May always brings up a whirlwind of emotions for me:
It is my (re-)BirthDay & this year, Maison May turned 1.

As I am pausing to celebrate & reflect on that 1st year, I gathered a few friends & regulars and as I am standing in front of them a story came up, words unexpectedly poured out of me & before I knew it, I was describing what modern entrepreneurship should be.

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Brooklyn Magazine’s Sarah Zorn about the recent expansion and evolution of ICI into Maison May.

A few weeks ago, I pushed open the doors of MAISON MAY VANDERBILT.
I had a clear aesthetic vision, a strong business idea and above all, a deep desire for it to perspire emotions & tell a story, my story. I was not sure how it would all articulate itself in the end or really, how this story would even manifest itself in the actual space.
But to my own surprise, it is working.

In early November, I had had enough of it all. I had been searching for a full year for the right 2nd location- and the process had gone from being exhilarating and exciting, to utterly depleting. I had pushed myself, as I always do: going really fast, just go, go, go.
And so by November, I gave up.
Right at that moment, when everything about my project softened in me, well, the location came.
And of course, it had been there all along.

If you live in Brooklyn, and take time to walk around a bit, you are probably well aware of the incredible disconnect happening in our borough right now: stretches of once-vibrant commercial streets are turning into no-man’s-lands, with two or three vacant storefronts on every block (please, if you haven’t recently, go walk down Smith Street.)
At the same time, the rest of the world is looking at Brooklyn fantasizing about the way of life here, supposedly the most vibrant, creative, and exciting place to be in the whole wide world.
How can such a dichotomy happen?
More importantly, what does it mean for those living in Brooklyn, and then, for those beyond this microcosm?
And why do I care about that so much?

The Maison May expansion and philosophy

Vision: Building a new kind of independent business that can play an active part in the global reconstruction & healing of the environment & its people.

On a gorgeous spring evening last week, a dozen people gathered on the patio at ICI (now Maison May)
for the May edition of our community dinner series.
Each month a handful of neighbors, customers
& friends of friends join us for this special dinner.
There is no agenda and the theme is very subtle each time.
But the purpose is strong: by gathering around a table
& sharing food, I aim to feed everyone’s soul & build a community.

ICI (now called Maison May Dekalb ) has grown into much more than a delicious farm-to-table restaurant in the heart of Fort Greene and has, in recent years, become the top destination for thoughtful, intimate boutique weddings in New York City. I’m still in awe over this success, and wanted to share some of the philosophy behind it all.
I sat down with Lauren Berg, to pick her brain. She is our beloved event coordinator, and a large part of her duties includes ensuring that every wedding held at ICI (now called Maison May Dekalb )will exceed expectations.
Here, she gives us a few pointers on how she makes it all work so well.