Experience

New Media Ventures (NMV)

• United States
• Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Investment Principal

  • Apr 2022 - Present

  New Media Ventures (NMV) is a mission-driven venture fund and investor network focused on innovation to advance progressive change. We find, support, and fund organizations (non-profit & for-profit) that are developing impactful narratives, building advocacy movements, and catalyzing civic engagement to protect our democracy and advance social justice. If you're working or investing in progressive media & tech, let's talk! New Media Ventures (NMV) is a mission-driven venture fund and investor network focused on innovation to advance progressive change. We find, support, and fund organizations (non-profit & for-profit) that are developing impactful narratives, building advocacy movements, and catalyzing civic engagement to protect our democracy and advance social justice. If you're working or investing in progressive media & tech, let's talk!



Social Justice Partners Los Angeles

• United States
• Philanthropic Fundraising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Partner

  • 2018 - Present

  SJPLA invests in and expands the community of people advancing racial and social justice. I served on SJPLA's board of directors, co-chaired our flagship SJP Fast Pitch event in 2019, and serve on the evaluation committee and as a nonprofit coach for our Systems Change Accelerator. SJPLA invests in and expands the community of people advancing racial and social justice. I served on SJPLA's board of directors, co-chaired our flagship SJP Fast Pitch event in 2019, and serve on the evaluation committee and as a nonprofit coach for our Systems Change Accelerator.



USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy

• United States
• Research Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• • 2017 - Present

  Adviser to CCLP initiatives on journalism, democracy, and civic tech.

• • 2015 - 2017

  Associate director of the USC Annenberg Center and founding director of Civic Tech USC, an initiative focused on how technology can connect citizens to government and to each other in ways that improve democracy and civic life.

• • 2013 - 2015

• • 2011 - 2013

  Research fellow, writer and data analyst on our human trafficking and technology initiative. My work focused on identifying patterns in criminal human trafficking networks by analyzing large data sets scraped from websites like Backpage.com.



University of Southern California

• United States
• Medical Practices
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Lecturer

  • 2013 - Present

  USC Annenberg Dean Emeritus Geoffrey Cowan and I created Annenberg's first ever General Education course, The Power and Responsibility of the Press (JOUR 200), which launched in fall 2017 and is now among the most popular courses at USC. We also took student journalists to both the RNC and the DNC in summer 2016 as part of a class we created on covering the elections. I currently serve as a coach and student mentor for the Marshall School of Business's class on Social Entrepreneurship (BAEP 567) and as a guest lecturer in a class on starting and running nonprofits (MDA 300x). From 2013-17 I was a co-instructor for the Annenberg School's class on entrepreneurship and new media (COMM 579). In the past I've been a lead TA and occasional lecturer for JOUR 190 (Introduction to Journalism) and ASCJ 100 (Introduction to Communication, Journalism, and Public Relations). Show less



Independent

• Uganda
• International Trade and Development
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Consultant

  • 2019 - Apr 2022

  Strategy, comms, policy, and fundraising with nonprofits, campaigns, and mission-driven companies like LA Forward, Bird Rides, 9 Dots, and the #HealthyLA coalition. Worked with partners including CicLAvia, LA Walks, Inclusive Action for the City, LA Podcast, the Alliance for Community Transit–Los Angeles (ACT-LA), and more. Strategy, comms, policy, and fundraising with nonprofits, campaigns, and mission-driven companies like LA Forward, Bird Rides, 9 Dots, and the #HealthyLA coalition. Worked with partners including CicLAvia, LA Walks, Inclusive Action for the City, LA Podcast, the Alliance for Community Transit–Los Angeles (ACT-LA), and more.



LA-Tech.org

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founding Executive Director

  • 2017 - 2018

  LA-Tech.org is a nonprofit coalition of Los Angeles-area tech companies and community organizations working together for a more inclusive and equitable local economy. LA-Tech.org is a nonprofit coalition of Los Angeles-area tech companies and community organizations working together for a more inclusive and equitable local economy.


The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands
• United States
• Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Special Assistant to the President

  • 2012 - 2016


London School of Economics

• India
• Consumer Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Research Assistant at POLIS

  • 2011 - 2011

  Research assistant to POLIS Director Charlie Beckett for a book about the impact of Wikileaks on journalism. POLIS is a journalism and society think-tank at LSE. Research assistant to POLIS Director Charlie Beckett for a book about the impact of Wikileaks on journalism. POLIS is a journalism and society think-tank at LSE.



Measy

• Technology, Information and Internet
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Co-Founder | Editor-in-Chief

  • 2008 - 2010

  Led our research and editorial teams and managed the web build for Measy.com, a recommendation engine for consumer tech. We were driven by a vision for a world without junk, and were the first tech site to have a legit initiative around e-waste and electronics recycling. AWARDS: * Measy was a 2010 and 2011 "Webby Award Official Honoree": http://winners.webbyawards.com/2011/web/general-website/guidesratingsreviews/honorees SELECTED PRESS: * New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/technology/personaltech/26measy.html & http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/meay-your-personal-shopper-for-cameras/ * TechCrunch: http://techcrunch.com/2009/09/25/measy-helps-you-pick-gadgets-with-a-quiz-private-beta-invites/ Show less



Glassbooth

• Political Organizations

• Co-Founder | Director of Research & Content

  • 2007 - 2010

  Directed research and content for Glassbooth.org, a voter education website that was named one of the best political websites of 2008 by CNET and PC Magazine and in 2010 partnered with Yahoo! to cover UK elections. Glassbooth had over 3 million unique visitors during the 2008 campaign and over 4 million views across 400+ videos on its YouTube channel, which I launched and managed. AWARDS: * Glassbooth was a 2008 "Webby Award Official Honoree": http://winners.webbyawards.com/2008/web/general-website/politics/honorees * CNET's top election website of 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB-Ta1Ily5I * PC Mag's "Top 20 political websites" (#1 in category): https://web.archive.org/web/20180701194844/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2329083,00.asp SELECTED PRESS: * CBS Evening News: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPC4ui3TPXo * Wired: https://web.archive.org/web/20110817213724/http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/news/2008/01/glassbooth * Current TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToG5f1194fk Show less



Well Said Media

• United States
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Documentary Producer

  • 2007 - 2008

  Developed, produced, and edited short documentaries airing nationally on Current TV on topics including our broken healthcare system and increasing civic participation with new technology. Developed, produced, and edited short documentaries airing nationally on Current TV on topics including our broken healthcare system and increasing civic participation with new technology.



Funders' Committee For Civic Participation

• Non-profit Organizations

• Civic Engagement Consultant

  • 2007 - 2008

  Designed a survey completed by 140 of the nation’s top civic engagement and GOTV organizations, conducted quantitative and qualitative analyses of responses, and was the assistant author of a report of findings presented at the FCCP’s annual conference in April 2008. Designed a survey completed by 140 of the nation’s top civic engagement and GOTV organizations, conducted quantitative and qualitative analyses of responses, and was the assistant author of a report of findings presented at the FCCP’s annual conference in April 2008.



The Democracy Alliance

• Political Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Investment Analyst / Research Associate / Media Consultant

  • 2005 - 2007

  * The Democracy Alliance is a non-profit formed in 2005 to help activists and philanthropists coordinate their work and invest more strategically to build a sustainable progressive movement. * Lead researcher for the DA's progressive national security & foreign policy working group, and co-author of a report that assessed policy, messaging, and media capabilities of progressive think tanks and experts on security issues. Based on an extensive review of the field – including interviews with over 40 of the nation’s top experts (e.g. Joseph Nye, Susan Rice, Samantha Power) – the report recommended a comprehensive funding strategy to advance progressive thinkers and messages in government and the public debate. * Media consultant for the annual Democracy Alliance investment conferences in April 2007 and 2008. Producer and lead researcher for keynote multimedia presentations. Show less