The AI Community Engagement Lab at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, developed in partnership with the Center for Community Media and with support from the Walton Family Foundation, is thrilled to introduce this phenomenal group of 18 journalists, editors, publishers, and media leaders. This group will explore how AI can help community newsrooms strengthen audience engagement, build trust, and expand their reach.
“Our participants are deeply committed to serving their communities,” said Marie Gilot, Executive Director of J+ at the Newmark J-School. “This program is designed to help them harness AI in ways that enhance their journalism, deepen audience relationships, and create lasting impact.”
The cohort members are based across the United States, from California to New York, and bring diverse perspectives from backgrounds in Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Lithuania, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Venezuela, and beyond. Their work spans reporting on local government, bilingual news coverage, editorial leadership, and audience engagement — each playing a critical role in informing and empowering their communities.
The Lab will run from March 17 to October 21, 2025, with a summer break. The program is hybrid, beginning with an in-person kickoff at the Newmark J-School in New York on March 17-18. Participants will engage in biweekly virtual classes, hands-on workshops, online coaching, and a final project — all designed to equip them with practical AI applications for community journalism.
AI COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LAB COHORT
Cherrell Angervil
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: East Orange, New Jersey, United States
Country of origin: Haiti
Organization: The Haitian Times
Role: Audience & Brand Director
Cherrell Angervil is a proud first-generation Haitian American with a passion for technology and its role in enhancing storytelling, particularly from a Caribbean perspective. Since 2018, she has served as the Audience Engagement Director at The Haitian Times, where she has developed strategies to connect with readers and partners. Her work focuses on using creative communication strategies to strengthen the bond between the publication and the Haitian community while driving growth and impact. She is passionate about creating meaningful digital content that highlights the rich stories, resilience, and achievements of Haitians worldwide. Over the years, she has built strong relationships with Caribbean-led organizations and allies, working together to uplift and share these narratives. For her, it is all about using the power of storytelling to celebrate heritage and ensure Haitian voices are heard.
Diego Barahona
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: La Noticia
Role: Editor
With over 25 years of professional experience, Diego Barahona is an award-winning journalist who has worked across multiple fields of communication, including reporting, broadcasting, television, production, and writing—both in his native Ecuador and in the United States. He is currently the editor of La Noticia, the Spanish-language news organization in North Carolina. As a communications strategist, he has designed media management plans for various public and private institutions and nonprofit organizations, including the Ecuadorian Air Force. From 2016 to 2024, he was recognized as the most awarded journalist in a Spanish-language print media outlet in the United States, receiving over 30 José Martí Awards at the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP) annual conference. He is the author of the Amazon.com bestseller ¿Cómo leer a las personas?, a book on nonverbal communication. Since 2022, he has been the president of the Organization of Hispanic Journalists of the Carolinas.
Christian Betancourt
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Merced, California, United States
Country of origin: Mexico
Organization: Central Valley Journalism Collaborative/Merced FOCUS
Role: Bilingual Communities Issues Reporter
Christian De Jesus Betancourt is the Bilingual Community Issues Reporter, dedicated to illuminating the stories of Merced’s Latino community. Born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, he moved with his family to El Paso, Texas, in seventh grade. Betancourt balanced two languages and funded his college education as a Teppanyaki chef, where a journalism class sparked his passion for storytelling. His career spans crime reporting for the Hobbs News-Sun, in-depth investigations for the Duncan Banner, and coverage of tornados that earned him a Headliners Foundation Star Breaking News Award in Texas. As a Next City fellow, he explored solutions journalism, focusing on how credit unions serve communities of color. Betancourt is committed to amplifying underreported narratives and showcasing the resilience of Merced’s Latino community. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring local communities, board games, and gaming with friends, driven by his passion for impactful and human-centered storytelling
Calvin Davis
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Gary, Indiana, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Capital B Gary
Role: Government & Politics Reporter
Calvin Davis is Capital B Gary’s government and politics reporter. His journalism career began in Northwest Indiana as a sportswriter for The Times of Northwest Indiana, after which he covered hip-hop for XXL and numerous online publications during hip-hop’s blog era. He covered Chicago’s City Council as a 2017 City Bureau Fellow and most recently spent three years as a media consultant with the city of Gary’s Common Council.
Williamena Kwapo
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Sacramento, California, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Sacramento Observer
Role: Reporter
Williamena Kwapo is a reporter at The Sacramento Observer, covering issues impacting Black communities, including politics, education, health, and economic justice. Raised in Detroit, she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her Master’s in Journalism from UC Berkeley. Passionate about journalism in all forms, she strives to tell stories that inform, challenge, and inspire. Whether reporting on local government, profiling changemakers, or exploring the intersection of AI and journalism, her goal is to produce impactful stories that resonate beyond the page.
Mariann Martin
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Canopy Atlanta
Role: Operations and Editorial Director
Mariann is a Canopy Atlanta cofounder. She is an award-winning journalist who began her career at Gannett and the Chattanooga Times Free Press as a reporter, writing about criminal justice, government, politics and healthcare. More recently, she has worked as a freelance writer and a coordinator for a nonprofit, managing community engagement, projects, and operations.
Henok Mengistu
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Country of origin: Ethiopia
Organization: Ethiopique LLC
Role: Founder/Publisher
Henok Mengistu is a Resident Service Coordinator at the mission-based National Housing Trust, an organization dedicated to creating and preserving affordable housing and advancing racial equity. Additionally, he is the founder and publisher of Ethiopique, a dedicated news outlet serving the Amharic-speaking community in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, he moved to the U.S. in 2018. With a strong background in business, entrepreneurship, media, social services, and community development, he has been honored as a Young African Leader under the YALI-RLC-EA & Mandela Washington Fellowship programs. Additionally, he won the Reach for Change-Ethiopia’s accelerator program and the National Startupper of the Year Challenge by TOTAL.
Eric Nzeribe
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Country of origin: Nigeria
Organization: FunTimes Magazine, LLC
Role: Publisher
Dr. Eric John Nzeribe is the Publisher of FunTimes Magazine and has worked in the publishing industry since 1992. His interests include using data to understand and solve social issues, narrative stories, digital marketing, community engagement, and online/print journalism features. Dr. Nzeribe is a social media and communication professional with certificates in Digital Media for Social Impact from the University of Pennsylvania, Digital Strategies for Business: Leading the Next-Generation Enterprise from Columbia University, and a Master of Science (MS) in Publication Management from Drexel University and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Temple University.
Rommel Ojeda
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: New York City, New York, United States
Country of origin: Ecuador
Organization: Documented
Role: Senior Reporter
Rommel H. Ojeda is a bilingual multimedia journalist. He is a senior reporter at Documented, where he focuses on issues affecting Spanish-speaking immigrant communities in New York. His contributions have received national and international recognition, influencing legislative decisions, appearing in prestigious publications, and inspiring the adoption of engagement practices in newsrooms across the country. He holds a master’s degree in Bilingual Journalism, specializing in Documentary Production, from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
Giannina Ong
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: San Francisco, California, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Mochi Magazine
Role: Editor-in-Chief
Giannina Ong is a narrative architect reshaping the cultural landscape as Editor-In-Chief of Mochi Magazine, the longest-running digital publication by Asian American women. During the day, Giannina is a communications specialist, researcher, and activist amplifying underrepresented narratives through impactful storytelling. Her mission is to use storytelling as a means to shift perspectives, drive social change, and redefine representation. She holds a master’s from the University of Toronto’s Women and Gender Studies Institute and she completed her bachelor’s with majors in English, Classics, and Women’s and Gender Studies and minors in Retail Marketing, History, and Public Health Sciences at Santa Clara University. A spot on Taurus (sun and rising), she is a retired athlete, pasta-loving mom, and overeager editor and writer. Catch her on Instagram @ThisIsGiannina.
Valerie Osier
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Spokane, Washington, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: RANGE Media
Role: Managing Editor
Valerie is originally from Southern California and found her love for journalism while at community college. She has been the Audience and Membership Editor at RANGE since January 2022 and is proud to call Spokane home. Valerie is passionate about empowering her community through knowledge and bringing important issues to light. Outside of the newsroom, you can find her reading books, knitting, thrifting for new treasures or trying a new DIY home project with far too much confidence.
Jeffrey Ruiz
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Dallas, Texas, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Dallas Free Press
Role: Communications and Community Coordinator
Jeffrey Ruiz currently serves as the Communications and Community Coordinator for Dallas Free Press to inform and equip South Dallas and West Dallas neighbors with the information and resources to hold their local representatives accountable and improve their livelihood. The neighbors Dallas Free Press serves are at the heart of every decision and effort of the newsroom. Press as a local government accountability reporter as a Report for America corps member in 2022. He enjoys being a part of a local newsroom that serves the community in any way possible with the readers’ best interest in mind is true community journalism. Through his work, he remains passionate about empowering the community to take action on issues that matter most to its residents.
Suresh Shahi
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: New York City, New York, United States
Country of origin: Nepal
Organization: Khasokhas.com/Nepyork.com
Role: Editor
Suresh Shahi is a journalist with over 20 years of experience writing news stories for various media outlets. He has been the Editor of Khasokhas, the voice of the Nepali diaspora in New York, since 2012. He is also the Editor of NepYork, a non-profit English-language Nepali community media outlet in New York, since 2022. He hosts the Khasokhas podcast “Community Cornerstone,” which covers a variety of topics, including immigration, taxes, healthcare, housing, and other issues that matter most to the Nepali community in the USA. Previously, he worked as an editor, news anchor, and program host at ABC TV Nepal (2008–2012) before migrating to the USA. He was the program host at WhiteHimal TV in New York, a Nepali community television channel (2012–2014), and he also hosted radio shows on various Nepali FM stations in Nepal.
Prachi Singh
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Newark, California, United States
Country of origin: India
Organization: India Currents
Role: Audience Engagement Editor
Prachi Singh is an audience engagement professional dedicated to building bridges between newsrooms and communities. Following her M.S. at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in 2023 — where her work focused on climate and social justice issues and human interest stories — she completed the inaugural Audience Engagement program at Dow Jones News Fund, leading to an internship at Bay City News and later to the role of Newsletter Editor and Impact Manager. Currently, as the Audience Engagement Editor at India Currents, she strives to make journalism more people-centric and accessible, through many digital and in-person approaches. This includes leading a project on WhatsApp and organizing resourceful events for the Indian diaspora. Her work also involves various qualitative and quantitative analyses to help newsrooms better understand and serve their communities. Through these ever-evolving efforts, she aims to transform journalism practices by placing readers at the heart of storytelling.
Sasha Smith
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Rochester, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Organization: Minority Reporter Media Group
Role: Art Director
Sasha Smith is an experienced art director and graphic designer with over a decade of expertise in layout design, ad creation, and social media marketing. She is the Art Director at the Minority Reporter Media Group, a local community newspaper that serves the needs of the minority community, especially African Americans in Rochester. She specializes in using tools like Photoshop and InDesign to create impactful designs and campaigns. Her work includes managing large-scale projects, training team members, and developing creative strategies that connect with diverse audiences.
Lukrecijus Tubys
Pronouns: he/him
Current location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Country of origin: Lithuania
Organization: Draugas
Role: Journalist & Stakeholders manager
Lukrecijus Tubys is a media professional and media literacy educator with over 10 years of experience across print, radio, TV, and online media platforms. Currently a journalist for Draugas, a Lithuanian newspaper in Chicago, he’s dedicated to delivering stories that resonate with audiences and drive engagement, while crafting revenue strategies for sustainable media growth. With a BA in Journalism and two master’s degrees, the most recent focused on media business management, he brings a well-rounded blend of journalistic insight and strategic business acumen. His current focus lies in advancing media business sustainability through stakeholder management strategies, developing innovative, long-term solutions to today’s industry challenges. Fluent in Lithuanian and English, he’s passionate about connecting with media professionals and exploring collaborations that foster resilience and adaptability in the evolving media landscape.
Arianny Valles
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Country of origin: Venezuela
Organization: Conecta Arizona
Role: Journalist & Radio Producer
Arianny Valles is a journalist and Radio producer at Conecta Arizona. She is also the morning news anchor at La Onda 1190 AM, a content creator and small business owner of Arianny Rocks LLC.
Claudia Yaujar-Amaro
Pronouns: she/her
Current location: Wichita, Kansas, United States
Country of origin: Mexico
Organization: Planeta Venus Online
Role: Editor in Chief
Claudia Yaujar-Amaro is a multifaceted entrepreneur, storyteller, and community leader deeply rooted in her Mexican heritage. As the owner of AB&C Bilingual Resources, LLC, she has carved a path in the realm of bilingual communication, bridging gaps and fostering understanding in Wichita, Kansas, and beyond. Her passion for storytelling led her to found Planeta Venus, a bilingual newsroom that serves as a beacon of information and empowerment for the Latinx community. A proud Latina immigrant, Claudia embodies resilience and determination, utilizing her platform to advocate for the voices often overlooked. Her commitment to service extends beyond journalism, as she is a certified Leadership Teacher and coach, empowering individuals to unlock their full potential.