↓ Phil Garber ↓
Researcher, program consultant, writer, arts professional, founder.
Phil Garber is a multi-sectoral 2025 New Leaders Council Fellow (NYC Chapter), researcher, program consultant, writer and art world professional passionate about doing the most good, the most efficiently. Holding a B.F.A. in Photography and Video from the School of Visual Arts (2017), and an M.A. in International Affairs from The New School (2023), his unique educational blend allows him to discern unique solutions to complex problems.
New Leaders Council Fellow
Phil is proud to be a 2025 New Leaders Council Fellow in its New York City Chapter. Dedicated to identifying and equipping emerging leaders, the NLC consists of intensive professional mentorship and training in fundraising, coalition-building, advocacy, and other mission-critical areas of leadership. The program culminates with each fellow directing a community intervention. Phil plans to focus on assisting recent immigrants to NYC in a data-driven, best-practice manner that honors the American promise, human rights, and the needs of all New Yorkers.
Researcher
Skilled in research, Phil has conducted suitability studies for the siting of nuclear facilities in Texas, analyzed remittance flows from the U.S. to Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic and conducted novel research to reveal that predominantly Black and brown zip codes in New York City endure far greater rates of power outages than their white counterparts. While these topics represent his strongest research interests, he's eager to untangle any mystery with data.
Program Consultant
As a program consultant, Phil has worked with clients in Latin America, and Africa to design and evaluate programs geared towards environmental conservation, public health, and the training of civic leaders. He is trained in project cycle management and evaluation and holds a certificate in grant stewardship. Not just experienced behind a keyboard, Phil loves meeting his clients on the ground, wherever that ground might be.Clients Include:
•Saved by the Plate
•Asociación Erraiquemos la Pobreza (in coordination with The New School)
•Emerging Public Leaders (in coordination with The New School)
Writer
Phil Garber is an eloquent writer, and writing has touched every facet of his professional career. From research to policy briefs to copywriting and creative fiction, Phil enjoys breaking down concepts for varied audiences, making his readers think critically about the world around them, or even just bringing a smile. Phil Garber’s writing has appeared in donor reporting for his M&E clients, novel research, the Observer Tribune, and on his Substack. He has additionally written biographical and ad copy for private clients.
Excerpt, Louie, the Frog, and a Toilet Wand (Published via Substack)
I first met Louie at the corner of 36th Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan. On that corner is a gas station, with a combination Atlantis Fresh Market and Dunkin’ Donuts. It was late at night, and Louie was holding the door for patrons entering the store.I don’t believe we exchanged words as I walked in, but I used the ATM to take out some cash for him. In the following year and change, while I lived on 36th and 10th Avenue, I would come to know that ATM very well, for all the wrong reasons. I gave the cash to Louie, maybe I broke it at the counter or gave him the full twenty, I do not recall. He thanked me profusely and asked me to stick around so we could talk. So I did. This was the beginning of an exploration into my psyche, motivations, and, most honestly, a case of boiling frogs.
Art World Professional
In his art world endeavors, Phil Garber is a classically trained photographer with deep experience in art reproduction, and still life. He maintains a private art practice focusing on human social systems, typically through sculpture.
Founder, Andrew Martin Creative Action Center (AMCAC.org)
Phil is the founder and director of the Andrew Martin Creative Action Center, or AMCAC. AMCAC is an educational home for artistic growth, political and grassroots-organizing training, and social betterment based in New York, New York. AMCAC offers lectures on art, politics, and society, as well as skill-training, and an admission-based 8-week critique program.
Phil Garber is based in Brooklyn, New York, where he’s always looking for good food, good people, and good headways on the train.