NYLP Club in August | From Harlem to Shoppe Object, with a Little Jazz Along the Way
- NYLP
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Dear NYLP Club Members and Friends,
After a very busy summer, the pace is finally slowing down. While New York gets a little quieter, we're behind the scenes preparing NYLP for a busy autumn—working on our structure, partnerships, vision, and upcoming programming, while also taking a little time to recharge.
We hope you have the chance to do the same.
As always, we'd like to give a warm welcome to our newest registered members: Vytis Kezys, Rimantė Žedaveinytė, John Maciuika, Gintarė Stalenytė, and Medeina Birgilaitė. Some are just beginning their New York journey, while others have been part of our community for years and have now officially joined NYLP. Either way, we're very happy to have you with us. Welcome to the Club!
If you're receiving this email but haven't yet registered as an NYLP member, we encourage you to complete our registration form. It helps us get to know our community better and ensures you receive invitations, newsletters, and event updates directly.
In this newsletter, we're sharing a few things that caught our attention—from Lithuanian businesses and designers making their mark in New York, to our members contributing to international media, a look back at our July Social Hour, and a preview of what's coming next.
We're looking forward to seeing many of you at our August Social Hour on August 20. We'll also be sharing more information soon about additional events planned for the end of August, including a special gathering inspired by the US Open and dedicated to Vitas Gerulaitis.
Until then, stay tuned, stay cool, and travel safely.
Warm regards,
Sondra Litvaitytė & Aura Taylor Co-Chairs New York Lithuanian Professionals Club
Our July New York Lithuanian Professionals Club Social Hour brought us together at Tavern on the Green, one of New York City's most iconic restaurants in the heart of Central Park, featured in films such as Ghostbusters, Wall Street, Arthur, and Mr. Popper's Penguins.
It was the perfect setting for another relaxed summer evening with fellow Lithuanian professionals.
What started as a simple idea—to create an informal space where Lithuanian professionals could meet beyond formal events—is gradually gaining momentum. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, along with new members and guests visiting from Lithuania.
Over drinks, we somehow managed to cover everything—from summer travel stories and weekend plans to career changes, AI, startups, books, and life in New York.
A sincere thank you to everyone who joined us and made it another warm and welcoming evening.
Save the Date
Our next NYLP Social Hour is planned for Thursday, August 20.
Join us for an Italian-style Aperitivo featuring Bacio – A Kiss from Italy sparkling wine as we raise a glass to the end of summer.
📍 CopperLeaf Bakery 2118 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10026
More details and registration information will be announced soon.
We hope to see you there!
Didn't make it to Shoppe Object New York in February to discover Lithuanian design brands? We have good news—most of them are back for the August Edition!
📅 August 2–3 | 9:00 AM–6:00 PM 📅 August 4 | 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
📍 Starrett-Lehigh Building Enter on the west side of 11th Avenue, between 26th and 27th Streets.
Shoppe Object is one of New York's leading trade fairs for independent home, gift, and lifestyle brands, bringing together buyers, retailers, designers, and media from across the U.S.
We're especially excited to once again see several Lithuanian companies showcasing their products to the American market, including OVO Things, LinenMe, Smells Like Spells, Linoroom, and CandleHand.
We are happy to welcome back to New York Guoda Giedraitis ( Ovo Things) and Inga Lukauskienė ( Linenme), who joined our NYLP February Social Hour. They have kindly offered a few guest passes to NYLP Club members. If you're interested in visiting, please contact Guoda directly at guoda@ovothings.com to arrange your visit.
A little insider tip: if you visit on the last day of the show, many exhibitors offer the opportunity to purchase their products directly, so you might even take home a unique piece of Lithuanian design.
Happy exploring!
Nicole Zuraitis: The Devil I Knew Album Release 📍Dizzy's Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center Wednesday, August 5 🕖 Sets at 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM
🎟️ Tickets: https://ticketing.jazz.org
Lithuanian Business Spotlight
This time, we're heading to Harlem.
Meet Tadas Nikulin from Kaunas and his wife Ruth, who knows Lithuania better than many of us who left the country years ago.
Tadas is a great example of Lithuanian entrepreneurship in New York. A creative strategist, entrepreneur, and product innovator with more than 20 years of experience, he has founded and successfully exited several companies, including MyBankTracker and the award-winning digital agency AD:60, working with brands such as Christie's, Ally Bank, Stash Invest, MoneyLion, Siggi's Yogurt, Nutrisystem, and Songza (later acquired by Google). After leading digital growth at QuinStreet, he turned his focus to hospitality and consumer brands.
Today, Tadas is the CEO of Bacio – A Kiss from Italy sparkling wine, Managing Partner of Abeline, and Co-Owner of CopperLeaf Bakery in Harlem, where he is introducing European flavors—including Lithuanian favorites—to New York.
CopperLeaf Bakery 2118 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10026
So hop on the B or C train to 116th Street, grab a coffee, say "Labas!" to Tadas, and don't leave without trying the Pink soup - šaltibarščiai.
And guess what? Our August NYLP Social Hour will be hosted there on August 20!
Join us for an evening of networking, an Italian-style aperitivo, and a tasting of Bacio sparkling wine, while Tadas shares the story behind the brand and his entrepreneurial journey from Kaunas to New York.
Getting to know Lithuanians who are building something special abroad is always worth the trip.
We hope to see you in Harlem!
Lithuania is in the spotlight in the Chicago Sun-Times!
The newspaper has launched a special six-part series, Chicago's Baltic Bond: Lithuania, America, and Democracy, exploring Lithuania's democracy, security, economy, innovation, basketball, and the deep historical ties between Lithuania and Chicago.
We are especially proud that New York Lithuanian Professionals Club member Prof. Jurgis Bartkus (Assistant Professor/ Vilnius University, Visiting Scholar/ NYU) had the opportunity to collaborate with journalist Stephanie Zimmermann while she was preparing this remarkable series.
As Prof. Bartkus shared:
"One of my favorite cities in the world (besides Vilnius and, of course, Palanga) is Chicago. I spent an important part of my academic career there and made many close friends and colleagues. That is why I was especially glad to receive an invitation from Stephanie Zimmermann, a Chicago Sun-Times journalist with Lithuanian roots, to take part in her investigation into Lithuania and what the United States can learn from it."
In April, Stephanie Zimmermann and photographer Ashlee Rezin spent two weeks in Lithuania, meeting with former President Valdas Adamkus, visiting the Seimas, the Suwałki Corridor, and Lithuanian companies. Their reporting resulted in this outstanding series, highlighting some of the most important topics shaping Lithuania today: democracy, security, basketball, President Adamkus' perspective, and the country's economy and innovation.
Congratulations to Stephanie Zimmermann, Ashlee Rezin, Prof. Jurgis Bartkus, and everyone involved in bringing more stories about Lithuania to one of America's major newspapers.
Help Us Build an Even Stronger Community
The continued growth of NYLP is only possible because of your participation, ideas, and support.
We encourage you to continue attending our events, invite fellow Lithuanian professionals, and, if you haven't already, become an official NYLP member. Official membership helps us communicate more effectively, strengthen our network, and create meaningful opportunities for Lithuanian professionals in New York.
As our community continues to grow, we would also like NYLP to become a platform where members can share opportunities with one another. If you know of an interesting event, job opening, professional opportunity, conference, training program, investment opportunity, or another initiative that could benefit our community, we'd be delighted to help spread the word.
Do you have an idea for a Social Hour, a speaker, a panel discussion, a networking event, or another initiative you'd like to see? We'd love to hear from you.
And one more thing—please don't be humble.
If you've reached a personal or professional milestone, started a new job or business, launched a project, received an award, published a book or article, or achieved something you're proud of, we'd love to celebrate it with you.
Share your news with us! Let your fellow NYLP members know what you've been working on, and allow us to celebrate your achievements. Your success inspires others, strengthens our community, and reminds us of the incredible talent within our network.
We're proud of what our members accomplish—and we'd love the opportunity to be proud of you, too.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at sondra.litvaityte@gmail.com and missaurataylor@gmail.com.
We would be happy to discuss your ideas and share your news with our NYLP members and the broader Global Lithuanian community.
Together, let's continue building a vibrant, supportive, and engaged Lithuanian professional network.
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