Introducing Adin
A brief profile of Adin Vashi – our friend, collaborator, and "chashi".
The Tea Stand is supported by a constellation of neighbors, volunteers, and friends, and the brightest, most reliable star of them all is Adin.
Adin was by my side when the idea for The Tea Stand struck me in Sunset Park and has remained by my side every step of the way since.
Adin and I (Miles) meet on a biweekly basis to discuss all things Tea Stand – programming, finances, the spiritual & the technical. At these meetings, we brainstorm event ideas, iterate on the membership program, and make high-level decisions together.
For this reason, we refer to Adin as our chashi, a Japanese term for a tea master who's primary role is to advise tea distributors and ensure their tea blend is well-balanced and true to their vision.
Beyond his active role as chashi, below are some of the various ways Adin has supported The Tea Stand.
- Volunteered to serve tea at the first several Distros with Riders4Rights
- Created our website's landing page, sign-up page, and a custom workflow for the pay-what-you-wish membership option
- Hosted the Silent Sanctuary event series in his apartment (10+ events)
- Helped design the membership program (perks, prices, etc.)
- Brewed over 300 cups of masala chai for Flood Sensor Aunty several performances and "Chai Stand" events
- Suggested we start a zine (a few months later, bōcha was born)
- Contributed writing to issue #4 of bōcha and our about page
Adin and I have been friends and creative partners for 10+ years. We met freshman year at Northeastern University, started a discussion group called "Open Narratives" together, and later co-created an exploratory hip-hop website (Audiome).
Outside of the context of The Tea Stand, Adin Vashi is an engineer and aspiring writer. His current interests are in environmental, technological, and political collapse.
THANK YOU ADIN 🧡
