Imani Ellis, CEO and Founder, CultureCon and CultureCon Collective: One more time, Mayor Mamdani. Thank you so much for being here. It means so much. You know, CultureCon was born in my one-bedroom apartment in Harlem, and now it's 12,000 people. And I feel like you are the perfect example of what it means to bet on yourself and believe in yourself.
This was the best New York summer ever. Was it not? And so, not only are you just for the people, you're the youngest mayor in New York City in more than a century - more than a century. And so, I kind of want to understand your self-belief. Where did that come from? Especially when you decided you were gonna go out, you were going to be bold. Did you ever have self-doubt? And if you did, where did your self-belief come from?
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Well, first, I want to say thank you for having me. It is such a pleasure to be here with all of you. And if we can have a round of applause for you for starting this in your one-bedroom in Harlem and now being here. In many ways, that, to me, is the New York story we want for everyone. So, thank you for leading the way.
Ellis: Thank you.
Mayor Mamdani: And to your question, I had a lot of self-doubt. I still have that self-doubt, and I think it's human to have self-doubt. In terms of self-belief, I have to say thank you to my parents, because they always gave me that sense that it was worth trying for something. And I think that too often we grow up with a fear of failure, and that inhibits us from even attempting to do something different.
And one thing that my parents always supported me, even when I didn't want to be a mayor, I wanted to be a rapper, my parents were like, "You can give it a try." And then at one point, my dad was like, "Maybe we should stop giving it a try." And I think that's also what love looks like. It looks like being honest, it looks like being willing to take a step with somebody, take a jump with someone.
And for me, when I started running for mayor, as you alluded to, it was very far from being a likely thing. We weren't even getting polled; that's how low we were in the polls. But now here we are.
Ellis: And I saw the video - by the way, your social team, oh my gosh, it's the best. I feel like I saw a video where you were going onto the street and then you go back to the same street and you see that people recognize you and they want to take pictures with you. And to your point, that self-belief starts from inside of yourself.
But you represent a new generation of leadership. I think honesty and transparency and - can you fix the potholes, and then the potholes are fixed. A lot of us have to ask: What were the mayors doing before?
Mayor Mamdani: I'm going to leave that for them. But, you know, one thing I do just want to say is - you were saying about the social team. And I think it's so important to just lay out that this is the work of a team. Because so often, people will think that everything is you. And it's important to recognize that so much of what we're doing is because we have this incredible team around us.
And I think the other part of it is, you know, I was talking earlier about - there was a point in my life where, for me, my greatest hope was to become a rapper at that time. And when you want to be an artist, you have to be willing to try and fail in public all the time. You have to be willing to be the opener to the opener to the opener to the opener before the show begins.
And I think about when I was growing up in New York City and I would be walking through Times Square; there would be guys who were trying to sell their mixtapes. And I don't know, maybe nine out of 10 people would say no. And in many ways, when you watch that first video of us on Fordham Road and Hillside Avenue, it's a lot of people who just walk by. And I don't begrudge them that because it's New York City. Time is money. Why would they talk to someone they've never seen or heard of?
And what you're able to do, though, is when you put yourself out there, you open up the possibility of success. And what was so beautiful is to come back to that same street because it also shows that when you take that chance, you're also opening the door that that chance could actually become successful.
Ellis: Absolutely, and I think it's a form of, like, exposure therapy, right? Like remaining a student and not putting the pressure on yourself to be good, you know, in the beginning.
You really also talk about building a new generation of leadership. And I think a big part of being a leader, like you said, is knowing your strengths, knowing your weaknesses. What is something that you're really, really good at? And what is something you want to work on?
Mayor Mamdani: I think something that I want to work on, and this is a constant process, is when you are dreading something and you have, let's say, 10 memos in the queue, and you know there's one memo you don't want to read, you're like, "Let me read the other nine memos first." Same thing with so many of the things that you have in front of you on a day-to-day basis.
I've found it is always better - there's a phrase that says, "Hug the cactus." Do the hard thing first. That's something that I always want to work on, because the tendency is do the easy things first and then end with the hard, but it's never going to actually be better that way.
Something that I really enjoy is, like, I do not know - there are people who do this work who don't like to talk to people, and I actually find energy and joy in being able to meet other New Yorkers. And that, to me, is what keeps me going through the day, is every day I get to wake up in New York City and get to love the city in public, and that is something that it's a gift I can never stop saying thank you for.
Ellis: And it just shows, you know, I think the city, the summer, the Knicks in five, the parades, it's been such a beacon of hope, I think, to see a new generation of leadership. And as we talk about New Yorkers and all the different types of New Yorkers that you're working to serve, you know, in this room we have entrepreneurs, we have immigrants, we have young people who are looking to build a life here.
And so, I wanna ask you, you know, what would you say your hope is for the creatives in this room? Like, what do you hope for them?
Mayor Mamdani: What I would hope for all of the creatives in this room is that you look at this city, and you see a city that loves you back. Because oftentimes when I speak to an entrepreneur, I speak to an artist, their story of success, it seems in many ways like it's in spite of everything they had to deal with. We want to make it easier to flourish here.
So, just a show of hands: who here in this room is an artist? Got a lot of artists here. You know, one thing that really struck me is a majority of artists in New York City earn less than $25,000 a year. That's not sustainable if we want to have this be a city where art will flourish.
So, just this week we announced, for the first time in close to 20 years, we're doubling the size of the artist's grant to up to $10,000 in New York City. And this is a grant that any New Yorker can apply for so long as they're an artist. And you would get this money to be able to keep being an artist. And one of the beautiful parts of it is that it would come with a - one day a month where you would go to a place called the Material for the Arts - it's a center in Long Island City - where you can have access to free materials that you would then use towards being an artist.
And to me that's also what it means, because if we just rest on our laurels as being a city where great art was once made, we will forget the fact that we're becoming a museum where artists today can only afford to come once a month as opposed to live here.
And let me see a show of hands. Who here is an entrepreneur? It's incredible. So, we just announced something called Open for Small Business. It's more than 50 regulatory reforms that'll make it easier for small businesses to not only open their doors, but to keep their doors open.
And one thing I've heard from a lot of small business owners is, "I have to deal with too many city agencies to know who I'm supposed to call about what thing." And so, we have a new team called the BEST Team, the Business Enterprise Service Team, where small business owners can get a one-to-one caseworker that can help them resolve any issue that's in front of them. And that is something that we would love for everyone here, if you ever have a question, to make sure that you actually call that team.
Ellis: Y'all, give it up for the mayor. I mean, I - it's so inspiring, and I think the thing with inspiration, we have a lot of artists, like you said, a lot of entrepreneurs, and a lot of inspiration. But I think sometimes what we struggle with is being inspired out, and we don't know how to take the first step to action.
It's like, "Okay, I see this, that inspired me, I feel something," but what advice would you say in terms of making your inspiration reality, turning it into action and execution?
Mayor Mamdani: I think it's not being afraid to fail in public. And it's tough because everything is public now. Every failure is public, now. So, the impetus you would feel in watching that is, "Let me just not try. Let me just, let me take the safe route because then I will never fail. I will have to be the butt of a joke." But if you never fail, you will never learn.
And so many of the greatest artists that we all admire are artists who had to deal with those kinds of failures. And I would say that what we want is in this city that you feel like you can take a swing at something. Because I've heard from too many artists that say that, "I feel like if I don't connect on that first swing, then I can't afford to stay here." We want this to be a city where you can fail, and you don't have to leave.
And I also just want to say that - I want to give a shoutout because here in this crowd, you were saying, like, your social team, and we're talking about artists and how do we actually get the word out. We've been able to partner with a number of incredible creators who are here. You know, whether we're talking about Baller Alert, or we're talking about Rayne Reports, or we're talking about so many others who are here, because what that has also meant is that we're not trapped in a bubble of City government talking to City government. We're actually talking to the people who lost faith in City government a long time ago. So, thank you to everyone here who's been a part of that.
Ellis: And, you know, I'm a newfound leader, I am still learning, but I mean, you are leading millions of people. And so, how do you kind of stay true to your vision and your values with so many opinions and so many perspectives for New York City?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, a friend of mine once told me that you have to make sure that when you look at yourself in the mirror at the end of each day, you still recognize who you are. It is very easy at the pace that we all live to get caught up with just trying to keep up with it and forgetting what is it that I'm doing this for.
And I think the other part is just to remember that we have seen so many come before us. There will be so many who come after us. We are not the first to have good intentions. And what is it that has ensured that some others have - they've lost their way?
And part of what I've seen is, when you are facing so many different and difficult challenges on a daily basis, you also, there is a very easy route to just take the path of least resistance. And you have to make sure that you have enough energy every single day to question something, as opposed to just say "Yes, that will resolve the issue as quickly as possible."
That's something that I find in my work. And that's something I've also seen in others is, you cannot lose that hunger, you cannot lose that questioning because if you do, you will just be trying to get to the end of the day and your job is to do more than that.
Ellis: Okay, can I go back to you being a rapper?
Mayor Mamdani: Please. Aspiring, attempted.
Ellis: Listen, because I've seen the music videos, they're fantastic. And I have a question for you, Mr. Mayor. What is your theory in terms of dream sharing? Do you share your dream the moment that you have it to kind of get feedback? Or do you kind of keep it inside, grow it into a toddler, let it develop a little bit, and then you share it?
Mayor Mamdani: That's a fascinating question. I share my dreams with a few people around me. But there's some dreams when you first have them, you don't even know if you can say it out loud.
But when I decided I wanted to run for mayor, I was an Assembly member in Northwest Queens and I told, you know, maybe 10 people, "This is something I'm thinking about." The people who believe in you, but also, they'll keep it real with you. Because you don't just want someone to say, "Yeah, yeah, jump off the ledge." You know, you want someone who will tell you what they actually think about it. What about you? What's your approach to dream sharing?
Ellis: So, my dad, who's actually sitting right up there, my parents are right there, they come to every single CultureCon.
Mayor Mamdani: Where's Dad? Is that Dad up there?
Ellis: See my dad!
Mayor Mamdani: Hello, Dad. I love Dad's shirt.
Ellis: Oh, isn't it great? But my dad gave me some advice when I was in high school. And it was very similar. It was - a dream is like a baby. So, when you first have it, you kind of keep it around family. You keep it in safe spaces, so it doesn't get germs and it doesn't get infected.
But then as it matures and it gets an identity and it knows who it is, you can kind of let it go and run outside. And so, I think, similar to you, I kind of have a dream. Sometimes I sit on it and procrastinate. But when it feels real and it feels like there's traction, I'll tell close friends around me and then I'll tell the world.
Mayor Mamdani: And I think when you tell those friends, when you tell that family, it also holds you accountable.
Ellis: Yes.
Mayor Mamdani: There's nothing like having a dream, telling no one, doing nothing about it, and then at the end of the day being like, "Oh, man, I have a great dream." It's like you haven't done anything about that dream. But if you tell a few people, then, you know, when you see them, you're like, "I got to give them an update on this dream."
Ellis: I gotta do it. And so, it was your dad that told you that you should pivot away from rapping?
Mayor Mamdani: My dad was like, "You know, I think it might be time for a different kind of job." And I was like, you know, when you just put out a song and it has like 4,000 streams on SoundCloud, you're like, "I don't know how I could really debate my father on this."
But I think, you know, it's - I'm glad that I had that experience because it also teaches you humility. There is nothing like being an artist that nobody has time for, because it just reminds you of the fact that nobody owes you anything. You have to earn their interest; you have to earn their support.
I mean, earlier I was saying, like, being the opener of the opener, you know, I was part of a rap duo in Uganda, where I was born in East Africa. The concert that everybody was there for this one night started at 8 p.m. It was a Kenyan band called Sauti Sol. Sauti Sol was coming on at 8 p.m. We performed at 5 p.m. We performed at 5 p.m. in front of like 10 to 15 people.
And it's like, these are the experiences you need to have, because when you go through that, you realize you have to earn everything. And I think there's, in politics sometimes, there's a real sense of entitlement. You know, when you're telling people to vote, it's like that you lecture them to do something. It's like, no, you have to earn their interest in voting. They have to see that their life can get better from voting, not from hearing a politician finger-wag at them and say, you know, "I'm judging you because of this."
And I think when you're an artist, you learn you're never going to get anywhere lecturing someone. You have to get them to listen.
Ellis: Yes, I mean, when you say that I'm like, that's so profound, but it's so true in terms of, like, just even having a heart posture of service and kind of remembering that you serve the people.
You know, when you got into City Hall, it said that you had a culture - well, changing the culture of no to a culture of how. Have you always been a problem solver your whole life?
Mayor Mamdani: There was a period in my life where I was a problem creator.
Ellis: Fair, fair.
Mayor Mamdani: I want to be honest. I think one of the things, though, is that you have to ask why. Especially when you are coming into a system of government where things have been done a certain way, you have to ask, "Why is it being done that way?" Because oftentimes, someone will just say, "Well, this is just how we do it." That's not a good enough answer.
And I think that that's true whether you're a creative, whether you are running a business. You have to always get down to the actual answer of it all. And that's been something that's exciting because for us, what we found is that there is the opportunity to deliver a new kind of City government to people.
And growing up in this city, I grew up with so many people who feel like the best use of their time is anything but politics. They look at politics, and they say, "You're already taking my money; I'm not going to give you my time." And my job is: how do we make our political system relevant to people's lives and people's struggles?
And the first way you do that is by delivering on those struggles. So, earlier you were talking about potholes. You know, now we filled over 200,000 potholes in the time that I've been in office. And to me, filling that pothole, it's not just important because of a smoother ride. It's also important because when somebody sees a problem that was taken care of, then they believe that a larger problem could be addressed.
So, to me, when I'm thinking about a pothole, I'm also thinking about universal childcare. You know, when I am thinking about when we're actually fixing a park bench and we're making sure that somebody can sit down in the place that they go for leisure, we're at the same time earning their trust to building more housing in New York City than we've seen in decades. All of these things are connected because they're about faith, they're about trust, they are about belief.
Ellis: I saw a video where a little boy, very nervous, came up to you and said that his favorite park had closed. And you were able to revitalize and open that park. And I think, to your point, it's not just about one park, right? When we're fixing one park, we're also thinking about childcare. We're also thinking about the parents.
And I just want to say on behalf of CultureCon, Mayor Mamdani, we are so excited to have you as our leader. We're so excited to have you. And thank you for being at CultureCon.
Mayor Mamdani: Thank you. Thank you, and I just, I want to say to all of you who are here: we are so proud to have you in our city. We are so proud to have you as entrepreneurs, as artists, because, frankly, what we love about this city is what you create every day in this city.
And looking out at this crowd, it is also just such a joy to think of what's still to come, and just to you to say thank you for having created a community. Because oftentimes it can feel lonely in the biggest city in the United States of America. You can feel like you're the only one dealing with a specific kind of problem or with a specific kind of vision.
And to create a community like this out of your one-bedroom in Harlem and now to be here, it is a testament to what we want this city to be. So, thank you for dreaming. Thank you for delivering.
Ellis: Thank you. A round of applause for Mayor Mamdani.
