City Skyline Born to Jamaican and Cuban parents in Brooklyn, NY, Caribbean culture has always been at the core of who I am. I spent many summers of my youth in Jamaica, shaping my cultural identity and teaching me the value of balance—especially the importance of rest over constant work. This cultural foundation deeply influences my style and art, and it’s why I’m so passionate about uplifting Caribbean voices through my work at The New Cari.

Throughout my life, I’ve witnessed others borrow from Caribbean culture without properly giving credit or context, which drives my commitment to ensuring our stories are told authentically.

I am a freelance graphic artist and a buyer for several shops in the Caribbean. My journey in the fashion industry began at age 14, working in a clothing store. This early experience sparked my interest in the inner workings of the industry, eventually leading me to a position as a buyer for a streetwear boutique. A chance meeting with my first Caribbean client redirected my focus, allowing me to use my skills and industry knowledge to help Caribbean shops grow their businesses in a more structured way, opening new accounts and opportunities.

Additionally, I am a self-taught graphic artist, using my art to express my heritage and creativity while supporting the growth of Caribbean businesses

Tassja Walker is a cultural producer & creative working in various corners of the production world for more than a decade. They are a born and raised NYer whose passion for music, community, culture and the place they call home, Jamaica, is rivaled only by their love of a great meal. 

Currently, they work as Production Supervisor at the avant-garde performance space, The Kitchen - collaborating with artists to manage logistics and assist with materialization of their works. 

Past work includes everything from the City Parks Foundation, Saint Heron, Red Bull Sound Select and corporate galas for companies such as AdCouncil & Microsoft. 

Aside from pursuits in the production world they are Editor in Chief of The New Cari.com a print zine and agency created to tell the stories of Caribbean creatives and uphold Caribbean culture. As well as cofounder of Article Ghetto Yutes, a lifestyle brand highlights Caribbean culture through multimedia and marketing expression. 

Their insights were instrumental in founding Riders4Rights a Brooklyn based community organizing group doing mutual aid work in Brooklyn, since 2020. 

Outside of their busy schedule you can find them dreaming up new worlds and exploring their culinary interests from their home in Bedford-Stuyvesant. They enjoy cycling around the city as well as long rides to upstate NY as riding helps to clear the mind. Music of the African diaspora keeps their heart pumping and they are often waxing poetic about reggae or swapping song selections with friends. 

In the future they hope to do more creating than producing, tapping into their natural gifts, returning to running, and relocating to warmer climates. 

Andrea K. Castillo is a Belizean-American multi-disciplinary artist and entrepreneur born, and based in Brooklyn, New York.

Her work spans the realms of photography, creative writing, journalism, event production, fine art and wine & spirits. As a photographer she has shot various live music and fashion events, and has created Black & Colorful, a Polaroid photo project documenting Black musicians & creatives. She exhibited in her first group photography show at Hi-ARTS with Black Women Photographers in April 2022 entitled “Center Focus,” where she showed three works.

As a freelance writer, she has contributed to Okayplayer, Large Up, Whetstone Magazine, Barista Magazine, I Like This Grape, Perrier USA, Concrete Loop, and The Grio, among others. 

As a copywriter she has worked with brands and organizations such as Dear World, Overthrow NYC, Widow Jane, and Marie Sharp’s USA.

She is the co-founder of  The New Cari.com, a publication and agency focused on uplifting the stories of Caribbean creatives, and Double Barrel Rum Club, a NYC-based rum education and social club that works with world-renowned rum companies.

In community, she is a founding member of Ethel’s Club, current member of Black Women Photographers, Girls Who Shoot, and Black Girls in Art Spaces. She is a 2022 UBS x Luminary Fellowship recipient for women of color business owners.

She is the former host of “Take A Trip” on Amp, a live radio platform from Amazon Music, and was featured in their multi-city outdoor campaign, as well as digital campaign.

Andrea has been surrounded by the arts her entire life, and aims to uncover the stories of others through her work, while shining a light on the entirety of the African + Caribbean diaspora.