Time Sensitive

Jon Gray, the CEO of the Bronx-based food collective Ghetto Gastro, describes himself as a “dishwasher.” It’s a cheeky description, but there is a kind of truth to it. After all, his cohort at the firm includes chefs of very high caliber: Malcolm Livingston II (formerly of René Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen and, before that, Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50 in New York), Pierre Serrao (formerly of Cracco in Milan), and Lester Walker (formerly of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market in New York). Though Gray himself does cook, his role at Ghetto Gastro is not necessarily in the kitchen, at least certainly not primarily. The high-flying but still refreshingly down-to-earth smooth-talker is, instead, its marketing mastermind, linking the group up with the worlds of art, architecture, design, and fashion—worlds he’s deeply immersed himself in for more than a decade. Since its founding in 2012, Ghetto Gastro has grown into a cultural force, literally and figuratively cooking up projects that verge on performance art for clients including Apple, Bank of America, Cartier, and Instagram. In this episode of Time Sensitive, the 33-year-old Gray shares the story of how, in the face of a jail sentence at age 20, he turned his life around—and how, after a stint in fashion, he found a calling in combining food with art and design.

The actor Peter Sarsgaard cannot be pinned down. He may be best-known for his portrayal of John Lotter in 1999’s Boy’s Don’t Cry. Or as Charles Lane in the 2003’s Shattered Glass. Or perhaps for his roles in films like Garden State (2004), Green Lantern (2011), and Jackie (2016). Or maybe as the CIA chief in the 2018 Hulu miniseries The Looming Tower. Or it could be for his stage work, on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in plays such as The Seagull, Kingdom of Earth, and Burn This. For good reason, the 48-year-old is among the most talented, versatile, and unassuming actors working today. In large part, Sarsgaard’s prolific career and success stems from the fact that, beyond the screen and the stage, he has thoughtfully cultivated a rich array of interests in things far outside of acting: Running. Mandolin playing. Gardening and horticulture. Writing. On this episode of Time Sensitive, he speaks with Andrew Zuckerman about how each of these outside engagements continues to feed his life while also helping fuel his acting.

“Why make a podcast right now?” So begins this 10-minute introductory episode of Time Sensitive, a conversation between the show’s two co-hosts, Spencer Bailey and Andrew Zuckerman. Time Sensitive is the debut platform of the conscious entertainment media company The Slowdown, co-founded by Bailey, an editor and journalist who has written at length about architecture, art, culture, design, and technology, and Zuckerman, a filmmaker, photographer, and creative director whose work is largely concerned with the intersection of nature and technology. Consider this episode a “who we are, how we got here, where we’re going” primer. Each week, going forward, Time Sensitive will release an interview conducted respectively by Bailey or Zuckerman with a leading mind in business, the arts, and beyond who has made a profound impact in their field, contributed to the larger conversation, and is concerned with the planet we all share. Episode 1 [include URL to episode], with actor-marathoner-musician-writer-horticulturalist Peter Sarsgaard, is now live. In the weeks to come, you’ll hear lively conversations with Ghetto Gastro’s Jon Gray, fashion stylist Kate Young, architect Bjarke Ingels, artist Teresita Fernández, and more. The common thread between all of them? They’re curious and courageous—and each has a distinct perspective on time. Special thanks to drummer Billy Martin, who composed the Time Sensitive theme music; art director Omar Sosa, who collaborated on the design of the Time Sensitive site and identity; web developer Eric Bichan, who coded the site; and sound engineer Pat McCusker.