Our Team

John "Gungie" Rivera

CEO

Conall Anderson

Team Leader

Lauren Forte

Senior Editor

Jazmine Loayza

Junior Editor

Lucrecia Dobler

Junior Editor

Cassidy Paredes

Lead Journalist

Bryan Vallejo

Creative Director

Amarantha Muro

Contributing Writer

James Ralls

Contributing Writer

Jenna Hodgkinson

Contributing Writer

Kiera Grady

Contributing Writer

Leona Marquess

Contributing Writer

Morganne Roark

Contributing Writer

Paola Manzano

Contributing Writer

Remington Ashley

Contributing Writer

Bio:

John “Gungie” Rivera is considered one of the finest “conductors” in the music and nightlife space.   His journey began in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx while witnessing the way music always brought his family together.

Gungie, the first word that was ever uttered out of his mouth, became his moniker early on.  The name also became synonymous with introducing various venues to the masses so they could enjoy new genres of music in hip-hop and freestyle.

John “Gungie” Rivera started his career as a DJ, introducing the world to the classics we enjoy today.  His passion for music and bringing people together quickly led him to becoming one of the most sought-after nightclub promoters in New York City history.

Beginning his journey in the late 1980’s, Gungie would dominate the nightclub scene for three decades.  That path would place him as the “Go-To” if you needed your record played, your band put on a stage, or wanted the best entertainment experience New York had to offer.

Gungie, never satisfied with complacency, transitioned over to becoming a well-respected Music Industry executive, producing hits and eventually landing his own recording label, “Prestigio”, under the Sony Discos umbrella.  Gungie struck immediate gold as label CEO when his first artist introduced under the “Prestigio” title became the fastest selling independent artist in Sony Discos Distributed Label history to go Gold.

Gungie tied all of his contributions together when he formed Prestige Productions, which boasted industry-leading clients from television, radio, and Corporate America.  Prestige Productions also became one of the largest concert promoters in the Latin and urban genres in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Japan.

Despite all the success and accolades that Gungie has achieved, his most rewarding achievement is to give back to the community and youth.

When the political world approached Gungie’s company to engage a younger demographic to vote and understand the issues that are impacting our youth, he leveraged the power of music and created “Salsa the Vote”.  The campaign empowered our youth and involved them in decisions that affected their future.  Gungie also organized marketing and fundraising campaigns for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, produced the annual galas for Promesa Foundation, and was part of a Latino division for the charitable organization LIFEBeat.

Out of his love for the arts and cultural engagement, Gungie has done work for the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and co-produced plays for Teatro SEA, a bilingual non-profit organization founded in Puerto Rico that produces socially conscious and educational productions for children and young adults. Some of the company’s famous plays include The Roberto Clemente DC-7 playas well as La Gloria, a play honoring the life of Celia Cruz and other iconic Latin singers.

Bio:
Lauren Forte is a recent graduate of San Francisco State University with a degree in English and Literature. As a college student, she developed a strong interest in writing about politics and human rights, which eventually led to her wanting to become a writer. She spends a lot of her free time writing in her blog, where she discusses the importance of self-care and mindfulness. She is pleased to expand her writing career and to keep the public up-to-date with current events.

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Bio:
Jazmine Loayza was born in Miami, FL and is a recent graduate of Southern New Hampshire University with a BA in English. Her undying love for writing was in part inspired by her military upbringing, which frequently brought her to new states, schools, and people from all walks of life. As such, she is fiercely dedicated to advocating for those who are considered minorities, disabled people, and members of the LGBT+ community. She is also passionate about the arts. Jazmine is honored to join the NYC Tastemakers team, where she hopes to flourish as both a writer and a professional.

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Lucrecia Dobler

Bio:
Lucrecia is a journalist and English bachelor from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has a passion for writing, research, design, and teaching. She has been a Literature teacher for the past 6 years, and she has helped design educational material in English for almost as much. She loves reading, cinema, and music. She hopes to grow as a writer and her writing to be fun and inspiring.

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Bio:
Cassidy Paredes recently graduated from Liberty University with a BS in English and Writing. While in college, her passion and love for writing inspired her to publish her two books, Picture Perfect and Even This Will Fade, on Amazon. She is excited to start the next stage of her career with NYCTastemakers and continue growing as a writer and editor.

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Bio:
Bryan Vallejo is an instrumental member of the Cristian Rivera Foundation. Bryan attended the Borough of Manhattan Community College where he received his Associate’s in multimedia programming. He continued his education at the Institute of Pittsburgh for animation. Bryan has always had a passion for drawing and creating images so that they can come to life. One of his biggest accomplishments was the opportunity to illustrate “Cristian’s Journey” written by CRF Founder, John “Gungie” Rivera. Bryan is grateful for the potential that John saw in him, as well as his role in CRF.

Bio:
Amarantha Muro is a student at Cal Poly Humboldt majoring in Marketing who is expected to graduate this December. During her time at CPH, Amarantha has performed with Wind Ensemble and continue to play the alto saxophone on her free time. She has been playing it for over ten years, and before that, she played the flute for four years and the french horn for two. Music has always been like a third language for her and she hopes to be able to incorporate her love for music through her writing.

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Bio:
James Ralls is a native upstate New Yorker; and a graduate from SUNY Fredonia where he majored in English and Music. James is passionate about music, film, philosophy and politics. He is hoping this opportunity with NYC tastemakers will help him hone his writing and editing skills.

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Jenna Hodgkinson is a recent graduate of Salve Regina University where she studied Global Studies and Political Science. She is currently pursuing her Masters in International Relations from American Public University. Throughout her educational career she became passionate about research, analyzing, and writing out her findings to share. She enjoys reading, learning, and debating the theories of the world and is thrilled to get to share with the readers of NYCTastemakers.

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Bio:
Kiera Grady was born and raised in Northern New Jersey and now resides in South Florida. She loves to paint, draw, cook, write, and edit videos. Her creativeness encourages her to work in a field that allows her to express those skills. Kiera is excited to work with NYCTM and further her writing knowledge.

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Bio:
Leona Marquess is a student attending the University of Idaho pursuing her bachelors degree of science and is currently a communications major. Iced coffees are her weakness and curling up on the couch with a good book and of course writing. She looks forward to growing and learning, working with the NYCtastemakers team.

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Bio:
Morganne Roark is a graduate from Auburn University in Public Relations and Communications. Spending most of her life between the Southeastern United States and Europe afforded her the opportunity to encounter different walks of life and perspectives which is a source of inspiration for her writing. She has always thrived in creative spaces and has a passion for acting and music. As a new member of the NYCTastemakers team, she hopes to refine her writing and editing skills.

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Bio:
Paola Manzano is a Puerto Rican writer majoring in English Lit at the University of Puerto Rico. Her love for writing came from being infatuated with classic literature. She is passionate about her culture and protective of her island. Therefore loves to hike, surf, and explore nature; she considers herself a nomad. She is looking forward to pouring out all that passion into her writing for NYC Tastemakers and is immensely grateful for being a part of this beautifully diverse team.

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Bio:
Remington Ashley is a writer based in Atlanta, GA and a recent graduate from Oglethorpe University where she majored in English & Comparative Literature. She takes inspiration from writers such as Bell Hooks, Toni Morrison, and an admirer of the classic Jane Austen. She is passionate about films, history, fashion, and social issues. She is honored to join the NYC Tastemakers team, as she hopes to grow as a writer and inspire others.

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Conall Anderson is a junior at the University of Oregon majoring in political science and public relations with a minor in Spanish. He enjoys music, teaching, politics, and TV shows. He completed an internship with the Rivera Marketing and Media Group and stayed on as Team Leader, beginning his career in political communication.

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