Ongoing Photo ProJects
Nina Roberts’s photographs capture facets of entrepreneurship, startups, small business and sole proprietors in New York City and abroad. This page features her business-centric photos as well as her New York City street shots including protests, rallies and various public opinions. “From The Archives” section dates back to the late 90s and 00s when she was shooting for the New York Observer, Village Voice, Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly. She has a massive stash of older images she’ll post as they get digitized. A selection of Nina’s written stories with her photos are on the HOME page.
Immigrant Businesses: changing cultures, Economies & PolicY
Captions: Luis von Ahn, co-founder of Duolingo, Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya, Shahab Mothena, co-owner of Amir Deli, Alpana Bawa, Kin Euphorics, l to r: Sophia Roe, founder Jen Batchelor, Phil Shu, Rahim Diallo, co-founder of Ginjan, Sepideh Nasiri is the founder and CEO of Persian Women in Tech.
Ilir Sela is the founder and CEO of the pizza ordering app Slice, Armand Peri is the founder of Hunk-O-Mania, a strip club for women, Clara Armand-Delille, Maxime Pouvreau, the founder of Petit Pot, Sabrina Schilcher, owner of Property Furniture, Freddy Zeideia, King of Falafel in Queens.
Founder of Kenza International Beauty, Khadija Fajry, Leech therapist Andrew Plucinski, AptDeco's co-founder, Reham Fagiri, restaurateur enjoying a cigar on Broadway, Miki Agrawal, founder of Hello Tushy, Ruia Ahmadzada founder of Nari Skincare, Dosa Man aka Thiru Kumar, Brooklyn Industries co-founder Vahap Avsar,
Pierre Thiam at Teranga, bone broth wizard Thomas Odermatt and FoodBytes! winners Wasteless and Winnow Solutions, Eden Gebre Egziabherfounder of the Eritrean/Ethiopian Makina food truck, Marcus Samuelsson at the New American Festival, Tiffany Pham, founder and CEO of Mogul and stretching Booza’s booza in Brooklyn.
Uzbek samsa impresario in Brighton Beach, paan aficionado in Jackson Heights, April Bloomfield at The Spotted Pig, Jerome Ave florist, Pavel Lopez, owner of Flatcode Communications, DJ Rekha at Basement Bhangra, Christian Scheidemann, owner of Contemporary Conservation, Ltd., co-founders of Hyperakt, Deroy Peraza and Julia Zeltser. Co-founder and CEO of Heyday, Adam Ross.
Mohan Gurung, founder of Mohan’s Tattoo Inn, sisters Mercy and Matipa Nyamangwanda, co-founders of Enny Ethnic, DJ Fatin, Dimitri Grigorovich, founder of Apiterra, founder of Kidmoto Nelson Nigel, Simo Kuusisto is the founder of Nordic Breads. Ayah Bdeir, founder of littleBits, Daniel Sklar, owner of Fine and Raw, Gabriele Corcos, chef and owner of the Tuscan Gun, Selim Adira, Robert Persson and Leo Schaltz, co-founders of BonBon.
Manal Kahi is the co-founder of Eat Offbeat, Saeed Pourkay is the chef and owner of Taste of Persia. Founder of Bou, Robert Jakobi, Godshelter Oluwalogbon is the chef and owner of Divine Flavor Nigerian Food Truck, Kamel Jamal is the owner of Ziatun, Ziyad Hermez and Naji Boustany of Manousheh NYC, Chinatown souvenir shop owner Mohammad K-Alam, owner of Nusraty Afghan Imports Abdul Nusraty, Namek Zu'bi of Silicon Badia, Mandhu Chocolate co-founders Harshit Gupta and Elliott Curelop. Najib Shaheen, aka Oudman and a corner store in Lewiston, Maine.
business en plein air
Captions: Harlem furrier, Palenque arepa maker, Ras el Hanout salesman, Gizmo and Poopy Butt, Green-Wood Cemetery beekeeper, nutcracker salesman, Daraw container salesman, Hot Dog King’s carts in front of the closed Met due to COVID, Lisa Ann “LA MARKS” Markuson at KGB Bar.
Union Square salesman, New England farm stand, masseuse at Union Square, Varanasi snake charmer, Nile belly dancer, Duckman in the Times Square subway, HoneyLove demo, Chinatown masseuse and street portrait photographer Louis Mendes.
Hunk-O-Mania’s interactive male strip show, Soho sidewalk salesmen, mariachi birthday serenader, NYE paraphernalia salesman in Grand Central, Russian accordionist near Columbia University, subway percussion show with an impromptu dance addition, poet selling poems in the subway and flower saleswoman in Harlem.
SMALL BIZ ABROAD
Egypt: Jarred fish salesman in the souk, barber in repose, Luxor laughing juicer, Philea Perfumes Palace in Aswan and Cairo’s El-Shams Cafe.
India: Old Delhi chai shop, barbershop, leaf salesman, paper gizmo shop, New Delhi corner store, Old Delhi jewelry salesman and Jalebi Wala worker. Outside New Delhi: camel scissor makers and chai guy.
Morocco: Marrakech couscous man, medina transport, medina biz and Mr Coffee.
A Helsinki fisherman and baker. A Venice restaurant with lone diner.
New York City Streets and Subterranean Life
Captions: Art-related activity along the East River, Steve Espo Powers with his COVID mural, man with his homemade body shield, couple in Madison Square Park, Coney Island, on the Bowery, early voting and sheathed in Soho, near Washington Square Park, couple in Chinatown and Hunts Point, the Bronx.
Idiosyncratic Fashionistas, Lunar New Year in Brooklyn, train conductor with jazzy hair at Prince Street, red head, Nigel and owner, choreographer Stanley Love and piggy in West Village.
A brassiere sporting scooter rider on Lafayette Street, green hairdo with clips near Cooper Union, next level smokey eyes, tropical drink at the San Gennaro, Jerome Ave in The Bronx, pink Little Italy lady and Astor Place.
Brighton Beach music enthusiast, jumbo hat near City Hall, a biker on the Bowery, Jesus fan in Sunset Park, vibrant colors along the East River, covered child near the Pride Parade.
Soho artist snacking on crostini, napping on Brighton Beach, subway riding sisters, Halloween couple, stylish subway duo, dancing in Elizabeth Street Garden and Pepper the makeup artist in Soho.
Social Upheaval and Public Opinions
Captions: Support Ukraine rallies against Russia’s invasion in NYC, Black Trans Lives Matter rally, orange hooded protestor, Houston Street, Palestinian rally in NYC, BLM dance protest with a güira on Broadway, man on scooter zooming down the Bowery at BLM march, BLM dance protest on Broadway, justice for George Floyd march downtown, “I can’t breathe” sign at Foley Square protest, flower holding BLM protestor and NYPD at Washington Square Park BLM protest.
Stroller protesting duo in Soho, BLM bike ride up Lafayette Street, suited up BLM protestor, “Mama” sign at BLM march, BLM protestor waving the flag of Haiti, torched NYPD van and looted Lululemon store.
A witch at a Washington Square Park rally in support of Elizabeth Warren, “Alt-Pussy” sign at Trump protest, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez at City Hall in support of the SBJSA, witch at uptown protest against fascism, JFK Terminal 4 protest against the Muslim Ban, Trump supporter at Foley Square, May Day march down Broadway and angry kids at a Trump Tower protest.
From The Archives
