The Nonprofit News Business Certificate, a 9-month, project-based training program developed by J+ at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, in partnership with the American Journalism Project and Blue Engine Collaborative, welcomes its third cohort of 14 leaders, most of whom are newcomers to nonprofit journalism.
Half of the cohort are longtime journalists, while the other half come from fields as varied as government, social media platforms, nonprofit management and even a banker. The NonProfit News Business Certificate aims to cultivate diverse management talent for the benefit of local news. Most participants received full scholarships to cover the $20,000 tuition thanks to generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The cohort starts classes later this month and will also work on an organization-specific, 6-month project with guidance from Blue Engine coaches.
Applications will open later this Spring for the fourth cohort starting in the Fall of 2026. Sign up for our mailing list to get program updates and learn more about the program here.
NONPROFIT NEWS BUSINESS CERTIFICATE COHORT
Elizabeth Capozzi
Role: Cofounder
Organization: Stet News
Location: Lake Worth Beach, Florida
Liz Capozzi is one of three co-founders of Stet News, a nonprofit newsroom in Palm Beach County, Florida, built around civic accountability and public interest journalism. Originally from Syracuse NY., she moved to South Florida in 2005, and in 2023, after 25 years in financial services, she pivoted into local news. Her business and organizational background proved a natural complement to her partners’ deep journalism experience and their shared conviction that local journalism is a public good worth building. Now she leads audience growth, revenue, and organizational development at Stet, and spearheaded Community Voices — a civic reporting program developed by the Stet team and local education partners to train and pay high school students to cover local public meetings. One of the only nonprofit local newsrooms dedicated exclusively to Palm Beach County, she and a small core team are positioning Stet News as a community asset for the benefit of all.
Imelda Carrasco
Role: Executive Director
Organization: Acción Latina
Location: San Francisco
Imelda Carrasco (she/her/ella) is Executive Director of Acción Latina, a San Francisco nonprofit at the intersection of cultural arts and community media. A first-generation daughter of Mexican immigrants, Imelda brings a rare blend of media, policy, and grassroots experience to her leadership — having served as Publisher of 48 Hills, Legislative Aide for the City and County of San Francisco, and long-time volunteer with Acción Latina before stepping into its top role. She holds a degree in Business Administration with a focus in International Business and serves on the board of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Club. Imelda is dedicated to building sustainable, equity-centered communities and expanding Latino representation across industries and leadership.
Ebony Marie Chappel
Role: Director of Brand and Community Strategy
Organization: Free Press Indiana
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Ebony Marie Chappel is an award-winning multimedia journalist, business owner & non-profit leader. Presently, she is the Director of Brand and Community Strategy at Free Press Indiana, an organization on a mission to ensure that residents of Indiana have local news anchored in & reflective of the needs of the communities they serve.
Zachary Ford
Role: Director of Development
Organization: New York Focus
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Zachary Ford is an executive nonprofit leader with more than 13 years of experience driving fundraising strategy, organizational growth, and impact at both the local and national levels. He currently serves as Director of Development at New York Focus, New York’s only statewide nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigating power and explaining how the state works, with the aim of making New York a more transparent and democratic place to live. Most recently, he was Director of Development at March For Our Lives, where he led all aspects of private fundraising—from major gifts and institutional partnerships to digital and grassroots campaigns—and built scalable infrastructure to support a dynamic, youth-led national movement. Previously, as Managing Director of Strategic Growth at VOCAL-NY, he led a $7 million capital campaign and developed localized fundraising strategies to launch new chapters in Kentucky and Texas. Prior to his time in fundraising, he ran a national grant-making and capacity building initiative at AIDS United.
Patrick Grego
Role: Editor in Chief
Organization: The New Pine Plains Herald
Location: Hudson, New York
Patrick Grego is the editor-in-chief of The New Pine Plains Herald, an award-winning nonprofit newsroom serving five rural communities in New York’s Hudson Valley. He leads the organization’s editorial strategy, newsroom operations, and long-term growth, guiding the revival of independent local journalism in a region deeply affected by the decline of community newspapers, while continuing to report on government accountability, public policy, and civic life. During his tenure, Grego has led a period of sustained organizational expansion, overseeing a tripling of the Herald’s revenues in two years, broadening coverage across underserved communities, and strengthening reader trust in local news. His reporting has earned multiple honors from the New York Press Association as well as national recognition from the Institute for Nonprofit News, including the Community Champion Award for journalism that advances civic engagement and public service reporting.
Sabrina Halvorson
Role: CEO
Organization: North Dakota News Cooperative
Location: Fargo, North Dakota
Sabrina Halvorson is the CEO of the North Dakota News Cooperative. Her 35-year journalism career has spanned from local newspapers and television to national radio programs, international magazines, and online platforms. She began her career at her family’s small-town newspaper and has remained committed to strengthening local journalism in rural communities. Today, her work focuses on collaborative reporting, public policy coverage and advancing sustainable models for nonprofit news.
Adrienne Johnson
Role: Co-executive director
Organization: MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Location: Raleigh, NC
Adrienne Johnson Martin is the co-executive director of MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, a nonprofit newsroom based in Memphis, Tennessee that reports through the prism of power, poverty and policy. Before joining MLK50, Adrienne was a copy editor at the Los Angeles Times, and a reporter and assistant features editor at the News & Observer and the managing editor for Duke University’s alumni magazine.
Ryan Osborn
Role: Director of Development
Organization: The Record Community News Group
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Ryan Osborn is the Director of Development at The Record Community News Group, a nonprofit newsroom serving Chicago’s North Shore, where he leads fundraising strategy, revenue growth and community partnerships to sustain independent local journalism. He was an early backer of The Record’s founding Kickstarter campaign within his own community in 2020 and joined the organization in 2023 to further advance the hyperlocal nonprofit news model rooted in integrity and trust. Since then, he has expanded membership and philanthropic support while focusing on long-term sustainability and deepening community engagement. With a background in journalism at national outlets including NBC News and The Washington Post, Ryan brings a reporter’s mindset to development work, grounding fundraising in mission, transparency and measurable impact. He is deeply committed to ensuring communities have access to credible, courageous and community-first reporting.
Blake Plowden
Role: Chief Operating Officer
Organization: TransLash Media Inc.
Location: Oakland, CA
Blake Plowden is COO of TransLash Media, an independent news organization that tells trans stories to save trans lives. In their role, Blake translates editorial vision into systems, strategy, and scalable structure so journalists and creatives can do their most impactful work. Prior to joining non-profit media, Blake worked in the tech industry for a decade building and scaling operations.
Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm
Role: Executive Director
Organization: The Maine Monitor
Location: Maine
Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm is the Executive Director of the nonprofit Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, which publishes The Maine Monitor. Micaela joined MCPIR/The Maine Monitor after retiring as a Senior Foreign Service officer. She represented the United States around the world for 26 years, leading U.S. diplomatic teams, and advancing U.S. principles of democratic governance, most importantly, the importance of a free and vibrant press. Micaela holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Brown University and a Master’s Degree in National Security Studies from the National War College. She serves on the boards of the Maine Press Association, the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition, the Waldo County YMCA, and the Belfast Rotary Club.
Sara Shahriari
Role: Executive Director
Organization: Resolve Philly
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Sara Shahriari is executive director of Resolve Philly, a journalism organization building hyperlocal news sites focused on service journalism, solutions, joy, connection and civic engagement in Philadelphia. Sara’s work is rooted in the understanding that neighborhoods are foundational to our lives, shaping our education, identity, economic opportunities and so much more. Previously, she served as director of leadership and talent development at the Institute for Nonprofit News, in editorial leadership at several public media stations, and on the faculty at the Missouri School of Journalism. An editor and educator by trade, Sara was an avowed non-business person for many years. But while watching the emerging nonprofit news field experience growing pains, she realized that learning and adapting the tools of business is absolutely fundamental to the future of this work. Plus, it’s really interesting. Through this program, Sara looks forward to creating business infrastructure that will support Resolve Philly’s work for years to come.
Shereen Siewert
Role: Editor and Publisher
Organization: Wausau Pilot & Review
Location: Wausau, Wisconsin
Shereen Siewert is a journalist and editor based in central Wisconsin and the founder and publisher of Wausau Pilot & Review, an independent nonprofit newsroom focused on local accountability reporting. She also serves as a broadcast journalist and host for Wisconsin Public Radio, producing and presenting weekly segments that highlight issues, people and culture in central Wisconsin. Her work centers on local government, public safety, environmental issues and community life, with an emphasis on public records, transparency and in-depth reporting. Siewert holds a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Texas at El Paso and regularly edits and mentors other reporters while leading nonprofit news sustainability and community engagement efforts.
Ayanna Watkins
Role: Co-executive director
Organization: MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Location: Memphis, TN
Ayanna Johnson Watkins (she/her/hers), is the MLK50 Co-Executive Director of Business, where she leads the development and operations strategy for the newsroom. She strives to be an agent of change in her community, with a focus on transformation and innovation. Before stepping into her role at MLK50, Ayanna has served and led in the nonprofit arena for over 20 years, as a social worker, clergyperson, and community organizer.
Joshua Wilson
Role: Executive Editor
Organization: The Macon Melody
Location: Macon, Georgia
Joshua Wilson is the executive editor of The Macon Melody. He also serves on the leadership team of the newsroom’s parent organization, the Georgia Trust for Local News. Before relocating to the Peach State in 2025 from his native Mississippi, he helped launch the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center at The University of Southern Mississippi, taught college journalism and media literacy courses, and led the Mississippi Business Journal, The Pine Belt News and Signature Magazine. Joshua holds an M.B.A. and bachelor’s degree from William Carey University and a graduate certificate in economic development from Southern Miss.