. Follow Ricardo's work at rlopezassociates.com or connect through the Blockchain Center and PluggedIn to become part of this growing movement.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
hey, what's going on, guys?
Welcome to the innovators.
Den Den.
I'm your host, danny Silverio,at formerly known as hashtag on
Instagram.
I'm here with the co-host,steve Old Business.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
How you doing guys.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Just tell us what you've been doing, ricardo.
Let us know what's going on.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
What I've been doing?
Nothing.
No, no, I've been doing a lotwith community work.
I've been working a lot with uhlow-income communities,
different organizations, uhschools, um, and a lot of uh
businesses that want to dosomething.
So now I'm in the phase of okay, let's get the community
(00:55):
together, let's build thecommunity of intention.
Um, let's do something about it.
You know, so, one of the bigthings we're about to do is a
little fundraiser in may, andthen in june, we're going to do
a citywide uh beautificationproject.
Um, uh, we're plugged in and uh, the blockchain center shout
(01:16):
out to the blockchain centershout out to plugged in, you
know, for being able tounderstand the vision, you know.
So, this, this, this, this well,what I'm working on right now
is intention.
You know what I mean, where I'mat that phase right now, that
it's like I'm just trying tohave people that see the vision
(01:37):
that we can share.
And how do we build businesstogether right locally here in
New Yorkork city, but expandthen out to, uh so, countries
where we from, as you're gonnasee, we have a wide network and
it's like so how do we do thingsin a way that's sustainable at
all facets?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
so what would you say ?
Like it's one project that kindof highlights your, your last x
, you know, 10 years ofexperience or whatnot in this
industry.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I have many careers, right.
I'm everything from a chef.
I was in banking, I becameenergy efficiency contractor for
the state and I did a lot ofthings.
It's kind of what needs tohappen as you grow up, and I've
been trying to find things thatyou love to do in life, right.
So right now, I'm kind of usingall those tools to, um, bring
(02:27):
this thing together.
So I already have things thatI've done.
I've done beautificationprojects, right, I've done big
events.
I have helped many communitiesand people.
That's nothing new.
Um, my big thing that I'mtrying to do now kind of that
brings together, let's say,those 10 years, 20 years of
(02:48):
experience and and the networkthat I have now right, because
I'm about backing things up.
I was raised in Brooklyn, right,and it's about what you say,
your integrity, right, so mywhole thing is all right.
So now, how do we do something?
One of my big visions right nowis that I'm pitching is
building carbon negativeenvironments, right.
(03:10):
What is that?
Right, it's not.
It's beyond sustainability.
Um, to me, it is intertwiningculture and the future together,
type of thing.
What do I mean by that?
And what is carbon negative?
The city already has goals.
(03:32):
There's local law complianceState is on the same side.
For 2050, for New York Citythat's going to be carbon
neutral, supposedly, right.
That means smart buildings andinfrastructure.
To me, that means how do we dothe training around this so it
gets to our communities also,because our communities of color
are usually environmentaljustice zones.
Right, we're not even going toget into what fully that means,
(03:53):
but that's not good for us.
We all know people that gotasthma and breathing problems
right we all know let's not eventalk about food justice among
all these other things, right,so my whole thing is all right.
How can you progressivelychange that?
Right?
I'm not into complaining, I'minto finding solutions and
getting things done right.
So, out of that, what we'retalking about is focusing in
(04:18):
these environmental justiceareas that we're from, that
we're sick in, and how do weabsorb that carbon through
cannabis?
Right, so we are, ourcommunities are all part of the
cannabis industry.
Um, and then we're going totalk about equity and we're
going to talk about justice.
A lot of things happen to ourcommunities because of cannabis
alone right right, the historyof cannabis in itself is racist.
(04:42):
That we're going to talk aboutthis, right, um, and I'm not
talking about having more peoplesmoking the corner, you know
which.
There's nothing wrong with that, you know.
And now we're going to getlucky to have spaces for this.
But what I'm talking about isthis um, I look at this
agriculture and I'm a chef also,right and to me it's like how
can we grow cannabis in ourrooftops, right?
(05:03):
Or hemp absorb this carbon?
Right, that's killing us whenit's to a certain degree.
Chop it up and make it intoinsulation that we're going to
use inside of our homes, becausewe don't talk about the paint,
we don't talk about thechemicals that mix off of this.
That gives us cancer and allthese other things.
(05:24):
So we're looking at it morefrom a preventative point of
view, right, because we know theproblems.
How do we cure that?
Um, it diversifies us in theindustry.
Um, luckily, I'm part of theocm process.
I'm part of the first cohortgoing through the office of
cannabis management, um, so, uh,ideally, I'm trying to get my
(05:44):
micro license.
So now I could not deal with amiddle person and say, okay, I
could do this fully with theteam that all of us are kind of
putting together right now, howdo them?
we get into not only from A to Zservices and do for full
vertical integration.
Right, because we don't do that.
Because, like I mentioned,other people become
international for us, and Iunderstand the power equity.
What we don't do that because,like I mentioned, other people
(06:05):
become international for us, andI understand the power of
equity.
What we don't understand is thepower of us working together.
Right, everyone else does it.
Right, call them conglomerates,call them co-ops, no matter
what it is.
We don't have them in our owncommunities and, hopefully, us
starting to work together.
This year you're going to seethings that we're doing not only
to build business but to buildour communities back up.
(06:26):
Right, so, as we at a macrolevel, talking about carbon,
negative, because I'm alsoworking with companies that have
smart energy for smart systems.
Right, because everything'sgoing to be connected irrigation
system, hvac, solar panels allthat other stuff.
I'm already in there in thatspace.
So now it's like how do we getahead of the game, but how do we
(06:49):
become a part of the build outon that also, which is why
training is important,information is important,
entrepreneurship is important.
Right, there's contracts,things that are out there, and
this is a billion dollarindustry.
Why would you not want to getin the game?
So I look at it as compoundhustle.
Right, because you haveconstruction industry and what's
(07:11):
coming down the pipeline thatyou already see that money there
, billions and trillions ofdollars.
And now you have the cannabisindustry.
That's going to a trilliondollar industry also, and
they're fighting for dr tobecome legal.
Right, ecuador is becominglegal.
So we're talking about changingthe game to a certain point, to
better materials.
That lets us get into the gamevertically at another level.
(07:33):
So that's my biggest friggingproject that I'm trying to do
here.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
I'm doing this in Ecuador already also because CBD
is legal THC about to get thereAwesome and we're about to go
to Puerto Rico.
So at a big scale.
That's that, but my whole thingis.
One thing is vision, but how doyou put it into action?
right, so that's the this iswhere, um, I'm working with
other partners, with withplugged in, I'm working with the
(08:00):
blockchain here.
I'm working with organizationsin the hoods to build up kind of
the workforce around this typeof stuff.
And not only that, like who'sreally about it, and that's kind
of been my thing.
We are planning in June abeautification project citywide
Harlem, south Bronx, queens,brooklyn right here in the Upper
(08:25):
West Sides.
We're working with our partnersso that way we could work with
fellow women and minority-ownedbusinesses so we could take care
and beautify our communitiesright Everything from upcycling
to murals, to all these thingsthat are very cultural, using
artists from our collective thathave been vetted by us, right,
(08:47):
like that are really with usthat are from the community,
that mean well to us, and partof that it goes into this this
year.
I want to filter out all thebullshit.
You know what I'm saying.
It's like, are you about it?
Here's the opportunity.
Next year's price ain't thesame price.
And at the end of the day, it'slike why would I want to work
with you?
You didn't step up when youneeded to for your community
(09:09):
right.
So, which I mentioned, iscreating a circle of intention,
um, and a circle of commerce.
So who's ever entrepreneurenough to understand what I'm
trying to do?
Right and steve, you seem youknow me for years you know, I
back my shit up, you know, knowwhat I'm saying?
Yes, I do, and it's just thatright.
And it is not about the money.
(09:29):
I don't got money like that.
I'm in my investment phaseright now.
Still, you know what I mean,but it ain't about the money,
you know what I mean.
Like we could do more togetherand that's what I'm hoping to
really do.
It's just like how do we allwork together, how do we make
money together and how do wegrow and take things back over
(09:53):
there and do things the rightway that we wish?
Right, because if you look atour culture, our history, you
know like ideally nobody want tomove over here and go through
the bullshit that a lot of ourfamily and the trauma and all
that shit that our peoples wentfor, you know, and that's just
another conversation.
But we're just trying to keepit positive, right?
Uh, and say that.
You know, hold up, I'm a littlethirsty.
Billionaires row water.
(10:13):
It tastes slamming, by the way,you know, I mean one of the
shout out to billionaire rosewater.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
They sponsored us today.
Uh they they working with ourteam at the blockchain and uh,
the plugged in hell yeah, theyhelp fuel the billionaire ideas
that are coming out of here.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
You know, what I mean , because none of this is small
scale stuff, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
So, like, how would someone like connect with you to
like find out more information,maybe join up, maybe connect
with other leaders from thecommunity?
Like how would someone watchinglike reach out to you or anyone
else that we'll be interviewing?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Ideally, you know, we're creating a space that you
can reach out to anybody,because it's all part of a
network, right, and we all eatin and we all trying to do
things.
If you want to reach out to me,my website is
rlopezassociatescom, and then Ihave a separate community
website, rla Community, that'sgoing to be backed by Lunaverse,
(11:05):
which is a nonprofit that I'mdeveloping for cultural
experiences, because while we'redoing good, you should be
rewarded for it.
You know what I mean.
Nothing is free in life and Ifeel that when you're here,
you're bastardized to a certainlevel.
You know what I'm saying.
Like I remember coming here whenI was eight years old, raised
(11:26):
in Brooklyn.
It was wild, but you know, Iwent from call me Ricardo that's
my name to going Ricardo, right, like trying to be, like doing
that.
And now, right now, luckily,I'm at the phase that I want to
know all about my culture, likehistory To me.
You know what I mean.
Like you got to respecteverybody and everything and
after you try to go through thatimmigrant phase where you try
(11:49):
to like americanize yourself,and you look back and, like I
said, history is beautiful, you,you see that we're more than
that, right, because you'retrying to find, then, and
luckily I'm a chef so I couldexplore my country through that.
You know, sometimes you go, damn, I gotta go to washington
heights to get that, that, thatright, because we have our
cultural blocks here in New YorkCity, which is great, it's like
(12:11):
a little escape, right.
I'll be like, damn, I want somepan de bono.
I'm going to Jackson Heights,right.
Or I'm going over here, sothat's beautiful, you know.
So we're not away like that.
But there's no better smellthan when you're back in your
country and you get that,whatever funk it is, and it's
there, you know, and to methat's culture, right, like how
(12:34):
are we able to give these kidsor the youth more than the block
, because that's all they see,right?
You?
Speaker 2 (12:40):
know what.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
I'm saying yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Right, can you tell them a little bit about Hood
Appetite and that project thatyou got going on?
Speaker 3 (12:48):
It's Hood Appetite and that project that you got
going on, it's Hood Appetize,hood Appetize.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Hood Appetize.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
My whole thing is, you know, we're talking about
community and all this right, weneed to build a voice in our
communities, right, like I'vedone some dope shit in the
community and I'm trying to callthe news because I think we
need something better, andthey're like no lie.
One time it happened, we wasdoing a dope event, la marqueta
and they were like, yeah, wemight show up, right, and there
(13:15):
was a dude that was jealous,came through with the butcher
knife and butchered away at the,the girlfriend and all that,
and that made the news.
You know what?
I'm saying and the good, andthey were right across the
street from me where it happenedVery unfortunate traumas and
all that stuff that happens inthe hood is real and it's
different.
But now we're going at theperception of us and what they
(13:36):
do.
So now my whole thing is how dowe develop a voice?
I created what we call a LopezNetwork.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Right.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Right.
So now I'll be able to talk,let's say, through Rick Talks,
about the projects and thepeople that are on the team, to
give you a digestible bite ofwhat we're doing, because at the
end of the day, the team does.
We can back it up with A, b orC.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
You know what I mean.
I'm going to go backwards alittle bit.
You mentioned going back toQuito and all that stuff and us
going to other countries.
Can you speak a little bit moreabout, like, what are you doing
in those countries?
What's happening?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
well, hood up at sea has two, because my whole thing
is we're doing a lot and we'resimple and we want things fast,
and this is where you gotta kindof structure it and digest it.
Rick talks is about me tellingyou what I'm doing.
I'm not asking you forpermission, but I'm working with
the community because I'm notstepping with disrespect, right,
we, it's about all of us.
Then I have the parliament, andthe parliament is I'm bringing
(14:30):
in a lot of people so we cantalk about community stuff, and
to me, then, hood Appetit iswhere then I introduce the world
to us.
Right, like this is throughfood you're able to go back,
right, and then it also becomesabout curating the culture
around it, right, everythingfrom the food to the fashion, to
(14:50):
the music, to everything aroundit, and that's things that
we're about to work on.
So stay tuned, right, we're allgoing to work on this.
We're going to have the bachataand the salsa and all these
other things playing and gettingfunky with it, um, but to me,
food is very important, right,it's art.
It could be curated in so manydifferent ways.
It brings you back and there'san importance to it In our
(15:11):
communities.
We live in environmental justicezones, but we live in food
swamps, we live in food deserts,we're dying from diabetes,
hypertension, right?
If you look at the differencebetween a nice neighborhood
where we're at right now, so youcan see this, right, you have
the fresh food here, you havethe co-ops and all these other
things.
In our neighborhoods there'slike, let's say, a one to 17
(15:33):
ratio of bodega to a supermarket.
Just to show that alone, right?
And if you go into thesupermarkets, they don't have
the fresh food.
Is not that fresh, right?
We could go do a study andwe're going to see, you know
where does it come from andthings like that.
So, for example, within RLA, oneof my focuses is developing
food systems in communities.
(15:54):
I do that by first informingand doing hands-on culinary
classes, basically you knowwhere I do everything from site
visits, right, so that way theycan understand all the
difference between the farmer'smarket and the bodega and all
these things we got to showthese kids right down to the
things like top chef and I dofinals for them and I make it
(16:16):
fun.
But I have, but I help them dowhat they want at the end of the
day, right, like how do we makethis accessible?
so then, out of doing that, Istarted doing like one-on-ones
with them and kind of like theselittle podcasts for the
organizations I'm in and thenthat's where hood appetite came
right, because now I'm like,okay, it's sad and it's
bittersweet because I'm helpingthem, right, but these kids only
(16:38):
know like bodega food, right,chopped cheese and all that.
Yeah, there's a that's what wegrew up.
There's a craze to it and allthat, but the people are gonna
get mad at me and I mean nodisrespect by it, but that's a
fucked up burger at the end ofthe day.
You know what I'm saying, likewhen you learn culinary and now
you're taking it to a level youknow and you understand, right.
So I understand making thingslook fabulous and all that other
(17:01):
stuff, but smack which, ifanything, do it that way, right,
that's like Wagyu and top levelstuff.
So I'm completely down withthat type of thing.
You know what I mean, but whichgoes into sourcing and all this
.
So what I've been able to do infinding my culture and all
these other things, I'm luckythat I grew up in New York,
right, I've been able to havefriends from all over.
(17:23):
Yeah, and you know, we go thereand then give me some drinks and
I talk the same dialect as you.
You know what?
I mean Like, and food is one ofthe things that connects us and
things like that.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
That's what brings us together food.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
And so I've been to Ecuador.
They're developing theseprojects, talking to the farmers
, sourcing from them, doing fooddemos already over there, you
know, integrating, kind of likeI call it a Brooklynlyn fusion
cuisine type of thing.
You know what I mean, becauseit encompasses everything and
it's fresh and everything.
So I already did that there.
(17:55):
I'm doing this here right, andluckily, being in in food, I'm
able to talk your languagethrough food right.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
So you're not only feeding the community, but
you're also teaching them aboutlike what's.
I guess organic versus what'snot the difference.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
You know I'll go to Whole Foods or to the farmer's
market to source all of that.
I'll tell them why.
I'll show them the reason.
So by the time they finish,they're asking critical
questions.
Right, like that's not fair.
Why do we have to travel to getfood?
Like why does this?
Right Like damn, we have totravel to get food?
(18:33):
Like why does this right likedamn, we sick because why and
and all these other things, likeyou pay for your health down
later.
But it's part of information,right, it's part of these trades
that they took out of school,that me, with partners like
yourself, right and and otherpartners.
We're bringing that back to thehood, then so if that happened,
then let us do it.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
It's all good so the idea is to create projects with
schools to teach the studentsabout how to eat better, how to
cook better, and learn aboutthat within their environment.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Correct, because I think crazy, right, I work at a
sense of urgency, right, we'redying now.
Climate change is now like wedon't have time to do a whatever
.
So, for example, in the Bronx,I work with a Department of
Health.
There's a little after-schoolprogram there, right, so that's
ismps, right, and we'recurrently done classes.
(19:19):
They love it that.
They're like hey, we want yoursalad dressing right sure, I'm
gonna become a vendor and we'regonna talk that through right.
We want a farmers market, wewant a little thing here.
So and I'm already in theculinary class I could
incorporate it right sense yeahbut then then let's talk about
the spectrum of youth, right, tosee what actually we could
handle.
Right, so that's already beingdone and that's about to be
(19:41):
scaled out.
To now provide trainer totrainer component.
Right, so that way I could takea young chef from the hood in
itself, right from that samehood, and be like let me train
you in the curricula that I justbuilt out, right with those
people.
So now they step in.
I share the love and now wehave that dollar revolving.
But, more importantly, thosekids see themselves in that
(20:01):
right.
They can see they can kind ofdo that right, right.
So now that that component camein, now it talks about okay,
how do we start creating foodsystems?
Right, how do we start creatingthe future entrepreneurs?
Because I have those contacts.
So it really becomes that is,I'm building a tunnel, I'm here,
I'm there, I don't care thatthere's no money, but things
happen.
I'll put my money, I'll dowhatever I need to do because I
(20:24):
already know the market.
I know that needs to happen,like with anything.
That's my marketing cost.
You know my, that's myinvestment thing, right, that
needs to happen.
Like with anything, that's mymarketing cost.
You know that's my investmentthing, right you?
Speaker 1 (20:31):
know what I mean, how important is like networking
with other community leaders andlike just trying to get
something together.
You know like you've connectedus with the blockchain.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Intention is important, right, like I said,
first of all, there's a lot ofleaders, but just because
they're leading their thingdon't mean they write leaders.
You get what I'm saying?
Right, I think it's importantto understand the story in the
neighborhood, understand thestakeholders that are part of
the neighborhood, so thenunderstand what the problem is.
Right, because there's a lot ofnepotism, there's a lot of
legacy stuff, right, there's alot of this, this and that,
(21:01):
manipulations and all that inthe neighborhood.
I know everybody's afraid totalk about Everybody's that.
Know everybody's afraid to talkabout everybody's screwed out,
right, which is why you seethese issues that haven't been
fixed.
Right, because now you're goingto understand law and how law
works.
Right, it has everything to donot only with elections, with
the DA, with judges.
Right, it has to do with thepolice department.
I'm not even going to go downthat whole thing, right, but at
(21:24):
first I think it becomesunderstanding, right, it's like
taking an aerial view ofeverything to really understand
how the system works, type ofthing, right, which that's a
thing in itself.
That requires a lot of years myyears of being in all different
levels of that.
But now it's then understanding, okay.
So what do we need for this?
We need to get shit done, nomatter what, because we can't
(21:47):
depend on people that are onlythere temporary right, because
there's temporary leaders whichare electeds.
But that's part of how shithappens, though.
If you look into it, you knowwhat I mean.
Okay, what are they?
Votes and money.
Right, if we had the for-profitsthat are working together now,
we have a little bit morecontrol, right, it's
understanding how, how taxes andeverything works.
Right, we're already workingwith non-profits.
(22:10):
We are for profits.
Right, we were creating thesystem around that.
Okay, let's do what the rich do.
Let's start our own foundation.
Right now we're able to takethat money to that foundation
our taxes and say let's go intospecifically what we're doing.
That foundation money then goesto the non-profits and it goes
into a 501c4.
What is that?
It's a lobbying arm.
(22:30):
You know what I'm saying.
Now they come to us.
We don't go to them type ofthing.
Component, right.
But now we're more structured,right, we're able to, and that's
what we lack, right?
So we lack.
We don't work together at thatlevel.
We're always too, like you know.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
That's what we're coming together, we bring in all
of our forces.
We're the ones that come fromthe trenches Right and now we're
the ones that can voice it,showcase it and present it to
the world.
And that's a great thing thatyou've been working on all these
initiatives to maximizecommunity affairs.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Definitely ownership, right, ownership.
How do we?
First?
We can't take care of thepeople unless we take care of
ourselves, right?
So I'm right, ownership, how dowe?
First, we can't take care ofthe people unless we take care
of ourselves, right, so I'm nothaving a non-profit combo right
now, right, like if we ain'tabout making money, making money
with each other and all that,you ain't about that, supporting
other people's businesses, thehomie, this is not mine, this is
mine, right, right.
Then keep it moving, like,right.
(23:22):
And the only way you know thisis through time and circumstance
.
I have certain people that youknow I don't work with.
No more.
It happens, right, but youdon't give up on, uh, let's say,
the human spirit, and then youkeep it moving and you're gonna
do what you need to do.
Simple, you know, I mean, I'mthe type that I don't care,
right, I'll make it happen oneway or another, right?
Speaker 1 (23:41):
you know, I mean so tell us anything that you want
viewers to know, or any any sortfacts about yourself, or you
know what you're doing.
That might be interesting forthe fans to know.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Well, we're about to do a fundraiser here in May, so
stay tuned for that.
You know this is where we'regoing to highlight the actual
projects, get more in-depth anddetailed, right?
See, I can show you previousprojects that we've done already
in Ecuador, in Quito, in theGalapagos.
What we're about to do inPuerto Rico plans of you know
for next year to do certainthings, but this is going to be
(24:14):
an opportunity to be about it.
Maybe you know you could comein and be a volunteer right and
help with the cleanup and allthese things.
We're definitely going to bedoing sign-ups for that there.
Maybe you know this needs money.
You know there's a lot of workthat goes into doing this.
(24:34):
You know it would be great ifyou know the team got paid a
little bit.
You know to be fullytransparent, right, but we're
creating, let's say, an economyaround doing good, right Around
actually doing something aboutit that you can physically do,
and this is what that block byblock, campaign and initiative
we're doing.
We're plugged in.
Comes into it the citywideannual thing that we're
committing to.
So this is the first June offorever that we are about to
(24:55):
start fixing our hoods, sothat's one thing to know, this
is not just a little gimmick alittle.
I'm just here to do this onething this is an annual
commitment that we'll be workingon to make sure that we,
alongside other nonprofits,for-profits that are from the
hood, that are from here, firstand foremost, right.
And then, yeah, we're openallies, you know, but this needs
to be initiative-driven by us.
(25:16):
You know that grew up here I'mtalking about, went through the
education department, 20-plusyears type of thing, right, and,
like I said, it's inclusive,it's open to allies also, you
know, but we need to be ourvoice.
That we're not.
We usually let other peoplecontrol our culture and all
these other things.
I'm not about that.
And it's stopping at least withus.
You know what?
Speaker 2 (25:36):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
So we're doing this fundraiser in June.
We are going to do a citywideEvery Saturday.
We go into the Bronx, we gointo Harlem, shout out to the
Bronx.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
We're going to Harlem .
Shout out to the.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Bronx, definitely, you know we're doing this over
there by Webster 170th ButlerHouses, you know.
So we're going to talk aboutthe hood.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
We in there.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I went to middle school there, yeah, so
serendipity right, you justhappened to be there, it wasn't
planned.
You just said that right.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Yeah, I went to school right there.
That's what it's about.
Man, my ass 147 right there onthe block.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
The gods are with us.
You know we're about to do abeautification.
We're about to start a farmer'smarket there, with one of the
for-profit business in a littlegarage there.
You know we make your magichappen, right, and you're going
to see that right.
So we're going to be in thesehoods what?
Brooklyn, queens, harlem, bronxwe're going to do something
here in the Upper West Side.
(26:26):
We are going to Puerto Rico todo this, also in July, right,
because we have the homieRaymond at Mi Patria.
Right, mipatriaorg, you can goto.
Right, they've been doing theReal Deal Rebuild.
I know because I went there andI physically did it with them.
So that's the only way I vouch.
You know what I mean.
I went to Puerto Rico, I didthe physical, you actually did
(26:46):
it.
I was with the tan andeverything right, and I was in
the with the tan and everythingright, and I have the video.
But I'm not the selfie type,right, but I'm more than happy
to curate how we're tellingthese stories.
You know what I mean, becauseit ain't about the selfie.
You know what I'm saying.
Like, it's about really doingit.
And then we do, we continue inthis in Ecuador.
Uh, you know, this is reallyglobal.
(27:07):
We're doing this in theGalapagos.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Internationalized.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Big things are won right.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Yeah, internationalized.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
So it's very cultural .
You know we're working with theAmazon.
This allows us to develop thesecultural experiences that we do
in there, you know.
So those are the big thingsthat we're working on in the
next couple of months, right now, that we're going to need
support for that we're going todefinitely market ourselves to
and we're going to need supportfor that we're going to
definitely market ourselves toand we're lining up with the
right brands that believe it andknow it from the beginning,
(27:35):
because I'm not into followers.
You know what I'm saying Like.
Later on they'll get the fullcorporate thing, you know.
But right now we're looking atstrategic alliances, not only
with the right organizations orour corporations that could
assist us at a local level, butat a global level, because we've
been talking about dr next year.
Right, we talking, you know Igot the homie toby, whatever and
(27:57):
we have everybody wants usbecause they see that we could
do this.
So we do this to a certainlevel.
You know what I mean.
So to me, it's the.
The big picture in this isbuilding carbon negative
environments we already havethis global programming and
everything going.
You know what I mean andbuilding resilience and equity
you know, I mean getting readyfor the future, because shit is
(28:18):
fucked up.
Right, we see what's happeningeverywhere.
Right, be ready for that andall of us having a part.
You know, if we look at everyand I'll end it with this, right
if you look at every industryalone, across the board,
minority and womanrepresentation is within the
single digits right you knowwhat I mean.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Like we need to get everywhere shout out to all our
women's out there definitely.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
You know what I mean, and there's certifications and
things for that.
So that's what we're about tostart doing.
It's linking right oh, you knowbringing in investments.
We're gonna have an opportunityzone, a combo, another time.
That's heavy financials, butthat's another concept financial
literacy and all these otherskill sets that we need to get
to.
But you know, a little bit at atime, you know, I mean right
(29:03):
one big question is, like whatis like the biggest issue in the
community?
Speaker 1 (29:07):
right, we have so many, but what is one of the
those issues that is, asustainability?
Is it, uh, learning about foodand how you know it affects us?
Or what is it that you feellike is the biggest, like
concern with our communitiestoday?
Speaker 2 (29:21):
you know we just had the pandemic, and knowing about
what's sustainable is a mindsetright the pandemic kind of
changed everything it's allintertwined right if you're
going to look at preventative islooking at everything and and
how it all affects us.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
It's all part of uh traumas that we carry and have
right.
I think, like you mentioned, isinformation right.
We got to know where we're fromto know where we're going yeah
you know, you know what I mean.
Like you know, thisbastardization, uh the having
the history going back to ourcountries doing something.
Nobody does anything good fornobody because things are messed
(29:56):
up and I get it.
You know I mean, but to me it'sall intertwined like one of the
processes to not only thebeautification that we're doing
is.
One of my partners is the usgreen building council.
They're the matatanes that thatcert all the buildings.
They got the engineersarchitects, the whole nine.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
The LEED cert.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Yeah, the LEED certification.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
So they have a LEED for community certification
where I look at everything at anaerial point of view so I can
start looking at transportation,air quality, quality of life,
bigger things, to now starttrying to tackle things in a
strategic way, and all that infothen helps build out white
papers and then help out lawsthat then help out all these
(30:35):
things that need to, becausethere's a structure to how
things need to be done, right,yeah?
so I already started this inbrooklyn doing this with a high
school that I'm at and we'regonna have a talk because we're
looking to maybe bring this toharlem and everywhere.
So that's how you start lookingat things from from that point
view Right, and to me then, theaction point is what we're doing
.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Also right is Because a lot of people also feel.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
To support the cause, to then create the content
around it, to inform thecommunity.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Correct, because a lot of people also feel like
just voting is enough and Ithink that it goes beyond that.
It goes like the communitylevel right.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Listen, see, this is going to make me sound ignorant
to a certain point, but notreally.
But I don't really care.
But to me it's all like.
You know, it is what it is.
It's like I can't stand whenpeople just vote and they take a
selfie and that's all they did.
You know what I mean?
I'll give you an example.
Like my mom, I asked her whoyou vote for.
She was like you voted.
I'm like no, she's like who youvote for.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Oh, democrat well, the question is why, then right
why?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
why you did that right, like the follow.
What have you done?
So me, you know I've nevervoted right because I've never.
I I've seen it and I'd ratherdo it.
Will I vote soon?
Yes, but I would like to do itstrategically, in a way that
actually means something thanjust me voting right.
As you can see, I'm not only Iwant to vote, but then I'm
(31:56):
developing the white paper tothe reason for the change.
I'm developing the network tonow be able to have some type of
leverage to the actual voting.
Because if you look at thenumbers whether it's council,
this, that those are are lownumbers.
It's not a lot of votes rightyou feel me, but the thing is,
most people don't vote this,that don't care the division
(32:18):
that happens within it, becauseit's all divided, which is why
there's only two parties, right,and if you really look into it
like, the corporations pay intoboth anyways.
So it don't matter who loses,because they win regardless.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
You know what I mean.
Lobby to both yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Homie.
How do we have fake food and wegot to pay more for healthier
food.
We're going to talk about allthis, right.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
There's a lot of sections in industry that we can
tap into During the pandemic.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Mcdonald's took away their salads and I usually used
to go and get a salad and I'mlike, wait a second, there's no
more salads in mcdonald's.
Like they just slowly sneakedit out and now, you know, kids
are just going back to thenormal like old school
mcdonald's way after they kindof changed that up and like what
was that?
Speaker 2 (32:58):
even the food in the schools is like we can't control
that right.
The parents are not controllingthat part of dieting or
lifestyle but who's controllingthe kids is more the state that.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
That's the issue they tell me to right.
That's the issue.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Like we don't really even have much control of what
you know, like what lessons ourkids learn what they're eating.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
What they're reading, right what they're reading.
What they're reading on waterListen.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
I saw a lot during the pandemic.
You know, I was lucky to teamup with World Central Kitchen.
We fed a lot of people, youknow, like a million people
through our covid guys.
He was standing out there doinghand to hand to like a million
people farmers market,everything.
It was heartbreaking.
Right, because most of themwere immigrants.
Right, because at leastlow-income people had something.
But if you saw how thingshappened, or just everything in
(33:43):
there, it was just crazy.
It looked like yo like I'm noteven gonna get into everything
that happened though, but wewere able to show that, you know
, we could work together witheveryone.
You know.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Right, that's the goal.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Bushwick.
Everybody was there.
None of you know crazy stuffwas happening everywhere, but
that's because they had thingsset up.
You know they had the bricksthere waiting for them.
You know they had all thesetype of things.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
It was all you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
And not only that.
Now that you're starting tolook things at now, right, with
Twitter, and who bought it, andthis and that, and these things
with Congress, like who mademoney off of this?
Right?
Right, and just to end it, so Idon't get murdered, the way I
look at this is drugs ain'tthere to kill you.
There's like over 25,000 drugsand none of them kill you.
(34:29):
You feel me?
Mm-hmm, there's like over25,000 drugs and none of them
kill you.
You feel me?
So that's just how I'm at withthings, which is why, if you go
ancestral, you know we havenatural ways to go about doing
things right.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Natural remedies, naturopathic ways to go.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
How we source our food.
You name it because all of thisfood, all this is killing us.
Air everything.
You know what I mean Water.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Well, one of the ways like me and Ricardo connected
was like he brought, like.
We met at like an art gallerythat was supporting
sustainability and I went there,I showed some love and we
connected and he brought a lotof value to what we were doing.
And then you know all the, allthose sectors that he was
presenting as far assustainability, I was like all
in with it.
(35:08):
I was like, oh, this, this,this.
We built a relationship aroundthe concept of sustainability
and right now, we're looking tocreate projects that are going
to be talking about sustainablefashion Web3, blockchain, you
know, and NFTs and stuff likethat.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
Definitely resilience within that, because you think
smart buildings is a new future.
Right, everything from an app.
Right, everything from yourirrigation system.
If you're in cannabis sensors,lighting, you name it.
That's the future, you know.
Uh, not only that is like we'regoing to talk about our
countries and what's coming,like you know, we have solar
generators, military, you knowmore things to come on that, but
(35:49):
yeah, sustainable products,sustainable artists, sustainable
brands, you know like, the moreis having the conversation
around this, so we can educatepeople and like from us.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
It's like we come from the inner cities.
You know, Bronx, Brooklyn,Queens, Manhattan is like for us
to be.
You know, take our informationand then just put, portray the
information we have.
I think we're going to make animpact, Shout out to the
blockchain and the blockchaincenter and all the partners.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Listen, the blockchain is going to be a big
part into what we're trying todo, because my whole thing is
this Out of all the stuff thatwe're doing, how do you build a
return on investment, on humancapital and what does that look
like, right?
So here with the blockchain,ideally, you know, we have
branded stuff.
I have Dolo, the owl and allthese other things coming in
right To be able to NFT them, tobe able to build a metaverse
(36:47):
around it, to be able to buildsome type of coin, right.
That, ideally, we're trying toback up with cannabis, food,
water and electricity.
Right and what does that looklike?
You know that's full resilienceand we could build that in
every country type of thing.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Build the.
Does that look like?
You know?
That's full resilience and wecould build that in every
country type of thing.
Build the network becauseeverything's going digital
regardless.
You see them telling everythingis being digitized now, so we
need to just learn how todigitize it, we need to learn
how to brand it, we need tolearn how to gather the data and
uh, run advertising on ourprojects so we can start from
the ground up and build acommunity around those things.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Oh yeah, the bank also around it.
Right, shoot Right.
It's $250 to build a co-op, amillion to build a real bank.
Right, back it up digitally.
There's a lot of ways to dothings, but you know,
step-by-step type of thing, youknow what I mean, like with
anything, right.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Big vision, right, having shared commonalities, and
just go do it.
Yeah, it's taking action, guys.
Like, if you guys take actionon your goals, your dreams,
initiatives that you guys have,you can do it.
And you can't do it alone.
And that's why we all comingtogether in like in a group way
right, because now we'restronger together, using all of
our force, our technology, ourinformation is key, like I
learned so much today frompeople who are here in the
(37:59):
background.
Shout out to everybody behindthe scenes, because we're about
to bring a lot of value to thecommunity, you know, using these
environments.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
Listen, it's about we all have our own and that's the
cool thing about the collectiveand the community we have here.
Like, everybody has their ownlane.
You know we're buildinghighways right now, super
highways, you know.
That's you know, kind of how Ilook at it, and if there's more
people, then we build acollective around it.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
But the narrative is we're building business together
here and over there and expandit internationally.
You know what I mean.
It's already there.
We're showing examples of it.
It ain't rocket science.
We hold New York City to retailbut, like I mentioned, we let
other people hold down the keysof our culture for us.
We should be part of all ofthat.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Guys, make sure that you follow us on the Innovators
Den, on YouTube, on Instagramand all your other platforms.
Also, make sure that you lookup the Blockchain Center and
find out what they're doing andPluggedIn.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Yeah, we have the PluggedIn.
Shout out to David from thePluggedIn.
We also got the Innovators Denguys.
Make sure to subscribe.
Hit the like button.
You know, we have RLA, ofcourse.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
We got all of his associates.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
He's the one who got us all in the room and it's much
appreciated having him today.
Appreciate it, we that got usall in the room and it's much
appreciated having you today.
I appreciate it.
We have a lot to you know tocover.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
We got a lot to work.
We got to back up what was saidright now, right.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Yeah, and we're doing that now.
We're delivering, we'reconnecting the right people and
we are basically taking the nextstep to promoting this content,
you know in the innovators' den.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Yeah, make sure you follow us.
Stay tuned.
We're gonna have a lot ofamazing guests with you know.
Great innovative ideas, youknow, spark your brains.
Thank you guys.
Hey, hey, hey.
hey, what's going on, guys?
Welcome to the innovators.
Den Den.
I'm your host, danny Silverio,at formerly known as hashtag on
Instagram.
I'm here with the co-host,steve Old Business.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
How you doing guys.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Just tell us what you've been doing, ricardo.
Let us know what's going on.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
What I've been doing?
Nothing.
No, no, I've been doing a lotwith community work.
I've been working a lot with uhlow-income communities,
different organizations, uhschools, um, and a lot of uh
businesses that want to dosomething.
So now I'm in the phase of okay, let's get the community
(00:55):
together, let's build thecommunity of intention.
Um, let's do something about it.
You know, so, one of the bigthings we're about to do is a
little fundraiser in may, andthen in june, we're going to do
a citywide uh beautificationproject.
Um, uh, we're plugged in and uh, the blockchain center shout
(01:16):
out to the blockchain centershout out to plugged in, you
know, for being able tounderstand the vision, you know.
So, this, this, this, this well,what I'm working on right now
is intention.
You know what I mean, where I'mat that phase right now, that
it's like I'm just trying tohave people that see the vision
(01:37):
that we can share.
And how do we build businesstogether right locally here in
New Yorkork city, but expandthen out to, uh so, countries
where we from, as you're gonnasee, we have a wide network and
it's like so how do we do thingsin a way that's sustainable at
all facets?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
so what would you say ?
Like it's one project that kindof highlights your, your last x
, you know, 10 years ofexperience or whatnot in this
industry.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I have many careers, right.
I'm everything from a chef.
I was in banking, I becameenergy efficiency contractor for
the state and I did a lot ofthings.
It's kind of what needs tohappen as you grow up, and I've
been trying to find things thatyou love to do in life, right.
So right now, I'm kind of usingall those tools to, um, bring
(02:27):
this thing together.
So I already have things thatI've done.
I've done beautificationprojects, right, I've done big
events.
I have helped many communitiesand people.
That's nothing new.
Um, my big thing that I'mtrying to do now kind of that
brings together, let's say,those 10 years, 20 years of
(02:48):
experience and and the networkthat I have now right, because
I'm about backing things up.
I was raised in Brooklyn, right,and it's about what you say,
your integrity, right, so mywhole thing is all right.
So now, how do we do something?
One of my big visions right nowis that I'm pitching is
building carbon negativeenvironments, right.
(03:10):
What is that?
Right, it's not.
It's beyond sustainability.
Um, to me, it is intertwiningculture and the future together,
type of thing.
What do I mean by that?
And what is carbon negative?
The city already has goals.
(03:32):
There's local law complianceState is on the same side.
For 2050, for New York Citythat's going to be carbon
neutral, supposedly, right.
That means smart buildings andinfrastructure.
To me, that means how do we dothe training around this so it
gets to our communities also,because our communities of color
are usually environmentaljustice zones.
Right, we're not even going toget into what fully that means,
(03:53):
but that's not good for us.
We all know people that gotasthma and breathing problems
right we all know let's not eventalk about food justice among
all these other things, right,so my whole thing is all right.
How can you progressivelychange that?
Right?
I'm not into complaining, I'minto finding solutions and
getting things done right.
So, out of that, what we'retalking about is focusing in
(04:18):
these environmental justiceareas that we're from, that
we're sick in, and how do weabsorb that carbon through
cannabis?
Right, so we are, ourcommunities are all part of the
cannabis industry.
Um, and then we're going totalk about equity and we're
going to talk about justice.
A lot of things happen to ourcommunities because of cannabis
alone right right, the historyof cannabis in itself is racist.
(04:42):
That we're going to talk aboutthis, right, um, and I'm not
talking about having more peoplesmoking the corner, you know
which.
There's nothing wrong with that, you know.
And now we're going to getlucky to have spaces for this.
But what I'm talking about isthis um, I look at this
agriculture and I'm a chef also,right and to me it's like how
can we grow cannabis in ourrooftops, right?
(05:03):
Or hemp absorb this carbon?
Right, that's killing us whenit's to a certain degree.
Chop it up and make it intoinsulation that we're going to
use inside of our homes, becausewe don't talk about the paint,
we don't talk about thechemicals that mix off of this.
That gives us cancer and allthese other things.
(05:24):
So we're looking at it morefrom a preventative point of
view, right, because we know theproblems.
How do we cure that?
Um, it diversifies us in theindustry.
Um, luckily, I'm part of theocm process.
I'm part of the first cohortgoing through the office of
cannabis management, um, so, uh,ideally, I'm trying to get my
(05:44):
micro license.
So now I could not deal with amiddle person and say, okay, I
could do this fully with theteam that all of us are kind of
putting together right now, howdo them?
we get into not only from A to Zservices and do for full
vertical integration.
Right, because we don't do that.
Because, like I mentioned,other people become
international for us, and Iunderstand the power equity.
What we don't do that because,like I mentioned, other people
(06:05):
become international for us, andI understand the power of
equity.
What we don't understand is thepower of us working together.
Right, everyone else does it.
Right, call them conglomerates,call them co-ops, no matter
what it is.
We don't have them in our owncommunities and, hopefully, us
starting to work together.
This year you're going to seethings that we're doing not only
to build business but to buildour communities back up.
(06:26):
Right, so, as we at a macrolevel, talking about carbon,
negative, because I'm alsoworking with companies that have
smart energy for smart systems.
Right, because everything'sgoing to be connected irrigation
system, hvac, solar panels allthat other stuff.
I'm already in there in thatspace.
So now it's like how do we getahead of the game, but how do we
(06:49):
become a part of the build outon that also, which is why
training is important,information is important,
entrepreneurship is important.
Right, there's contracts,things that are out there, and
this is a billion dollarindustry.
Why would you not want to getin the game?
So I look at it as compoundhustle.
Right, because you haveconstruction industry and what's
(07:11):
coming down the pipeline thatyou already see that money there
, billions and trillions ofdollars.
And now you have the cannabisindustry.
That's going to a trilliondollar industry also, and
they're fighting for dr tobecome legal.
Right, ecuador is becominglegal.
So we're talking about changingthe game to a certain point, to
better materials.
That lets us get into the gamevertically at another level.
(07:33):
So that's my biggest friggingproject that I'm trying to do
here.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
I'm doing this in Ecuador already also because CBD
is legal THC about to get thereAwesome and we're about to go
to Puerto Rico.
So at a big scale.
That's that, but my whole thingis.
One thing is vision, but how doyou put it into action?
right, so that's the this iswhere, um, I'm working with
other partners, with withplugged in, I'm working with the
(08:00):
blockchain here.
I'm working with organizationsin the hoods to build up kind of
the workforce around this typeof stuff.
And not only that, like who'sreally about it, and that's kind
of been my thing.
We are planning in June abeautification project citywide
Harlem, south Bronx, queens,brooklyn right here in the Upper
(08:25):
West Sides.
We're working with our partnersso that way we could work with
fellow women and minority-ownedbusinesses so we could take care
and beautify our communitiesright Everything from upcycling
to murals, to all these thingsthat are very cultural, using
artists from our collective thathave been vetted by us, right,
(08:47):
like that are really with usthat are from the community,
that mean well to us, and partof that it goes into this this
year.
I want to filter out all thebullshit.
You know what I'm saying.
It's like, are you about it?
Here's the opportunity.
Next year's price ain't thesame price.
And at the end of the day, it'slike why would I want to work
with you?
You didn't step up when youneeded to for your community
(09:09):
right.
So, which I mentioned, iscreating a circle of intention,
um, and a circle of commerce.
So who's ever entrepreneurenough to understand what I'm
trying to do?
Right and steve, you seem youknow me for years you know, I
back my shit up, you know, knowwhat I'm saying?
Yes, I do, and it's just thatright.
And it is not about the money.
(09:29):
I don't got money like that.
I'm in my investment phaseright now.
Still, you know what I mean,but it ain't about the money,
you know what I mean.
Like we could do more togetherand that's what I'm hoping to
really do.
It's just like how do we allwork together, how do we make
money together and how do wegrow and take things back over
(09:53):
there and do things the rightway that we wish?
Right, because if you look atour culture, our history, you
know like ideally nobody want tomove over here and go through
the bullshit that a lot of ourfamily and the trauma and all
that shit that our peoples wentfor, you know, and that's just
another conversation.
But we're just trying to keepit positive, right?
Uh, and say that.
You know, hold up, I'm a littlethirsty.
Billionaires row water.
(10:13):
It tastes slamming, by the way,you know, I mean one of the
shout out to billionaire rosewater.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
They sponsored us today.
Uh they they working with ourteam at the blockchain and uh,
the plugged in hell yeah, theyhelp fuel the billionaire ideas
that are coming out of here.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
You know, what I mean , because none of this is small
scale stuff, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
So, like, how would someone like connect with you to
like find out more information,maybe join up, maybe connect
with other leaders from thecommunity?
Like how would someone watchinglike reach out to you or anyone
else that we'll be interviewing?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Ideally, you know, we're creating a space that you
can reach out to anybody,because it's all part of a
network, right, and we all eatin and we all trying to do
things.
If you want to reach out to me,my website is
rlopezassociatescom, and then Ihave a separate community
website, rla Community, that'sgoing to be backed by Lunaverse,
(11:05):
which is a nonprofit that I'mdeveloping for cultural
experiences, because while we'redoing good, you should be
rewarded for it.
You know what I mean.
Nothing is free in life and Ifeel that when you're here,
you're bastardized to a certainlevel.
You know what I'm saying.
Like I remember coming here whenI was eight years old, raised
(11:26):
in Brooklyn.
It was wild, but you know, Iwent from call me Ricardo that's
my name to going Ricardo, right, like trying to be, like doing
that.
And now, right now, luckily,I'm at the phase that I want to
know all about my culture, likehistory To me.
You know what I mean.
Like you got to respecteverybody and everything and
after you try to go through thatimmigrant phase where you try
(11:49):
to like americanize yourself,and you look back and, like I
said, history is beautiful, you,you see that we're more than
that, right, because you'retrying to find, then, and
luckily I'm a chef so I couldexplore my country through that.
You know, sometimes you go, damn, I gotta go to washington
heights to get that, that, thatright, because we have our
cultural blocks here in New YorkCity, which is great, it's like
(12:11):
a little escape, right.
I'll be like, damn, I want somepan de bono.
I'm going to Jackson Heights,right.
Or I'm going over here, sothat's beautiful, you know.
So we're not away like that.
But there's no better smellthan when you're back in your
country and you get that,whatever funk it is, and it's
there, you know, and to methat's culture, right, like how
(12:34):
are we able to give these kidsor the youth more than the block
, because that's all they see,right?
You?
Speaker 2 (12:40):
know what.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
I'm saying yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Right, can you tell them a little bit about Hood
Appetite and that project thatyou got going on?
Speaker 3 (12:48):
It's Hood Appetite and that project that you got
going on, it's Hood Appetize,hood Appetize.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Hood Appetize.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
My whole thing is, you know, we're talking about
community and all this right, weneed to build a voice in our
communities, right, like I'vedone some dope shit in the
community and I'm trying to callthe news because I think we
need something better, andthey're like no lie.
One time it happened, we wasdoing a dope event, la marqueta
and they were like, yeah, wemight show up, right, and there
(13:15):
was a dude that was jealous,came through with the butcher
knife and butchered away at the,the girlfriend and all that,
and that made the news.
You know what?
I'm saying and the good, andthey were right across the
street from me where it happenedVery unfortunate traumas and
all that stuff that happens inthe hood is real and it's
different.
But now we're going at theperception of us and what they
(13:36):
do.
So now my whole thing is how dowe develop a voice?
I created what we call a LopezNetwork.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Right.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Right.
So now I'll be able to talk,let's say, through Rick Talks,
about the projects and thepeople that are on the team, to
give you a digestible bite ofwhat we're doing, because at the
end of the day, the team does.
We can back it up with A, b orC.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
You know what I mean.
I'm going to go backwards alittle bit.
You mentioned going back toQuito and all that stuff and us
going to other countries.
Can you speak a little bit moreabout, like, what are you doing
in those countries?
What's happening?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
well, hood up at sea has two, because my whole thing
is we're doing a lot and we'resimple and we want things fast,
and this is where you gotta kindof structure it and digest it.
Rick talks is about me tellingyou what I'm doing.
I'm not asking you forpermission, but I'm working with
the community because I'm notstepping with disrespect, right,
we, it's about all of us.
Then I have the parliament, andthe parliament is I'm bringing
(14:30):
in a lot of people so we cantalk about community stuff, and
to me, then, hood Appetit iswhere then I introduce the world
to us.
Right, like this is throughfood you're able to go back,
right, and then it also becomesabout curating the culture
around it, right, everythingfrom the food to the fashion, to
(14:50):
the music, to everything aroundit, and that's things that
we're about to work on.
So stay tuned, right, we're allgoing to work on this.
We're going to have the bachataand the salsa and all these
other things playing and gettingfunky with it, um, but to me,
food is very important, right,it's art.
It could be curated in so manydifferent ways.
It brings you back and there'san importance to it In our
(15:11):
communities.
We live in environmental justicezones, but we live in food
swamps, we live in food deserts,we're dying from diabetes,
hypertension, right?
If you look at the differencebetween a nice neighborhood
where we're at right now, so youcan see this, right, you have
the fresh food here, you havethe co-ops and all these other
things.
In our neighborhoods there'slike, let's say, a one to 17
(15:33):
ratio of bodega to a supermarket.
Just to show that alone, right?
And if you go into thesupermarkets, they don't have
the fresh food.
Is not that fresh, right?
We could go do a study andwe're going to see, you know
where does it come from andthings like that.
So, for example, within RLA, oneof my focuses is developing
food systems in communities.
(15:54):
I do that by first informingand doing hands-on culinary
classes, basically you knowwhere I do everything from site
visits, right, so that way theycan understand all the
difference between the farmer'smarket and the bodega and all
these things we got to showthese kids right down to the
things like top chef and I dofinals for them and I make it
(16:16):
fun.
But I have, but I help them dowhat they want at the end of the
day, right, like how do we makethis accessible?
so then, out of doing that, Istarted doing like one-on-ones
with them and kind of like theselittle podcasts for the
organizations I'm in and thenthat's where hood appetite came
right, because now I'm like,okay, it's sad and it's
bittersweet because I'm helpingthem, right, but these kids only
(16:38):
know like bodega food, right,chopped cheese and all that.
Yeah, there's a that's what wegrew up.
There's a craze to it and allthat, but the people are gonna
get mad at me and I mean nodisrespect by it, but that's a
fucked up burger at the end ofthe day.
You know what I'm saying, likewhen you learn culinary and now
you're taking it to a level youknow and you understand, right.
So I understand making thingslook fabulous and all that other
(17:01):
stuff, but smack which, ifanything, do it that way, right,
that's like Wagyu and top levelstuff.
So I'm completely down withthat type of thing.
You know what I mean, but whichgoes into sourcing and all this
.
So what I've been able to do infinding my culture and all
these other things, I'm luckythat I grew up in New York,
right, I've been able to havefriends from all over.
(17:23):
Yeah, and you know, we go thereand then give me some drinks and
I talk the same dialect as you.
You know what?
I mean Like, and food is one ofthe things that connects us and
things like that.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
That's what brings us together food.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
And so I've been to Ecuador.
They're developing theseprojects, talking to the farmers
, sourcing from them, doing fooddemos already over there, you
know, integrating, kind of likeI call it a Brooklynlyn fusion
cuisine type of thing.
You know what I mean, becauseit encompasses everything and
it's fresh and everything.
So I already did that there.
(17:55):
I'm doing this here right, andluckily, being in in food, I'm
able to talk your languagethrough food right.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
So you're not only feeding the community, but
you're also teaching them aboutlike what's.
I guess organic versus what'snot the difference.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
You know I'll go to Whole Foods or to the farmer's
market to source all of that.
I'll tell them why.
I'll show them the reason.
So by the time they finish,they're asking critical
questions.
Right, like that's not fair.
Why do we have to travel to getfood?
Like why does this?
Right Like damn, we have totravel to get food?
(18:33):
Like why does this right likedamn, we sick because why and
and all these other things, likeyou pay for your health down
later.
But it's part of information,right, it's part of these trades
that they took out of school,that me, with partners like
yourself, right and and otherpartners.
We're bringing that back to thehood, then so if that happened,
then let us do it.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
It's all good so the idea is to create projects with
schools to teach the studentsabout how to eat better, how to
cook better, and learn aboutthat within their environment.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Correct, because I think crazy, right, I work at a
sense of urgency, right, we'redying now.
Climate change is now like wedon't have time to do a whatever
.
So, for example, in the Bronx,I work with a Department of
Health.
There's a little after-schoolprogram there, right, so that's
ismps, right, and we'recurrently done classes.
(19:19):
They love it that.
They're like hey, we want yoursalad dressing right sure, I'm
gonna become a vendor and we'regonna talk that through right.
We want a farmers market, wewant a little thing here.
So and I'm already in theculinary class I could
incorporate it right sense yeahbut then then let's talk about
the spectrum of youth, right, tosee what actually we could
handle.
Right, so that's already beingdone and that's about to be
(19:41):
scaled out.
To now provide trainer totrainer component.
Right, so that way I could takea young chef from the hood in
itself, right from that samehood, and be like let me train
you in the curricula that I justbuilt out, right with those
people.
So now they step in.
I share the love and now wehave that dollar revolving.
But, more importantly, thosekids see themselves in that
(20:01):
right.
They can see they can kind ofdo that right, right.
So now that that component camein, now it talks about okay,
how do we start creating foodsystems?
Right, how do we start creatingthe future entrepreneurs?
Because I have those contacts.
So it really becomes that is,I'm building a tunnel, I'm here,
I'm there, I don't care thatthere's no money, but things
happen.
I'll put my money, I'll dowhatever I need to do because I
(20:24):
already know the market.
I know that needs to happen,like with anything.
That's my marketing cost.
You know my, that's myinvestment thing, right, that
needs to happen.
Like with anything, that's mymarketing cost.
You know that's my investmentthing, right you?
Speaker 1 (20:31):
know what I mean, how important is like networking
with other community leaders andlike just trying to get
something together.
You know like you've connectedus with the blockchain.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Intention is important, right, like I said,
first of all, there's a lot ofleaders, but just because
they're leading their thingdon't mean they write leaders.
You get what I'm saying?
Right, I think it's importantto understand the story in the
neighborhood, understand thestakeholders that are part of
the neighborhood, so thenunderstand what the problem is.
Right, because there's a lot ofnepotism, there's a lot of
legacy stuff, right, there's alot of this, this and that,
(21:01):
manipulations and all that inthe neighborhood.
I know everybody's afraid totalk about Everybody's that.
Know everybody's afraid to talkabout everybody's screwed out,
right, which is why you seethese issues that haven't been
fixed.
Right, because now you're goingto understand law and how law
works.
Right, it has everything to donot only with elections, with
the DA, with judges.
Right, it has to do with thepolice department.
I'm not even going to go downthat whole thing, right, but at
(21:24):
first I think it becomesunderstanding, right, it's like
taking an aerial view ofeverything to really understand
how the system works, type ofthing, right, which that's a
thing in itself.
That requires a lot of years myyears of being in all different
levels of that.
But now it's then understanding, okay.
So what do we need for this?
We need to get shit done, nomatter what, because we can't
(21:47):
depend on people that are onlythere temporary right, because
there's temporary leaders whichare electeds.
But that's part of how shithappens, though.
If you look into it, you knowwhat I mean.
Okay, what are they?
Votes and money.
Right, if we had the for-profitsthat are working together now,
we have a little bit morecontrol, right, it's
understanding how, how taxes andeverything works.
Right, we're already workingwith non-profits.
(22:10):
We are for profits.
Right, we were creating thesystem around that.
Okay, let's do what the rich do.
Let's start our own foundation.
Right now we're able to takethat money to that foundation
our taxes and say let's go intospecifically what we're doing.
That foundation money then goesto the non-profits and it goes
into a 501c4.
What is that?
It's a lobbying arm.
(22:30):
You know what I'm saying.
Now they come to us.
We don't go to them type ofthing.
Component, right.
But now we're more structured,right, we're able to, and that's
what we lack, right?
So we lack.
We don't work together at thatlevel.
We're always too, like you know.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
That's what we're coming together, we bring in all
of our forces.
We're the ones that come fromthe trenches Right and now we're
the ones that can voice it,showcase it and present it to
the world.
And that's a great thing thatyou've been working on all these
initiatives to maximizecommunity affairs.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Definitely ownership, right, ownership.
How do we?
First?
We can't take care of thepeople unless we take care of
ourselves, right?
So I'm right, ownership, how dowe?
First, we can't take care ofthe people unless we take care
of ourselves, right, so I'm nothaving a non-profit combo right
now, right, like if we ain'tabout making money, making money
with each other and all that,you ain't about that, supporting
other people's businesses, thehomie, this is not mine, this is
mine, right, right.
Then keep it moving, like,right.
(23:22):
And the only way you know thisis through time and circumstance
.
I have certain people that youknow I don't work with.
No more.
It happens, right, but youdon't give up on, uh, let's say,
the human spirit, and then youkeep it moving and you're gonna
do what you need to do.
Simple, you know, I mean, I'mthe type that I don't care,
right, I'll make it happen oneway or another, right?
Speaker 1 (23:41):
you know, I mean so tell us anything that you want
viewers to know, or any any sortfacts about yourself, or you
know what you're doing.
That might be interesting forthe fans to know.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
Well, we're about to do a fundraiser here in May, so
stay tuned for that.
You know this is where we'regoing to highlight the actual
projects, get more in-depth anddetailed, right?
See, I can show you previousprojects that we've done already
in Ecuador, in Quito, in theGalapagos.
What we're about to do inPuerto Rico plans of you know
for next year to do certainthings, but this is going to be
(24:14):
an opportunity to be about it.
Maybe you know you could comein and be a volunteer right and
help with the cleanup and allthese things.
We're definitely going to bedoing sign-ups for that there.
Maybe you know this needs money.
You know there's a lot of workthat goes into doing this.
(24:34):
You know it would be great ifyou know the team got paid a
little bit.
You know to be fullytransparent, right, but we're
creating, let's say, an economyaround doing good, right Around
actually doing something aboutit that you can physically do,
and this is what that block byblock, campaign and initiative
we're doing.
We're plugged in.
Comes into it the citywideannual thing that we're
committing to.
So this is the first June offorever that we are about to
(24:55):
start fixing our hoods, sothat's one thing to know, this
is not just a little gimmick alittle.
I'm just here to do this onething this is an annual
commitment that we'll be workingon to make sure that we,
alongside other nonprofits,for-profits that are from the
hood, that are from here, firstand foremost, right.
And then, yeah, we're openallies, you know, but this needs
to be initiative-driven by us.
(25:16):
You know that grew up here I'mtalking about, went through the
education department, 20-plusyears type of thing, right, and,
like I said, it's inclusive,it's open to allies also, you
know, but we need to be ourvoice.
That we're not.
We usually let other peoplecontrol our culture and all
these other things.
I'm not about that.
And it's stopping at least withus.
You know what?
Speaker 2 (25:36):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
So we're doing this fundraiser in June.
We are going to do a citywideEvery Saturday.
We go into the Bronx, we gointo Harlem, shout out to the
Bronx.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
We're going to Harlem .
Shout out to the.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Bronx, definitely, you know we're doing this over
there by Webster 170th ButlerHouses, you know.
So we're going to talk aboutthe hood.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
We in there.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I went to middle school there, yeah, so
serendipity right, you justhappened to be there, it wasn't
planned.
You just said that right.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Yeah, I went to school right there.
That's what it's about.
Man, my ass 147 right there onthe block.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
The gods are with us.
You know we're about to do abeautification.
We're about to start a farmer'smarket there, with one of the
for-profit business in a littlegarage there.
You know we make your magichappen, right, and you're going
to see that right.
So we're going to be in thesehoods what?
Brooklyn, queens, harlem, bronxwe're going to do something
here in the Upper West Side.
(26:26):
We are going to Puerto Rico todo this, also in July, right,
because we have the homieRaymond at Mi Patria.
Right, mipatriaorg, you can goto.
Right, they've been doing theReal Deal Rebuild.
I know because I went there andI physically did it with them.
So that's the only way I vouch.
You know what I mean.
I went to Puerto Rico, I didthe physical, you actually did
(26:46):
it.
I was with the tan andeverything right, and I was in
the with the tan and everythingright, and I have the video.
But I'm not the selfie type,right, but I'm more than happy
to curate how we're tellingthese stories.
You know what I mean, becauseit ain't about the selfie.
You know what I'm saying.
Like, it's about really doingit.
And then we do, we continue inthis in Ecuador.
Uh, you know, this is reallyglobal.
(27:07):
We're doing this in theGalapagos.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Internationalized.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Big things are won right.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Yeah, internationalized.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
So it's very cultural .
You know we're working with theAmazon.
This allows us to develop thesecultural experiences that we do
in there, you know.
So those are the big thingsthat we're working on in the
next couple of months, right now, that we're going to need
support for that we're going todefinitely market ourselves to
and we're going to need supportfor that we're going to
definitely market ourselves toand we're lining up with the
right brands that believe it andknow it from the beginning,
(27:35):
because I'm not into followers.
You know what I'm saying Like.
Later on they'll get the fullcorporate thing, you know.
But right now we're looking atstrategic alliances, not only
with the right organizations orour corporations that could
assist us at a local level, butat a global level, because we've
been talking about dr next year.
Right, we talking, you know Igot the homie toby, whatever and
(27:57):
we have everybody wants usbecause they see that we could
do this.
So we do this to a certainlevel.
You know what I mean.
So to me, it's the.
The big picture in this isbuilding carbon negative
environments we already havethis global programming and
everything going.
You know what I mean andbuilding resilience and equity
you know, I mean getting readyfor the future, because shit is
(28:18):
fucked up.
Right, we see what's happeningeverywhere.
Right, be ready for that andall of us having a part.
You know, if we look at everyand I'll end it with this, right
if you look at every industryalone, across the board,
minority and womanrepresentation is within the
single digits right you knowwhat I mean.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Like we need to get everywhere shout out to all our
women's out there definitely.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
You know what I mean, and there's certifications and
things for that.
So that's what we're about tostart doing.
It's linking right oh, you knowbringing in investments.
We're gonna have an opportunityzone, a combo, another time.
That's heavy financials, butthat's another concept financial
literacy and all these otherskill sets that we need to get
to.
But you know, a little bit at atime, you know, I mean right
(29:03):
one big question is, like whatis like the biggest issue in the
community?
Speaker 1 (29:07):
right, we have so many, but what is one of the
those issues that is, asustainability?
Is it, uh, learning about foodand how you know it affects us?
Or what is it that you feellike is the biggest, like
concern with our communitiestoday?
Speaker 2 (29:21):
you know we just had the pandemic, and knowing about
what's sustainable is a mindsetright the pandemic kind of
changed everything it's allintertwined right if you're
going to look at preventative islooking at everything and and
how it all affects us.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
It's all part of uh traumas that we carry and have
right.
I think, like you mentioned, isinformation right.
We got to know where we're fromto know where we're going yeah
you know, you know what I mean.
Like you know, thisbastardization, uh the having
the history going back to ourcountries doing something.
Nobody does anything good fornobody because things are messed
(29:56):
up and I get it.
You know I mean, but to me it'sall intertwined like one of the
processes to not only thebeautification that we're doing
is.
One of my partners is the usgreen building council.
They're the matatanes that thatcert all the buildings.
They got the engineersarchitects, the whole nine.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
The LEED cert.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Yeah, the LEED certification.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
So they have a LEED for community certification
where I look at everything at anaerial point of view so I can
start looking at transportation,air quality, quality of life,
bigger things, to now starttrying to tackle things in a
strategic way, and all that infothen helps build out white
papers and then help out lawsthat then help out all these
(30:35):
things that need to, becausethere's a structure to how
things need to be done, right,yeah?
so I already started this inbrooklyn doing this with a high
school that I'm at and we'regonna have a talk because we're
looking to maybe bring this toharlem and everywhere.
So that's how you start lookingat things from from that point
view Right, and to me then, theaction point is what we're doing
.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Also right is Because a lot of people also feel.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
To support the cause, to then create the content
around it, to inform thecommunity.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Correct, because a lot of people also feel like
just voting is enough and Ithink that it goes beyond that.
It goes like the communitylevel right.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Listen, see, this is going to make me sound ignorant
to a certain point, but notreally.
But I don't really care.
But to me it's all like.
You know, it is what it is.
It's like I can't stand whenpeople just vote and they take a
selfie and that's all they did.
You know what I mean?
I'll give you an example.
Like my mom, I asked her whoyou vote for.
She was like you voted.
I'm like no, she's like who youvote for.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Oh, democrat well, the question is why, then right
why?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
why you did that right, like the follow.
What have you done?
So me, you know I've nevervoted right because I've never.
I I've seen it and I'd ratherdo it.
Will I vote soon?
Yes, but I would like to do itstrategically, in a way that
actually means something thanjust me voting right.
As you can see, I'm not only Iwant to vote, but then I'm
(31:56):
developing the white paper tothe reason for the change.
I'm developing the network tonow be able to have some type of
leverage to the actual voting.
Because if you look at thenumbers whether it's council,
this, that those are are lownumbers.
It's not a lot of votes rightyou feel me, but the thing is,
most people don't vote this,that don't care the division
(32:18):
that happens within it, becauseit's all divided, which is why
there's only two parties, right,and if you really look into it
like, the corporations pay intoboth anyways.
So it don't matter who loses,because they win regardless.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
You know what I mean.
Lobby to both yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Homie.
How do we have fake food and wegot to pay more for healthier
food.
We're going to talk about allthis, right.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
There's a lot of sections in industry that we can
tap into During the pandemic.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Mcdonald's took away their salads and I usually used
to go and get a salad and I'mlike, wait a second, there's no
more salads in mcdonald's.
Like they just slowly sneakedit out and now, you know, kids
are just going back to thenormal like old school
mcdonald's way after they kindof changed that up and like what
was that?
Speaker 2 (32:58):
even the food in the schools is like we can't control
that right.
The parents are not controllingthat part of dieting or
lifestyle but who's controllingthe kids is more the state that.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
That's the issue they tell me to right.
That's the issue.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Like we don't really even have much control of what
you know, like what lessons ourkids learn what they're eating.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
What they're reading, right what they're reading.
What they're reading on waterListen.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
I saw a lot during the pandemic.
You know, I was lucky to teamup with World Central Kitchen.
We fed a lot of people, youknow, like a million people
through our covid guys.
He was standing out there doinghand to hand to like a million
people farmers market,everything.
It was heartbreaking.
Right, because most of themwere immigrants.
Right, because at leastlow-income people had something.
But if you saw how thingshappened, or just everything in
(33:43):
there, it was just crazy.
It looked like yo like I'm noteven gonna get into everything
that happened though, but wewere able to show that, you know
, we could work together witheveryone.
You know.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Right, that's the goal.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Bushwick.
Everybody was there.
None of you know crazy stuffwas happening everywhere, but
that's because they had thingsset up.
You know they had the bricksthere waiting for them.
You know they had all thesetype of things.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
It was all you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
And not only that.
Now that you're starting tolook things at now, right, with
Twitter, and who bought it, andthis and that, and these things
with Congress, like who mademoney off of this?
Right?
Right, and just to end it, so Idon't get murdered, the way I
look at this is drugs ain'tthere to kill you.
There's like over 25,000 drugsand none of them kill you.
(34:29):
You feel me?
Mm-hmm, there's like over25,000 drugs and none of them
kill you.
You feel me?
So that's just how I'm at withthings, which is why, if you go
ancestral, you know we havenatural ways to go about doing
things right.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Natural remedies, naturopathic ways to go.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
How we source our food.
You name it because all of thisfood, all this is killing us.
Air everything.
You know what I mean Water.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Well, one of the ways like me and Ricardo connected
was like he brought, like.
We met at like an art gallerythat was supporting
sustainability and I went there,I showed some love and we
connected and he brought a lotof value to what we were doing.
And then you know all the, allthose sectors that he was
presenting as far assustainability, I was like all
in with it.
(35:08):
I was like, oh, this, this,this.
We built a relationship aroundthe concept of sustainability
and right now, we're looking tocreate projects that are going
to be talking about sustainablefashion Web3, blockchain, you
know, and NFTs and stuff likethat.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
Definitely resilience within that, because you think
smart buildings is a new future.
Right, everything from an app.
Right, everything from yourirrigation system.
If you're in cannabis sensors,lighting, you name it.
That's the future, you know.
Uh, not only that is like we'regoing to talk about our
countries and what's coming,like you know, we have solar
generators, military, you knowmore things to come on that, but
(35:49):
yeah, sustainable products,sustainable artists, sustainable
brands, you know like, the moreis having the conversation
around this, so we can educatepeople and like from us.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
It's like we come from the inner cities.
You know, Bronx, Brooklyn,Queens, Manhattan is like for us
to be.
You know, take our informationand then just put, portray the
information we have.
I think we're going to make animpact, Shout out to the
blockchain and the blockchaincenter and all the partners.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Listen, the blockchain is going to be a big
part into what we're trying todo, because my whole thing is
this Out of all the stuff thatwe're doing, how do you build a
return on investment, on humancapital and what does that look
like, right?
So here with the blockchain,ideally, you know, we have
branded stuff.
I have Dolo, the owl and allthese other things coming in
right To be able to NFT them, tobe able to build a metaverse
(36:47):
around it, to be able to buildsome type of coin, right.
That, ideally, we're trying toback up with cannabis, food,
water and electricity.
Right and what does that looklike?
You know that's full resilienceand we could build that in
every country type of thing.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Build the.
Does that look like?
You know?
That's full resilience and wecould build that in every
country type of thing.
Build the network becauseeverything's going digital
regardless.
You see them telling everythingis being digitized now, so we
need to just learn how todigitize it, we need to learn
how to brand it, we need tolearn how to gather the data and
uh, run advertising on ourprojects so we can start from
the ground up and build acommunity around those things.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Oh yeah, the bank also around it.
Right, shoot Right.
It's $250 to build a co-op, amillion to build a real bank.
Right, back it up digitally.
There's a lot of ways to dothings, but you know,
step-by-step type of thing, youknow what I mean, like with
anything, right.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Big vision, right, having shared commonalities, and
just go do it.
Yeah, it's taking action, guys.
Like, if you guys take actionon your goals, your dreams,
initiatives that you guys have,you can do it.
And you can't do it alone.
And that's why we all comingtogether in like in a group way
right, because now we'restronger together, using all of
our force, our technology, ourinformation is key, like I
learned so much today frompeople who are here in the
(37:59):
background.
Shout out to everybody behindthe scenes, because we're about
to bring a lot of value to thecommunity, you know, using these
environments.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
Listen, it's about we all have our own and that's the
cool thing about the collectiveand the community we have here.
Like, everybody has their ownlane.
You know we're buildinghighways right now, super
highways, you know.
That's you know, kind of how Ilook at it, and if there's more
people, then we build acollective around it.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
But the narrative is we're building business together
here and over there and expandit internationally.
You know what I mean.
It's already there.
We're showing examples of it.
It ain't rocket science.
We hold New York City to retailbut, like I mentioned, we let
other people hold down the keysof our culture for us.
We should be part of all ofthat.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Guys, make sure that you follow us on the Innovators
Den, on YouTube, on Instagramand all your other platforms.
Also, make sure that you lookup the Blockchain Center and
find out what they're doing andPluggedIn.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Yeah, we have the PluggedIn.
Shout out to David from thePluggedIn.
We also got the Innovators Denguys.
Make sure to subscribe.
Hit the like button.
You know, we have RLA, ofcourse.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
We got all of his associates.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
He's the one who got us all in the room and it's much
appreciated having him today.
Appreciate it, we that got usall in the room and it's much
appreciated having you today.
I appreciate it.
We have a lot to you know tocover.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
We got a lot to work.
We got to back up what was saidright now, right.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Yeah, and we're doing that now.
We're delivering, we'reconnecting the right people and
we are basically taking the nextstep to promoting this content,
you know in the innovators' den.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Yeah, make sure you follow us.
Stay tuned.
We're gonna have a lot ofamazing guests with you know.
Great innovative ideas, youknow, spark your brains.
Thank you guys.
Hey, hey, hey.
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