The months and seasons may change, but here in Hoboken + Jersey City, one thing always remains the same: local residents continue to keep us inspired. As we welcome June, we’d like to introduce you to The Hoboken Girl‘s first “Locals to Watch” roundup of the summer (almost) — complete with bakers, community organizers, educators, and more. Keep reading for 10 Hoboken + Jersey City locals to watch this June.

Elizabeth Schedl | Executive Director of Hudson Pride Center

Photo Credit: Hudson Pride

Hudson Pride Center was founded in the early 1990s and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing advocacy and social support services for the LGBTQIA+ community. Over the years, the group’s mission has expanded to now include mental and physical health services, support groups, community events, and online resources, among other things.

The nonprofit recently announced its expansion to a second location in Union City, and executive director Elizabeth Schedl has been instrumental in the organization’s growth. “We believe with this new storefront we will see a large influx of new clients and individuals located in north Hudson County,” they said. “It has always been a long-term goal to open a second location that northern Hudson residents can access more easily.” 

In addition to grants and corporate sponsors, the organization frequently hosts fundraising events. “Our LGBTQ+ Prom Gala is coming up on June 14th at White Eagle Hall,” they told HG. “We also have our LGBTQ+ Youth Prom coming up at HCCC on June 22nd.”

Keep up with Elizabeth and Hudson Pride Center here and here.

Read More: Movies Under the Stars 2024 in Hoboken — Schedule of Movies

Tal Winter | Owner of SHISHI Goodies

Photo Credit: SHISHI Weekend Goodies

Tal Winter is an uptown Hoboken resident, self-proclaimed foodie, and the head chef of SHISHI Goodies. Originally from Tel Aviv, Israel, Tal and his wife Kim moved to the Mile Square a few years ago and found themselves craving the baked goods and other things they would buy on weekends, specifically Fridays, in Tel Aviv. Enter SHISHI, which serves up specialty challahs, dips, and vegan treats to Hoboken and Jersey City locals.

Tal’s local favorites: Tal loves his friends over at The Hive and is a frequent visitor with his four-legged child Diego.“Their Cinni Rolls are to die for, and so is their coffee.” Scram Bakery, Vito’s, Corto, and Hamilton Pork are other local favorites for Tal.

Keep up with Tal and SHISHI Goodies here and here.

Brittany Graziosi | Founder of JC Oddities Market + Twilight Thrift Shop

Brittany owns Twilight Thrift Shop in Jersey City and is also the founder of the Jersey City Oddities Market. She was born and raised in Jersey City in the Greenville neighborhood. Brittany has always been interested in oddities — from a young age, she was fascinated by antiques, medical anomalies, and taxidermy. In 2010, she turned her curiosity into capital: she started a jewelry brand called Antisocial Jewelry Co., which featured designs made from animal bones, teeth, butterfly wings, and other natural materials. Brittany cites Antisocial Jewelry as the catalyst for launching the Jersey City Oddities Market later in her career.

“By far the best part of the market is how close I’ve become to a lot of the vendors,” Brittany shared with HG. “Many of the artists have become my best friends in the last few years of the events.” The bond transcends the material; when Brittany’s son was hospitalized last year, “many of the [vendors] rallied behind us, donating to fundraisers for him.” 

Brittany’s local favorites: Balance Salon and Pacific Flea.

Keep up with Brittany, the Jersey City Oddities Market, and Twilight Thrift Shop here, here, and here.

Clare Daley | Director of Development + Recruitment at CASA 

Clare is the Director of Development and Recruitment at Hudson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a non-profit organization that trains volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected foster children. She joined CASA in January 2016. Before CASA, she worked in advertising sales, marketing, and public relations. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she received her B.A. in Government.

Brittany is motivated by the nonprofit’s volunteers and supporters. “Every day, I get to see an amazing group of people come together and form friendships all because they wanted to find meaningful work and be the voice and help abused and neglected foster children,” she shared with HG. “And that is a wonderful thing to see.”

Clare’s local favorites: Olivia‘s, Anthony David’s, The Hive, 6th Borough Salon, Dolce + Salato, Real Hot Yoga, and Margaritas.

Keep up with Clare and Hudson County CASA here and here.

 

Ryouga Kasper | Founder of Hachimitsu

Ryouga is a recent college grad working in finance. His dream is to own a business and bring healthy treats to everyone. This is exactly what Hachimitsu is, a small business with a big dream to provide a healthy bar of chocolate to everyone. The idea “came about my love for chocolate, but I only wanted it to be sweetened with honey.” After some trial and error, Ryouga got the stamp of approval from friends and family and decided to introduce his sweet treats to the community.

Eventually, Ryouga would like to “bring the chocolates across the community in different markets and stores to provide an alternative to chocolate.”

Ryouga’s local favorites: Ryouga’s favorite local spot is Van Vorst Park.

Keep up with Ryouga and Hachimitsu here and here.

Heran Haile | Nurse + Pilates Instructor

Heran Hailie wears many hats — nurse, Pilates instructor, 10+ year Hoboken resident, and most recently, a mom of two little girls. Over a decade, she has committed herself to studying the complexities of movement and injury recovery.

From guiding pre and postnatal mothers to working with renowned supermodels and various professional athletes (including her husband!), she serves a diverse clientele. “Watching the resilience of the human body firsthand has been an extraordinary experience” she shared with HG.

She considers herself incredibly fortunate to pursue her passion and to empower others to realize their potential. Recently, she stopped by her daughter’s pre-K3 class to teach them a lesson. “I tried not to play favorites, but they took the cake.”

Heran’s local favorites: Antique Bakery and BOND.

Tamiah N. Brevard-Rodriguez | Higher Education Administrator at Rutgers University + Co-Owner of SW3AT Wellness

Photo Credit: Nick Romanenko/Rutgers University

Tamiah is a Hudson County resident and a proud product of the Hoboken Public School System. She is a mom of two beautiful children, ages four and six weeks old. Tamiah is a full-time higher education administrator at Rutgers University and she also co-owns SW3AT Wellness (in Jersey City) with her wife, Dr. Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez. As if that resume isn’t impressive enough, Tamiah recently completed her doctorate in education on the same day she delivered her son Enzo.

Pamela Valdez | Owner of The Valdez Agency

Pamela Valdez is no stranger to the social media industry, but after collaborating with over 150+ brands as a content creator herself, she founded Valdez Agency to make opportunities accessible for all. Being raised in an era where technology was growing quickly and rapidly, Pamela launched her first venture as a high school senior and since then has built her media company containing her blog, newsletter, podcast, and agency.

As a Latina founder, she is dedicated to being a changemaker and disrupting the digital landscape in a positive and influential light while targeting a Gen-Z demographic.

Pamela’s Local Favorites: Pamela’s favorite local spots are Little Food in Bayonne, and Haven Waterfront Restaurant in Edgewater.

Keep up with Pamela and The Valdez Agency here, here, and here.

Sue Stephens | Veteran + IT at Family Health

Hoboken resident Sue Stephens recently made headlines for being the first woman to serve as the Grand Marshal in the Hoboken Memorial Day Parade. The honor is well-deserved: Sue spent 24 years in the U.S. Army National Guard and was a flutist in the U.S. Army Band unit.

Since retiring, Sue has been working full-time in IT, but a fun side project of hers caught the town’s attention earlier this year. Sue is the Hoboken resident behind Stumpy, a decorative stump on the corner of Bloomfield + Second Streets. Since this fall, Sue has dressed the stump in a new, themed outfit each month: a pilgrim’s hat for Thanksgiving, a Santa Suit for Christmas. Currently, Stumpy dons a BBQ apron, ready for a summer cookout.

Sue’s local favorites: Court Street, Dear Maud, American Legion Post 107, Cork City, Finnegans, Luna Rosa, Washington General, Empire Coffee

See More: A List of Women-Owned Businesses in Montclair

Meagan Celeste | Owner of MDC PRODUCTIONS

Megan lives in Union City, but lived in Hoboken for over 10 years. Now she’s one block west. She runs her own boutique production company and does video production, event management, nonprofit consulting, and celebrity engagement.

She is most proud of the podcast she and her daughter wrote and produced together for Mother’s Day. It recently launched on Spotify, Amazon, and everywhere podcasts are found.

The Search for the Silver Lining is a fun adventure series that reminds kids to look for the good within the bad. She states, “We’re joined by stars like Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Bell, Emily Blunt, Liam Neeson, Robert De Niro, Sebastian Stan, and many more throughout our first season.”

Megan Celeste’s local favorites: Anthony David’s and Elysian Cafe.

Keep up with Meagan and MDC Productions here.