Show 9.1: Never Tell [A Lie] (feat. Prince)

What was supposed to be a 3000-word story on this newsletter turned into a 7 page piece to be published in an anthology this fall.

So while I can’t share all the words because of the forthcoming publication, I can share these 5 minutes of my first ever public reading for Pen America’s World Voices Festival.

It’s a story on a family motto, corporal punishment, and my idol: Prince

And because it mentions Prince, I waited until today—his birthday—to share it with you.

Thanks for your continued support. It’s a tough time for me right now and it will continue to be for a while longer, but there are more personal stories and more concerts to come.

Below are some shows on our radar:

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FREE:

• 7/20/25, 7-9pm: NYC- The Roots

• 8/16/25, 6-10pm: Brooklyn- Funk Flex R&B Birthday Party w/ Carl Thomas / Christopher Williams / Soul for Real

• 8/17/25, 7-10pm: Manhattan- Funk Flex R&B Picnic 

  • Look at all the free NYC City Parks Foundation concerts here

CONCERTS WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE STUBS BY GRANTANSWERS TEAM:

• 6/12/25: Becky G (Documentary screening + performance), in Manhattan

• 8/1/25: Little Brother, in Brooklyn

• 9/12/25: Anuel AA, in Brooklyn

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About the author:

Cris is Founder/CEO of GrantAnswers, an NYC-based strategy, data, and product consultancy founded in 2013. His work has helped ventures scale nationwide and impacted 1000+ individuals in launching careers in tech and securing acceptances to top colleges/universities. Cris earned a BA in Psychology from CUNY and ascended as a 21-year-old Ph.D. Candidate in Criminal Justice at the CUNY Graduate Center. His speaking engagements for the likes of Columbia Business School, UCLA, Teach for America, and the US Chamber of Commerce encompass career development, entrepreneurship, and technology.

As an emerging writer, Cris integrates Philippine and Saudi Arabian migration, coming-of-age in NYC, and 25+ years of concertgoing to form deeply reflective, intimately vulnerable, and humorously adventurous stories through universal themes of family, freedom, loss, nostalgia, and technological advancement. His piece “Never Tell [A Lie]” is featured in PEN America’s World Voices Festival and the 2025 DREAMing Out Loud Anthology. His journey from immigrant child to award-winning entrepreneur and immigrant rights advocate has been highlighted in outlets such as NYT, WSJ, MTV, and Forbes.

You can help Cris as follows:

1. Sharing vendor/independent contract opportunities related to strategy, product, data, storytelling, and concerts

2. Referrals for paid speaking engagements

3. Brand partnerships w/ media & sports companies, startups, and tech companies

4. A simple subscribe, share and recommendation of this newsletter

5. Warm connections to those who might be interested in publishing my writing

Send a direct message to @Cris_at_Concerts on Instagram