Tamara Remedios is the Director of Neighborhood Impact at Audible, where she supports our Global Center for Urban Innovation (GCUI) by leading initiatives to help “create a vibrant, thriving neighborhood around Audible’s Newark headquarters.” That includes working with city organizations and business owners to ensure robust foot traffic, attractive public spaces, and thriving restaurants and retailers in Newark’s Arts and Education District. “I like to call myself the ‘vibe maker,’” she laughs. 

With over 20 years of experience in small business initiatives across New Jersey, Tamara came to Newark in 2009 to focus on supporting local businesses through events and activations. She knew about Audible’s impact work through initiatives like Newark Working Kitchens (NWK), designed to support local restaurants through Covid and beyond, and the Newark Artist Collaboration (NAC), which commissions local artists to create large-scale original artworks around the downtown area. When Audible posted a role for someone to lead our neighborhood activations, Tamara says, “My friends all sent it to me and went, ‘this is you!’”

Since she joined us in 2022, she’s helped Audible take our neighborhood impact to the next level, including supporting the opening of The Pillars, an innovative retail hub on the ground floor of an iconic office building across the street from our headquarters. “Audible intentionally chose retailers who are providing an experiential customer experience that will make this a destination,” she explains. Currently there are three small businesses, with another coming in 2026. Audible provided the retailers financial incentives and support as part of our Business Attraction Program, which helps innovative and diverse companies relocate or expand within Newark.

Tamara points out that local professionals, including Audible employees, have a major economic impact on Newark. “We want our employees to enjoy the perks of what we’re building in Newark,” she says. That’s why Audible offers Lunch Out, a stipend for employees to get lunch at neighborhood restaurants, and “first taste on Audible,” which provides vouchers for employees to try restaurants for the first time - encouraging local spending to further support Newark's economy. She also organizes events like farmers markets, karaoke and craft nights, all of which offer crucial support for local businesses while adding to the overall vibrancy of the streets.

Audible’s mission includes fostering the next generation of tech and creative talent, and one of Tamara’s favorite community events is “STEAM Around the Square” (STEAM stands for science, tech, engineering, art, and math), a fun, interactive event for kids that includes dinosaurs, robots, chemistry, astronomy and more. About 400 people attended last spring’s event, after which kids could access three months of free STEAM classes at the Newark Public Library.

Tamara also works with tech institutions like Rutgers University and NJIT, accelerator programs, and state and local officials to support Newark’s tech ecosystem with programming like Newark Demo Day, in which founders pitch their startups for a chance to win $5,000, and VC Day, a forum for investors to share how founders can find funding. Each month, an informal meet-up called “Code and Coffee” attracts about 100 people who work in tech or are interested in working in tech, for networking and opportunities.

It's easy to see why Tamara is passionate about her role, especially since she’s been a Newark resident for 15 years and is raising her children here. “There's so much energy and growth happening in the city right now,” she notes. “It’s exciting to be a part of that through Audible’s investments around our headquarters.”