MISSION
Opened in October 2025, the Queer Nightlife Community Center (QNCC) is a first-of-its-kind beacon of creativity, safety, and opportunity for queer and transgender artists, nightlife workers, and the nearby communities of East New York and Brownsville.
QNCC has four areas of focus:
Visionary Arts Programming
Freed from the pressure to turn profit, QNCC will be home to fearless, accessible, and uncensored creations. Whether hosting experimental performances, dance parties, lectures, artist talks, screenings, or other arts and queer history exhibitions, QNCC offers programming that doesn't presently fit within the for-profit or existing arts infrastructure.
Health & Well-Being
The health and well-being of queer and transgender individuals working in nightlife, as well as residents of East New York, requires urgent attention. QNCC will meet these communities where they are and when they work. We have launched programs related to hearing health, harm reduction, and a recurring Sunday program — SLAMBIENT — for nightlife workers.
Work-based training
Nightlife programming and institutions require a pool of skilled workers, including artists, technicians, and tradespeople. QNCC creates well-paid employment opportunities, apprenticeships, consultancies, and residencies to expand and sustain an ecosystem of nightlife workers. Our focus is to create better, more stable futures.
Community & Belonging
QNCC opens at a moment when the queer and transgender community is uniquely endangered and needs vibrant, joyful sites to flourish and find belonging. QNCC is a vital place for conversation and advocacy work, widening the reach and impact of citywide queer nonprofits and local organizations.
QNCC STAFF
In addition to the many volunteers from an extensive community of collaborators, creatives, queer organizers, and business leaders, QNCC is supported by:
William "Nova" Suarez (Facilities Lead) has lived in East New York his entire life (except an 11-year stint in Las Vegas). A self-described Mr. Clean, he has worked with staff and leadership of QNCC for over 15 years to keep every corner of New York's queer underground tidy, and has proved his versatility by tackling install jobs, trucking, and much, much more along the way.
Doren Johnson (Community Coordinator) was born in Bed-Stuy and now calls East New York home. Aside from their time spent on stage as a musician under the name Doren, they also work as an organizer supporting queer workers within the local community, and were QNCC's first hire.
Michael Falco (Executive Director and co-founder) is from Brooklyn by way of Kansas. A former caterer, journalist, and organizer—with a failed attempt at priesthood along the way—they eventually helped found and lead a major institute at Columbia University called Incite.
Seva Granik (Creative Director and co-founder) has called Brooklyn home since arriving from Uzbekistan when he was 16. As a producer and promoter, he has been shaping New York's Queer underground scene for more than two decades… and even once had an office job.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
QNCC is guided by two boards. The Board of Directors oversees the organization's governance and includes nonprofit executives, philanthropic administrators, queer organizers, health experts, accomplished artists, nightlife experts, and other organizational leaders:
Kyle Dacuyan is a QNCC co-founder and has led fundraising and new program development for cultural institutions, theaters, venues, and political campaigns.
Breakfast Garbowski is a QNCC co-founder and a queer artist who has worked extensively doing installation-based work at 100 Hinsdale. They work in sculpture, drawing, writing, and film.
madison moore (Chair) is an artist-scholar, DJ, and Assistant Professor of Modern Culture & Media at Brown University.
Henry Bram is an attorney with expertise in environmental law. He has a range of experience including copyright litigation.
Ronan Farrow is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.
Kay Gabriel is a writer and organizer. She is the Editorial Director at the NYC nonprofit The Poetry Project.
Ari Heckman is the founder and CEO of ASH NYC, a creative firm reimagining hotel design in cities across the United States.
Aaron Lord is the chief of neurology at NYU Langone–Brooklyn and a co-founder of the PrEP4ALL collective.
Kareem Nemley is Founder & Artistic Director of Rooted Theater Company based in East New York.
Alyssa Nitchun is the Executive Director of Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art.
Río Sofia is a visual artist, arts administrator, and organizer. She is co-director of Queer | Art.
Viva Ruiz is a multidisciplinary artist and activist whose practice grew out of the New York City nightlife scene.
CREATIVE BOARD
Members of the Creative Board are ambassadors for the organization who help shape QNCC's programmatic life:
Nita Aviance is a dancer, percussionist, jazz singer, DJ, music producer, and actor.
Gideon Berger is an artist, curator, creative practitioner, and music producer.
Telfar Clemens is a fashion designer and the founder of the fashion label Telfar.
Nile Harris is an experimental performer and director of live works of art.
Jackson Howard is Senior Editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Juliana Huxtable is an artist, writer, performer, and DJ.
Ladyfag is a NYC-based writer, performer, and event producer.
Andrew Makadsi is a DJ and was the creative director for Beyoncé.
Hari Nef is a major motion picture actress, model, producer, and writer.
Shamel Pitts is a performance artist, choreographer, and a MacArthur Fellow.
Desi Santiago is a New York City-based creative director and visual artist.
Perry Straus is a multidisciplinary designer working in fashion, interiors, and event production.
Julio Torres was a writer for Saturday Night Live before going on to co-create the TV shows Los Espookys and Fantasmas, as well as the film Problemista.
J Wortham is a culture writer for The New York Times Magazine.
Jordan Tannahill is a Canadian author, playwright, and filmmaker.
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BUILD THE FUTURE OF NIGHTLIFE
Nightlife is more than entertainment—it's a lifeline for queer and low-income communities, a catalyst for cultural movements, and a critical industry in NYC's economy.
Yet, nightlife workers lack stable jobs, healthcare, and creative spaces to thrive. QNCC will change that.
Your support will fund jobs, apprenticeships, groundbreaking arts, and vital health services—ensuring that NYC nightlife remains a force for cultural innovation and community. Give today to power the future of nightlife.
QNCC is a registered 501(c)3 and all gifts are tax deductible.