Calvin Baker started vending in New York City at the age of 15. He sells all types of merchandise: socks, rings, chains, bracelets, earrings, and various other items. He vends in Harlem. He became a Leadership Board member because he believed he had to do the work and couldn't depend on others. Apart from vending, he is involved with Faith in NY and WACT, as well as serving as church Deacon. He enjoys public speaking and singing.

Ibra Diagne is from Senegal, and he has been vending since 2006. He sells all types of merchandise: bags, scarves, hats, T-shirts, glasses, phones, and chargers. He vends at 3rd Avenue and 108th Street. He became an LB member because he wants to represent people in his community, and make sure that they are heard. He says he knows that many vendors are aging and need support from leaders like him.  Apart from vending, Ibra focuses on caring for his family. 

Samya Eskandar immigrated from Egypt and has been a vendor since 2007. She previously sold hot dogs from a cart on Canal St. and Broadway, but for the last several years has been selling shish kebab in Ridgewood. She loves vending and is glad that it gives her an opportunity to keep working and earning money even as she gets older. Vending is a good option for Samya because it allows her to work for herself, even without strong English skills. A longtime member of the Street Vendor Project, Samya chose to join the Leadership Board this year out of her desire to fight for vendors and their rights, especially given the deep injustices she has seen, including long permit waiting lists and police harassment. Samya loves to spend time outside and enjoy New York’s beautiful parks.

Serigne Gaye immigrated to the United States from Senegal. He started vending in 1987, just a year after arriving in this country. Vending has been his livelihood since his days in Senegal, and he says it's what he knows best. In 2015, he became a member of the Street Vendor Project and has been actively advocating for street vendors' rights ever since. Due to his extensive experience in the vending industry, he decided to run for a leadership position within the Street Vendor Project’s organization. Aside from vending, he also takes on leadership responsibilities such as organizing meetings, conducting outreach activities, and looking out for his family.  

Cleotilde Juarez sells traditional chalupas poblanas on Junction Blvd in Queens. Originally from Puebla, Mexico, she has been a street vendor for four years, but had been making and selling chalupas at local festivals in Mexico for decades. Cleo began vending during the pandemic, when, without government support, she had to find a way to pay rent and keep food on the table, so she fired up her traditional comal (griddle) and began selling chalupas, for which her neighborhood in Puebla is famous. Vending is a difficult job, but she loves it, and she is glad to provide this traditional snack for other New Yorkers, particularly with roots in Puebla. She likes that Street Vendor Project stands up for vendors who otherwise don’t have support, and she chose to run for Leadership Board as an opportunity to learn more both for herself and her comrades. Outside of vending, she loves music and dancing cumbia.  

Birane Ndiaye is from Senegal. He started vending in 2015 on 31st St. and 7th Ave. He sells sunglasses, hats, and bags. He became a vendor because, when he was a restaurant employee, the manager often told him to come in only twice a week due to slow business. That's why he decided to start his own business. Since 2015, he has been his own boss as a street vendor. He decided to run for the Leadership Board because many problems are happening in the streets. He believes vendors need support from organizations like Street Vendor Project, which has a lawyer to represent vendors. In addition to vending, he attends the mosque, the monthly Leadership Board, and general membership meetings of the Street Vendor Project.

Ysabel Rosario is a vendor from the Dominican Republic. She vends along 5th Ave in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, providing piraguas (a kind of shaved ice) in the summer and emapanditos and meat skewers in the colder months. For Ysabel, vending is an important source of economic stability for herself and her family. She wanted to become a member of Leadership Board in order to support the work that it does helping vendors, especially in this moment when it is so important to keep up the momentum in the fight for vendors’ rights. Outside of vending, Ysabel enjoys going for walks to get fresh air and exercise. 

Rosario Troncoso is from Mexico, and she has been selling Mexican crafts and cultural objects for four years. She sells in Corona Plaza, where she is also a member of AVA, the local street vendor organization. Rosario likes vending because it allows her to be in charge of her own time and make her own schedule. She chose to sell Mexican crafts because, when she started, she saw that there were not a lot of other vendors offering those products. Joining Leadership Board is an opportunity for her to learn more about how the city’s vending system works and to learn more about how to educate, organize, and support her fellow vendors, which she hopes to bring to her work with AVA as well. She stays active by taking walks and going to the gym.  

Xochitl Campos is from Morelos, Mexico, and has been a vendor her whole life, as were her parents. Here in New York, she sells natural products and herbs, including handmade sweets with natural sugars like honey and agave. Vending and natural products are in her blood, as her grandparents practiced natural medicine, and she likes that she can offer healthy products without refined sugars or other artificial ingredients. She chose to join the Leadership Board because she has always loved collaborating with others and wanted to help her community. Xochitl also teachers exercise and dance classes, and practices indigenous dance.   

Marlene Ensaldo is from Puebla, Mexico, and she vends at the intersection of White Plains Road and Westchester Avenue. She sells fruit, churros, and other foods, as well as Christmas toys. She ran for Leadership Board to support her vending comrades, demand permits/licenses, and continue the struggle. She loves dancing to many different kinds of music. 

Ni Jin Fang is from Suzhou, China and he has been selling Chinese snacks on Main Street, Flushing for a little over a year. He began vending as a way to support himself and his daughter once they immigrated to the United States. He joined the Leadership Board this year after consistently participating and playing an active role in SVP’s organizing. He says that being a Leadership Board member has as allowed him to take on more leadership and better understand New York’s political ecosystem, as he continues organizing with and for street vendors across New York City. Outside of street vending, he is also a practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor.

Marie Rose Goba is from Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). She is a fruit vendor; she sells juicy mangoes and mixed fruits. She became a vendor to support her kids and her daughter--who is studying at the university in Paris--by paying for her college tuition. She started vending in 2012, and she was selling on 34th Street in Manhattan, but as more vendors arrived, the police gave them a hard time. That's when she decided to sell at Brooklyn Bridge. However, after a few years, the police stopped all vendors from selling on the bridge. So, she decided to go to Rector Street near Wall Street, but she would still return to the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge to sell fruits. She became a Leadership Board member of the Street Vendor Project to advocate for change. She is passionate about advocating for people in her community and for herself. Besides vending, she takes care of her household chores, attends her eye doctor appointments, and supports the community by donating and providing other assistance through her church.

Ahmed Mourad is originally from Egypt, and he has been a vendor in New York City since 2013. He has worked on food carts across the city, and this year began selling juice in midtown after years on the waitlist for a seasonal permit. Ahmed takes pride in serving customers a quality product, and loves that vending gives him the chance to make people happy. This is his second year on the Leadership Boards, which he joined after witnessing injustice and feeling inspired to defend the rights of New York City’s vendors. Outside of vending, he is a journalist with local Arabic-language newspaper “Arab Astoria.” 

Md Rahman was born and raised in Bangladesh. He’s been vending for over 10 years and was at Brooklyn Bridge for a few years until the entire bridge was shut down by DOT. Currently, he vends in the Financial District. He sells hot dogs, pretzels, and soft drinks.  He has joined the Leadership Board for a second time because he wants to continue to support to SVP and be more active again. He likes spending his free time with his family, doing activities and sharing meals.  

Guadalupe Sosa was born in New York City and her parents are from. She started vending in 2015 at 125th St and 3rd Ave. Her work as a street vendor is not just about selling Snocope and Icee or creating arrangements for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. It's also about organizing for change. She felt she needed to step up and be a Leadership Board member because she saw a lack of representation among Street Vendor Project’s membership, of vendors who work in her part of Manhattan. Her mother is also a street vendor and advocate, who inspired Guadalupe to speak up for herself. Apart from vending, she is passionate about reading, attending social events, and meeting new people. 

Theresa Wright is a New Yorker, a general merchandise vendor, and a business owner on 125th Street. Since 2002, she has been dedicated to serving our community with a variety of merchandise. Her commitment to the street vendor community led her to take on the role of a Leadership Board member, where she advocates for vendor licensing and strives to keep vendors well-informed. She actively participates in protests and meetings, and she deeply appreciates the strong sense of community that these events foster. Apart from vending, she has other leadership responsibilities, such as caring for her family.