Jonathan Walton - Director

Jonathan Walton was raised in the rural town of Brodnax, Virginia. After a life-changing motorcycle accident in 2002, he devoted his life to advocating for underprivileged youth and spreading a message of purpose, compassion and justice rooted in his Christian faith. 
Through partnerships with faith-based aid organizations, nationwide campus ministries, and trusted Gospel centered churches, Walton aims to bring holistic social justice to the forefront of America’s consciousness. He wants to inform, engage and inspire using his gifts in spoken word and performance as well as strategy and leadership. 

Book Jonathan to Speak

Elle O'Neil - NYCUP Artist

Elle, who laughingly describes herself as a self admitted dork and lover of words, started with a passion for writing which set the stage for her eventual career in music. After acquiring an old classical guitar at the age of 13, Elle a self taught musician,began writing songs and lyrics. During the early years Elle incorporated a collection of experiences, relationships, disappointment, love and loss and fashioned them into songs which inadvertently tells tales of her observations, frustrations, and hopes.

G-Vo (Rajeev Nandakumaran) – NYCUP ARTIST

G-Vo was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka – the war-torn region in Sri Lanka on February 23, 1984. His family was forced to flee their native country amidst the ethnic war that has plagued Sri Lanka for over 5 decades. They landed in the Unites States when G-Vo was almost 2 years of age. Pasadena, CA became the launching pad of the John Baptist movement. G-Vo grew up singing in the choir and writing simple tunes on the piano. He saw music as a primary way to relate to his Creator, and fell in love with music as far back as he can remember. His primary influences are Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Jay-Z, Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, Coldplay, John Legend, and Lupe Fiasco. After attending UCLA and graduating with a political science degree at the age of 20, G-Vo would take the Los Angeles and international music scenes by storm.

Minnow Park - Photographer and NYCUP Artist

Minnow Park was born in Houston, TX and raised in Queens, NY.  He grew up blissfully sheltered from the social justice and poverty issues in his city by placing himself comfortably in a bubble of ignorance. But as he started to pursue photography and his work with NYCUP, that bubble was fortunately burst open.  His art is now forever tied with advocacy and can't imagine it otherwise.

Minnow is based in New York, and has done documentary work with organizations such as New York City Urban Project, Knowledge is Power Program, and Restore NYC.  He is also an award winning member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association.

Andy "C-Lite" Mineo - NYCUP Artist

Andy "C-LiTe" Mineo grew up in a single parent home in Syracuse, New York. From a young age, he struggled with profanity, submission to authority, and physical aggression, to the point of being removed from the public school system and placed in behavioral modification centers.
At a summer retreat, Andy met people who shared with him the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One night, after a chapel service, he experienced God during a prayer session that literally brought him to the floor. He left that place, knowing that he had experienced God, and recognizing that he felt the start of true and powerful change.

Courtney Wong, NYCUP Artist

Courtney Wong was born and raised in New York City with a ton of love and music. Her mother says she started singing before she could actually speak and that ability continued to flourish throughout her childhood. Like many Asian kids, she took piano lessons as a child and absolutely hated it. Thankfully, her mother heeded this protest and allowed her to quit at the age of 10! Her love of music, however, persisted in other pursuits. She played flute for 9 years, and spent summers studying flute and voice at the Manhattan School of Music and Manhattan Arts Institute.  


Elle Park, NYCUP Artist

Elle Park is a filmmaker, musician and student of Sociology. The
social justice issues of poverty, human exploitation, and
intercultural relations have been important to her from an early age.
She continues to learn and grow by serving with non-profit
organizations like the New York City Urban Project.

Deirdre Mars - NY State Director for Not for Sale

Deirdre (who is recently married and formerly Deirdre Hess) is a 2005 graduate of Duke University with a degree in Political Science and soon to be a graduate of the University of Chicago with a Master of Social Sciences, both focusing on the intersection of politics and religion. She has a broad range of experience, including the fundraising team at Amnesty International UK; medical assistance, insurance and travel with International SOS (London); civil rights and employment litigation with Thompson Wigdor & Gilly, LLP in New York; and investor relations and financial communications with Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher. She believes strongly that everyone has something to contribute to the modern-day abolitionist movement, and enjoys empowering New Yorkers of all stripes to use their talents and resources to join the cause.

Michael Robinson

Michael Robinson is from Wellington, FL and graduated from Columbia University in 2008 with a degree in Biology. Looking to grow in his walk with the Lord and serve the city in which he lived, he participated in NYCUP in the summer of 2006 as an intern at the Bowery Mission. Since then, he has been trying to serve Christ by serving "the least of these" in whatever he is doing. For the past two years he has worked as a secretary in a busy emergency room in his hometown, and occasionaly drives out to nearby Belle Glade to work with kids in an after school program. He is excited to be moving back to New York City to take part in this summer's NYCUP health care track.