Award-winning writers, audio journalists, documentarians, and multimedia journalists make up the eighth cohort of the Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program (EJCP) at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. These 22 journalism entrepreneurs are from 13 countries, nations, states or administrative regions around the world. They’ll embark on a 100-day journey to hone their skills and knowledge, aimed at fortifying and expanding their niche journalism ventures.
The virtual program, which kicks off March 19, includes live workshops, mentorship, and hands-on project learning tailored for independent journalists developing newsletters, podcasts, local platforms, and other specialized news products.
“We selected this remarkable group of disrupters from around the world because they wowed us with what they’ve accomplished and with the intensity of their focus on building impactful and sustainable ventures,” said Jeremy Caplan, the EJCP’s program director.
“It can be isolating to be an entrepreneurial journalist working independently,” Caplan said. “So we’re excited to assemble this super cohort to provide mutual inspiration and support. The journalism ecosystem needs their new ideas and perspectives.”
Since the online entrepreneurial program launched in 2020, 193 creators from more than 50 countries around the world have completed the program and gone on to establish thriving ventures, win awards, and obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding to grow their projects. Some were featured in a recent series of case studies.
Previous scholarship support for this program has been provided by the Meta Journalism Project, Substack, The European Press Prize, Media Lab Bayern, LION, FJUM, Swapstack, the Center for Community Media at the Newmark J-School, the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Newmark J-School, the Center for Cooperative Media, the New Jersey Information Consortium, and the Military Veterans in Journalism.
Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program Cohort #8
Golda Arthur
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: She/her
Golda Arthur is an award-winning audio producer and journalist. Over the course of her 20 year career in journalism, she’s worked on breaking news, produced long-form documentaries, and led teams of creative people on deadline. She has reported, edited and produced audio for the BBC, the CBC, Vox Media, and Marketplace. As an independent producer, her company, RadioGold Productions, works with mission-driven organizations to create innovative podcasts that connect deeply with listeners. She teaches audio reporting at Columbia University, and skills-based workshops for podcasting online. She lives in Queens, New York.
Bradford Betz
Current location: Anaheim, California, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: He/him
Bradford Betz is a multimedia media journalist based in Anaheim, California. For the last six and a half years he’s written for Fox News Digital and FOX Business covering national and international news. Last year he joined the board of directors for Regimes Museum, a non-profit educational institution for which he has been producing a podcast series titled “Perspectives on Tyranny.” Bradford holds a B.A. in Radio-TV-Film from California State University Fullerton and an M.S. in Digital Audience Strategy.
Stephanie Blanchard
Current location: Barrington, Rhode Island, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: She/her
Stephanie Afonso Blanchard is a writer and editor who is inspired by creative entrepreneurs and wants to tell their stories. In 2021, she founded Artisan Joy, a magazine and media outlet. She believes that Artisan Joy’s role in the media is to champion the creative economy by bringing awareness to the work of artists, designers, makers, artisans and others who sell their creative goods or services through interview journalism.
Amy Bushatz
Current location: Palmer, Alaska, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: She/her
Amy Bushatz is an experienced journalist based in Palmer, Alaska where she is working to launch the nonprofit Mat-Su Sentinel, a nonpartisan news website. The former Executive Editor of Military.com, Amy’s work in local journalism is driven by the vital role of consistent news reporting in maintaining healthy communities. Amy is a graduate of the George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program and holds a Master of Arts in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco.
Janet Cacelin
Current location: Sacramento, California, United States
Country of origin: Mexico
Pronouns: She/her
Janet Cacelin is a Mexican journalist specializing in the production and editing of multimedia content. She worked as an assistant editor in the digital newsroom of Univision News, focusing on Latino audiences in the United States. In 2021, she was part of the award-winning team recognized by the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) in the Environmental Journalism category. At the end of February 2024, she moved to Sacramento, California. She enjoys practicing yoga and taking long walks with her dog, Miles.
Runako Celina
Current location: London, United Kingdom
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Pronouns: She/her
Runako Celina is an award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and reporter committed to storytelling through the lens of two of her biggest interests: journalism and genealogy. She presently works for the BBC where she blends Open Source Investigative techniques, social media and traditional documentary formats to bring compelling human stories to new audiences. Runako speaks fluent Mandarin and holds a MSc in International Politics & African Studies from Peking University and a MA in Investigative Journalism from City University of London. When she’s not sniffing out her next story Runako is helping families like her own build their knowledge of who they are via hidden family history.
Cassie M Chew
Current location: Washington, D.C., United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: She/her
Cassie M Chew specializes in stories on healthcare, science, education, and technology policy. Prior to forays in freelance journalism, Cassie worked as a digital editor for Medill News Service, a reporter and video producer for PBS NewsHour, and as a staff reporter for Bloomberg News. She studied business reporting, feature writing and digital media production at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She holds memberships with the Association of Health Care Journalists and the IDA B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting.
Audrey Cordova Rampant
Current location: Lima, Peru
Country of origin: Peru & France
Pronouns: She/her
Audrey Cordova is a French-Peruvian freelance journalist, documentary filmmaker, producer, and photographer with 14 years of experience between France, Spain and Peru. As the daughter of a Peruvian migrant in France and a French mother, she decided to work in journalism to change narratives about how the Global South has been represented from its territories or Europe. Based now in Lima, Peru— her work is focused on issues related to social justice, human rights, and the environment. She has been a producer for Discovery+ Emmy award-nominated documentaries En la línea México and HBOMAX Dossier Chapecó, and field producer for the BBC, Channel 4, France Télévisions, DW, Vice News, Al-Jazeera English. Today, she runs PUEBLO FILMS, an independent documentary production organization in Peru, where she aims to create a space for investigative documentaries from a gender and decolonial perspective, and a space for women in filmmaking.
Anja Herberth
Current location: Vienna, Austria
Country of origin: Austria
Pronouns: She/her
Anja Herberth has been active in management and communications consulting for over 20 years. She started supporting transformation processes with her own agency owl lab in 2013 and has also worked as a press spokesperson for politics. She is currently working on the development of the end consumer online medium smartbuildingscompass.com. Her goal: Taking people along in the changes in living, building and renovation. More about Anja Herberth on her homepage owllab.at.
Pallav Jain
Current location: Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Country of origin: India
Pronouns: They/them
Pallav Jain is the co-founder of Ground Report – hyperlocal environment-focused media portal– aims to nurture grassroot journalists in environmental reporting. Therefore, fostering discourse on climate change from a rural perspective. In 2017, they completed a PG Diploma in Radio and Television Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi. In 2022, they left their five-year long job at NDTV India to bring environment reports from the margins of India to the forefront. They continue their work with a dedicated team of five people. They have been awarded with prestigious grants, and fellowships. Ground Report was also selected as one of the ten organizations in Google News Initiatives Startups Labs 2023, under their leadership.
Sarah Jones
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: She/her
Sarah Jones is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and the creator of “Seen & Heard.” She has more than a decade of experience and films, edits, writes, produces, and reports her own pieces. She is also the host of a news podcast for kids called ‘Sarah Jones Breaks It Down,’ which was highlighted by Apple Podcasts as a back to school essential. Sarah is the author of ‘A Kids Book About War’ and is one of the top twenty North American Young Leaders chosen by Friends of Europe. She received the Women Economic Forum’s highest honor on International Women’s Day 2018 in the Hague when she was named one of their “Women of the Decade” in News & Social Engagement. In 2014 she was voted Best Journalist in Social Media by a panel of industry leaders at the Sixth Annual Shorty Awards. Sarah is also an International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) fellow and a two-time International Reporting Project (IRP) Fellow. She founded the international moment of silence and online event to help remember fallen journalists with co-partners like the Committee to Protect Journalists and the UN Foundation’s Plus Social Good. Sarah Jones is a graduate of City University London’s International Broadcast Journalism master’s program, which she received with merit.
Emma Lehman
Current location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: She/her
Emma Lehman is an independent podcast producer and audio journalist. She produces, writes, and hosts Gooned, an Ambie-nominated limited series podcast now available on all platforms, and is also the creator of the Texas Twiggy podcast, released in 2022. She graduated from UCLA in 2022 with a B.A. in English and minors in Global Studies and Professional Writing. She also runs Los Audio, a newsletter about podcasting, radio, and other audio events in Los Angeles. She is a member of The Podcast Academy’s Education and Outreach Committee, and participates in plenty of radio, podcast, and audio groups.
Antoinette Ludowyk
Current location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Country of origin: Sri Lanka
Pronouns: She/her
Antoinette is a communications specialist turned journalist and media entrepreneur passionate about creating content that’s impactful and engages audiences. The co-founder of Echelon media, the publisher of Echelon print magazine and a digital news platform www.economynext.com, her vision is to build the most impactful digital media company by embracing technology and creative storytelling to reach and connect with audiences that cut across all age groups. Her latest venture is Neon Media, a local language platform dedicated to reaching and connecting with millennials and Gen Z through in-depth and insightful content in both textual and video storytelling formats. Her commitment extends beyond her professional endeavors. She ardently advocates for causes close to her heart, including climate change and the economic empowerment of marginalized communities. A staunch supporter of education for all, she is on a mission to make a meaningful difference through her work in the media landscape.
Chatwan Mongkol
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: Thailand
Pronouns: He/him
Chatwan writes a weekly Substack newsletter about student journalism called The Nutgraf (bit.ly/thenutgraf), as a passion project. He has worked at Hearst CT Newspapers in New Haven and interned at multiple newsrooms including NBCUniversal OTS, CT Public and GBH News. In 2020, he covered a pro-democracy movement in Thailand for a non-profit newsroom in Bangkok, where he grew up. He holds a journalism degree from Quinnipiac University and is pursuing a media management degree at The New School. His humor is dark.
Kate Morrissey
Current location: San Diego, California, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: She/her
Kate Morrissey is an immigration reporter who has been working at the San Diego-Tijuana border for more than seven years. She was the lead reporter on “Returned,” an award-winning four-part investigation into the U.S. asylum system that was published in 2020. She has a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She is fluent in Spanish and French and is learning Brazilian Portuguese.
Ignacio Pereyra
Current location: Athens, Greece
Country of origin: Argentina
Pronouns: He/him
Ignacio Pereyra has been a journalist for over 20 years, and now runs a bilingual newsletter on fatherhood and masculinity. He publishes Recalculando/Recalculating on Substack to tackle his experience as a caregiver to his sons in a sexist society. His work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, and radio stations in Argentina and internationally, including: USA Today; Rolling Stone magazine; La Nación, Argentina’s second-largest newspaper; Spain’s El País and Coolt; and Bloomberg’s CityLab. For almost a decade, he was a correspondent for the Spanish-language service of DPA, the German news agency. He also worked for Patagonia’s largest newspaper, Río Negro.
Gabriel Sama
Current location: Oakland, California, United States
Country of origin: Mexico
Pronouns: He/him
Gabriel began his career as a magazine editor in Mexico and later moved to the US to pursue a master’s in journalism at Columbia University in 2000. He worked at The Wall Street Journal in New York for 2.5 years, and in 2004, he relocated to San Antonio to launch the Rumbo chain of newspapers. In 2013, he launched the Spanish version of the tech website CNET in San Francisco. He was honored to be a Knight Fellow at Stanford in 2010 and participated in CUNY’s Executive Program in News Innovation and Leadership in 2022. Gabriel is proud to have two wonderful college-aged sons, and he has been happily married to his amazing and talented wife for 27 years.
Kouichi Shirayanagi
Current location: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: He/him
Kouichi Shirayanagi is a copy editor and journalist who has worked for S&P Global Ratings, LinkedIn and Reuters in different capacities. His writing has also appeared in The Guardian, Vice, Bklyner, Brooklyn Paper and the New York Daily News, among other publications. He is a Coney Island, Brooklyn-based neighborhood activist who believes the best way to empower people is with useful information. He hopes to apply lessons from the CUNY Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program to create a sustainable local news venture in Coney Island. He holds an MA in journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism and a BA in economics and mathematics from the University of California Santa Cruz.
Francesca Trianni
Current location: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Country of origin: Italy
Pronouns: She/her
Francesca Trianni is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker. Most recently, Trianni spent nearly a year investigating how toxic forever chemicals contaminate our food supply. Prior to that, Trianni directed and filmed Paradise Without People, an award-winning feature that follows two pregnant Syrian refugees as they navigate motherhood in a Greek refugee camp. Her work has been shown and exhibited in art galleries and film festivals around the world, including DOC NYC, Big Sky and the Stockholm Film Festival and has garnered numerous awards, including a World Press Photo and two Edward R. Murrow awards.
Agnes Varum
Current location: Austin, Texas, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: She/her
Agnes Varnum is a community builder, event producer and consultant. As the director of events at The Texas Tribune, Agnes produced over 350 conversations and symposiums up, down and across Texas, including the annual Texas Tribune Festival. Using data and iteration, she drove audience growth and ticket revenue while presenting a best-in-class ideas event, eventually drawing about 10,000 people to the annual gathering. As deputy director of the Revenue Lab, she designed an eight-week workshop to help news organizations develop and hone their event strategies. When she’s not dreaming up event ideas, she’s exploring Austin with her family.
Gregory Warner
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: United States
Pronouns: He/him
Gregory Warner is a Peabody Award–winning reporter and radio host. He founded the NPR podcast Rough Translation, about how conversations happening in one place are echoing around the world. During his seven-year tenure as host, writer, and executive editor of the show, Rough Translation won numerous awards, including three from the Overseas Press Club, and was named a top ten podcast by The New York Times. Warner speaks Russian and co-reported an investigation of smuggled abortion pills to Ukraine that was named a best podcast of 2023 by Vogue Magazine. A review in Lifehacker wrote, “I often wonder how Gregory is able to find the most interesting people in the world, but then I remind myself they are everywhere, because he approaches everyone’s story with empathy and wonder. He listens.”
Amy Zhang
Current location: New York, New York, United States
Country of origin: Hong Kong
Pronouns: She/her
Amy Zhang is a multi-disciplinary writer and civic designer from Hong Kong, Beijing, and New York City. Previously, she was a segment producer at Netflix’s Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, and worked in engagement and education at the National Medal of Arts winning theater company, Ping Chong + Company. For her Master’s thesis at Emerson College’s Media Design program, she prototyped a program “The LinkedThru Project” for returning citizens to learn digital narrative tools to defeat stigma, and has designed civic interventions for communities in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Amy also created an online Asian diasporic writing community, Sandbox, where she teaches workshops for non-fiction and fiction writing.