Description: Independent news leaders wear many hats, and one of them typically entails producing journalism. But as the needs of your news business change as you grow, it can be difficult to move from execution to strategy — especially when you want to maintain journalistic quality. This session will address how to navigate the tactical, practical, and emotional process of shifting from doing the work to running the business.

Speakers:

• Ju-Don Marshall, WFAE Charlotte
  • Ju-Don Marshall is president and CEO of WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR station. Previously, she was the station’s EVP and chief content officer, overseeing content and programming. Marshall has enjoyed more than 30 years as an award-winning, groundbreaking journalist with organizations such as The Washington Post, the Center for Cooperative Media, News Corporation, and the Charlotte Observer. In North Carolina, she’s been chosen as one of Business North Carolina's Power List 100 most influential people in the state, and in Charlotte, she’s been selected as one of Q City Metro's Great 28 Black residents shaping Charlotte.
• Wendi Thomas, MLK50
  • Wendi C. Thomas is the founding editor and publisher of MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, an award-winning nonprofit newsroom in Memphis focused on poverty, power, and policy. Previously, Thomas worked at The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal, The Charlotte Observer, The (Nashville) Tennessean, and The Indianapolis Star. She was also a 2016 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Her honors include the 2020 Selden Ring Award, a 2020 Gerald Loeb award, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press’ 2022 Local Champion Award, and the 2020 I.F. Stone Medal for journalistic independence.

Description: Participants will connect with others around particular topics, such as moving beyond the platforms, election coverage, media policy, product development, leadership, and more. Affinity Groups will meet during this time. 

LION is offering Affinity Groups during the Southeast Meetup. Affinity Groups will facilitate specific connection opportunities and conversations for publishers and news leaders who identify as Black, Indigenous, a Person of Color, and/or LGBTQIA+. If there's an Affinity Group that you'd like to participate in that isn't listed here, please contact Samantha Matsumoto at [email protected].

Affinity Groups and Leaders:

• LGBTQIA+ | Leo Cusimano, Dallas Voice
  • Leo is the publisher/owner of Dallas Voice and has been with the company for more than 30 years serving as the Advertising Director for most of that time. Leo also publishes OUT North Texas, an annual magazine, the premier LGBTQ visitors’ guide of North Texas. In addition to his work, Leo participates in many community organizations, serving on boards, sponsoring events, and chairing meetings. Leo was one of the founders and first Board Chair of the North Texas LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Leo was also honored as the Grand Marshal for the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade. Along with Todd Evans, Leo is the Co-chair of the National LGBT Media Association. Dallas Voice is a founding member of News Is Out, a pioneering national collaborative of the leading local queer news publishers.
• Indigenous | Eden Fineday, Indiginews
  • Eden Fineday is an Indigenous woman from so-called "Canada" and the publisher of IndigiNews, a culturally respectful, Indigenous-led online journalism outlet. She leads a team of journalists who report on — and primarily for — Indigenous Peoples. IndigiNews is one of the few Indigenous-led journalism outlets in the world that practice trauma-informed reporting.
• Black | Mazin Sidahmed, Documented, and Ja Keen Fox, Ja Keen Fox Solutions
  • Mazin Sidahmed is co-executive director of Documented, a nonprofit news site that covers immigration in the New York area. Before founding Documented, he was a reporter at the Guardian US in New York on the national desk as well as with the award-winning Guardian Mobile Innovation Lab. He started his career covering the Syrian refugee crisis in Beirut, Lebanon for the local English-language newspaper The Daily Star.
  • Ja Keen has begun his newest entrepreneurial endeavor – Ja Keen Fox Solutions – a consulting firm dedicated to educating political candidates, elected officials, nonprofits, and startups on creating policies that advance positive socio-economic outcomes for communities of color, centering community-based solutions in policy-making, and convening impacted communities to ensure real engagement and accountability. Ja Keen Fox Solutions is the culmination of all of Ja Keen’s experience and skill sets paired with his lifelong passion to improve the station of Black and Brown people in America.
• Latinx/Latine | Fernando Soto, Pasa La Voz
  • Fernando is the Editor-in-Chief of Pasa La Voz Noticias, a Spanish-language news organization covering South Carolina and Georgia. Previously, he was the CEO & Publisher of Nuestro Estado until its merger with Pasa La Voz. Fernando has been recognized as a 40 under 40 honoree by Charleston Regional Business Journal, Best & Brightest 35 & Under by Charleston Business Magazine. In his spare time, he likes to cook, learn new skills and spend quality time with his husband, John Gaulden, a Charleston-based photographer.
• People of Color | Flavian DeLima, Spinning Forward, and Kara Meyberg Guzman, Santa Cruz Local 
  • Flavian DeLima is the editor and publisher of Spinning Forward, a newsletter covering content creators of color in the Toronto region and how they thrive in the online despite the obstacles they face. Flavian has been a freelance writer, journalist, coach, and trainer covering career transition and identity, entrepreneurship, the future of work, Web 3.0, and the creator economy from an equity and inclusion perspective. He’s written for the Toronto Star, Computing Canada, the Hamilton Spectator, Ontario Technologist, and Toronto Computes. As well as publishing a newsletter, he is working on a book about how overlooked creators navigate and thrive in the online economy.
  • Kara co-founded Santa Cruz Local in 2019 because she believed the Santa Cruz community needed a reliable news outlet that delivered deep, high-quality journalism on residents’ most pressing concerns and questions. As Santa Cruz Local’s CEO, she is building an ethical and sustainable independent news organization with a deep connection to Santa Cruz County residents. She is a founding board member of the Tiny News Collective, a nonprofit organization that helps communities build newsrooms.

Description: Moving major donors, sponsors, and advertisers from prospect to deal takes effort and time. But what exactly should you be doing, how, and when? And how long does it really take? This session will showcase real-world tactics and timelines for getting the revenue to consistently flow.

Speakers:

• Michaux Hood, Charlottesville Tomorrow
  • Michaux Hood has worked independently with local and national businesses and nonprofits in marketing, advertising, and fundraising since 2000 (direct mail, anyone?) and with Charlottesville Tomorrow as Development Director since 2018. She loves to talk with their supporters in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties about their local histories and why they feel local, independent news that is free to all residents and those interested in our area is crucial to the health of our home.
• Angelica Santibanez, Enlace Latino NC
  • Angelica Santibanez is the Director of Development at Enlace Latino NC. With a wealth of experience in philanthropy, Angelica has been a tireless advocate for marginalized communities, consistently striving to foster connections and build community. In addition to her work at Enlace Latino NC, she has also founded a non-profit organization focused on helping individuals achieve their goals and positively impact society. Angelica is a passionate fundraiser, networker, and provider of assistance committed to contributing to the betterment of society. Her remarkable work is a testament to her compassion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to helping others.
• Luanne Rife, Cardinal News
  • Luanne Rife is the executive director of Cardinal News. She has worked in local news for nearly four decades as a reporter, editor, editorial page editor, and commentary editor. She took an early retirement from The Roanoke Times in April 2021 when she learned continued staff cutbacks meant little ability to do in-depth reporting. She then co-founded Cardinal News to create a sustainable news organization to tell the important stories of Southwest and Southside Virginia.

Description: Organizational change is difficult, but it doesn’t need to be chaotic. Whether you’re growing your team, expanding your reach, streamlining, or succession planning, this session will help you manage the operational and cultural aspects of creating a strong foundation for transformation.

Speakers:

• Natalya Dreszer, Santa Cruz Local
  • Natalya Dreszer is Santa Cruz Local's Community Engagement and Business Development Coordinator. Natalya's work helps Santa Cruz Local's newsroom tell more accurate and full stories about what Santa Cruz County residents want and need.
• Tony Mecia, Charlotte Ledger
  • Tony Mecia is the executive editor of The Charlotte Ledger, a digital news outlet in Charlotte, NC. Before founding The Ledger in 2019, he spent 12 years as a reporter and deputy business editor of The Charlotte Observer and has won three national business-writing awards for his coverage of the textile, airline, and telecommunications industries. Tony is a graduate of Duke University and has a master's in journalism from UNC Chapel Hill.
• Yukari Kane, Prison Journalism Project
  • Yukari Kane is co-founder and CEO of Prison Journalism Project. She is an author, educator, and veteran journalist with 20 years of experience and was a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal and Reuters. She has taught at Northwestern University, UC Berkeley, and San Quentin State Prison. Yukari is a proud alum of INN Emerging Leaders Council, Reynolds Journalism Institute, and Poynter Women's Leadership Academy.
• Elaine Díaz, LION Publishers
  • Elaine Díaz is LION's Senior Manager of Coaching. She helps provide LION program participants with relevant, practical, and actionable coaching by building a bench of coaches and analysts with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. She previously founded Periodismo de Barrio, an independent investigative publication focused on social, environmental issues and climate change in Cuba. She has worked at Inter Press Service, the University of Havana, and SembraMedia.  

Description: We’ll host the LION Local Journalism Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Oct. 3, the evening after the first day of our Meetup, and celebrate the accomplishments of LION members building sustainable news businesses. This year we received nearly 300 entries — a record for the Awards Program — and we've recognized 99 entries as finalists.

Tickets to the Awards Ceremony are separate from tickets to the Southeast Meetup. The ticket price for the Awards Ceremony is $35 for all LION and non-LION members. This ticket price includes a seated dinner.

Hosts:

• Candice Fortman, Outlier Media
  • Candice Fortman currently serves as the Executive Director of Outlier Media. Her work ensures that the organization makes consistent and timely progress in achieving its mission while building a sustainable newsroom that challenges traditional editorial and business models. Before joining Outlier, Fortman was the Marketing and Engagement Manager at WDET 101.9. Fortman is a 2021 alum of the JSK fellowship at Stanford, where she studied how the business model of journalism impacts low-wealth communities. Additionally, Fortman sits on the board of Cityside, which operates Berkleyside and The Oaklandside. She is also an advisory board member for OpenNews, which connects developers, designers, journalists, and editors to collaborate on open technologies and processes within journalism. A lifelong Detroiter, Fortman has served on several local boards, including The Village of Bethany Manor and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Classical Roots Steering Committee.
• Lisa Heyamoto, LION Publishers
  • Lisa Heyamoto is Director of Programming, Member Education at LION Publishers. She collaboratively leads LION’s programming strategy by designing and overseeing programs, products, and experiences that help independent news organizations become more sustainable. She was previously an educator and program coordinator at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, and a reporter at The Seattle Times and The Sacramento Bee. She is based in Portland, Oregon.

Description: There is an emerging set of best practices for how to successfully engage funders, donors, clients and sponsors. But what if your news business isn’t a textbook case? Maybe you’re small, or rural, or serve a low-wealth, non-English-speaking or regional audience. This session will outline strategies for communicating your mission and values to stakeholders when you intentionally don’t fit the mold.

Speakers:

• Alyzza May, Scalawag and Press On
  • Alyzza May (they, them) is an angelic troublemaker, moving in the lineages of cultural workers, popular educators, and community builders alike. They bring over a decade of grassroots fundraising experience to Press On, most recently showcasing this skill with Greensboro Mutual Aid. Co-creating aspects of the solidarity and new economies have been a focus of theirs, having helped bring the first participatory budgeting process to the South in Greensboro, North Carolina, working with the Fund for Democratic Communities in the field of cooperative economics, curating over a dozen community-engaged murals, and most recently helping to launch Freedom Fridges. Alyzza is a former member of Cakalak Thunder, plant daddy, and a proud Titi to two puntastic twins.
• Maritza L. Félix, Conecta Arizona
  • Maritza L. Félix is an award-winning freelance journalist, producer, and writer in Arizona. She is the founder of Conecta Arizona, a news-you-can-use service in Spanish that connects people in Arizona and Sonora primarily through WhatsApp and social media. She is the creator, producer, and host of Cruzando Líneas, an award-winning podcast that reclaims the narrative of the border. She is the co-founder, co-producer, and co-host of the Comadres al Aire podcast.
• Hanna Raskin, The Food Section
  • Hanna Raskin is editor and publisher of The Food Section, a newsletter covering food and drink across the American South, launched in 2021. The Food Section has since been named Best New Business by LION, a Trailblazer by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and Best Newsletter in the American Journalism Online Awards. Raskin previously served as food editor and chief critic for The Post and Courier in Charleston. Her work has been recognized multiple times by The James Beard Foundation. In 2023, Raskin won the Beard for Dining & Travel writing. A past president of the Association of Food Journalists, Raskin is a frequent contributor to Garden & Gun and the Southern Foodways Alliance’s columnist.
• Richard Young, CivicLex
  • Richard lives in Fayette County, Kentucky, and works on civic health at the local level. He is the Founder and Executive Director of CivicLex, a civic health and media organization recognized as a solution for rebuilding American Democracy for the 21st Century by the Library of Congress and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Richard has also served as a founding Steering Committee member and steward for the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange, the preeminent place-based framework in the United States for bringing together rural and urban communities to understand their interdependence.

Description: Press Forward, a coalition of more than twenty funders led by the MacArthur Foundation that aims to re-center local journalism as a force for community cohesion, civic participation, and government accountability, recently announced that it has raised $500 million in funding commitments for local journalism. It’s one of the most ambitious and collaborative efforts of its kind, and this session will be an early and exclusive opportunity for LION members to learn about the details of the initiative and ask questions.

Speakers:

• Duc Luu, Knight Foundation
  • Duc Luu joined Knight Foundation in January 2022. He is the director of sustainability initiatives of the Journalism Program. Duc is a business development and operational leader with more than a decade of experience across media and research organizations. Prior to joining Knight, he was publisher and chief revenue officer for Washington City Paper, a local news leader for the Washington, D.C. area. He has also served in business development and new product innovation roles at The Economist and Foreign Policy magazine.
• Chris Krewson, LION Publishers
  • Chris Krewson works with LION Publishers’ Board of Directors to set the organization’s vision and strategic direction, executes its strategic plan, leads fundraising and budgeting, works closely with the Deputy Director and engages with industry groups. He’s a former VP of strategy for Spirited Media, former top editor at Philadelphia’s Billy Penn, and the former top digital editor for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa. He is based in Havertown, just outside Philadelphia.

Description: Participants will connect with others who share their interest in forming collaborations and partnerships. We’ll have tables set up by state/region with a conversation framework.

Table Talks and Leaders:

• Kentucky/Tennessee | Lacy Starling, LINK nky
  • Lacy Starling is an entrepreneur, a writer and speaker, an educator and mentor, and a fierce advocate for women in entrepreneurship. She is a recipient of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty under 40, and was named to the Dean’s List of Teaching Excellence six times at the University of Cincinnati. Lacy’s previous company, Legion Logistics, grew from a one-woman startup in her basement in Union to a more than $26 million company headquartered in Newport. In 2021, Lacy sold her stake in Legion Logistics and returned to her roots in journalism to serve as the founding President and CEO for LINK Media, LLC, a multi-media news organization located in Northern Kentucky.
• Georgia | Mindy Kao and Mariann Martin, Canopy Atlanta
  • Mindy Kao is a dynamic project manager with a wealth of experience in project planning, oversight, and implementation at the intersection of equity, community, and philanthropy in the Metro Atlanta region.
  • Mariann is a Canopy Atlanta co-founder and currently serves as the Operations, Development and Community Engagement Director. 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.
• Florida | Megan Stokes, Oviedo Community News
  • Megan has served as a community journalist for more than 20 years, including as associate editor for the East Orlando Sun and a reporter for the Seminole Voice, the Winter Park-Maitland Observer, and Orlando Magazine. She served as treasurer for the Florida Press Club for seven years and has won awards from the Florida Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. Megan holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism at West Virginia University. Megan also loves yoga, running, and playing board games with her family.
• North Carolina | Claudia M. Rivera Cotto and Walter Gómez, Enlace Latino NC
  • Claudia M. Rivera Cotto is a bilingual journalist who covers political, government, and immigration issues in North Carolina for Enlace Latino NC. Claudia is part of Report for America. Previously, she worked as a social issues journalist at Columbia Missourian. She has a bachelor's degree in Journalism and English from the University of Puerto Rico, where she was also co-director of Noticias de Pulso Estudiantil.
  • Social communicator, journalist, and independent photographer, Gómez is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Enlace Latino NC. His work has been recognized with over twenty national journalism awards by the National Association of Hispanic Publications of the United States (NAHP). He considers and takes literally the words of Gabriel García Márquez that journalism is the “best trade in the world, an insatiable passion that can only be digested and humanized by its stark confrontation with reality.”
• South Carolina | Hanna Raskin, The Food Section
  • Hanna Raskin is editor and publisher of The Food Section, a newsletter covering food and drink across the American South, launched in 2021. The Food Section has since been named Best New Business by LION, a Trailblazer by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and Best Newsletter in the American Journalism Online Awards. Raskin previously served as food editor and chief critic for The Post and Courier in Charleston. Her work has been recognized multiple times by The James Beard Foundation. In 2023, Raskin won the Beard for Dining & Travel writing. A past president of the Association of Food Journalists, Raskin is a frequent contributor to Garden & Gun and the Southern Foodways Alliance’s columnist.
• Virginia/West Virginia | Luanne Rife, Cardinal News
  • Luanne Rife is the executive director of Cardinal News. She has worked in local news for nearly four decades as a reporter, editor, editorial page editor, and commentary editor. She took an early retirement from The Roanoke Times in April 2021 when she learned continued staff cutbacks meant little ability to do in-depth reporting. She then co-founded Cardinal News to create a sustainable news organization to tell the important stories of Southwest and Southside Virginia.

Description: Participants will have an opportunity to join in a facilitated conversation on their most actionable takeaways from the event. A selection of LION Award winners will share their successes and takeaways, with Q&A for the audience.