The Fire Up Entrepreneurship Program
Introducing: The Fire Up Entrepreneurship Program
The Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education is launching a pilot cohort to support journalism entrepreneurs as part of the California Propel Local News Initiative, an effort to strengthen the state’s multi-lingual media ecosystem, ensuring long-term sustainability of local public service journalism for underserved localities.
The Fire Up Entrepreneur Program, as part of the Propel Initiative, will train up to 16 people representing eight news organizations in revenue, audience, product and community with a focus on ensuring sustainability. Participants will work with experts in business, audience strategy and other topics.
How it works
As part of Propel, the Maynard Institute is launching two cohorts to support journalism entrepreneurs. This program is focused on helping start-up organizations become more sustainable, though legacy media organizations may apply. The first cohort will convene starting in late July 2026.
A total of eight news organizations serving California audiences will be selected for the Fire Up entrepreneurship program. Each organization must designate a leader authorized to make financial decisions to participate throughout the seven-month program.
Selected organizations will receive a total of $20,000 in staggered payments. The Propel Initiative will cover travel, lodging and food for in-person meetings.
More details
There will be three in-person convenings of Fire Up program trainees. The first in-person meeting will take place for two days in late July 2026, with exact dates and location (within the state of California). The next in-person sessions will take place October 2026 and January 2027.
This program requires two virtual meetings per month in August, September, November and December.
Each meeting — in person and virtual — requires attendance by someone with financial decision making authority. All meetings must be attended by both delegates from each organization.
If you cannot commit to all the meetings from July 2026 to January 2027, you may apply for the second cohort (to begin in 2027).
For more information, contact Maynard Institute Co-Executive Director Evelyn Hsu or Fire Up Deputy Director Doris Truong.
About the Maynard Institute and our training programs
For more than 45 years, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. We are creating better representation in U.S. newsrooms through our programs which give media professionals the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs.
The Maynard Institute’s programs are open to all. We are committed to addressing the under-representation of people of color and other historically disadvantaged groups in media-related professions.
The Fire Up entrepreneurship program is a new training program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. It is designed for and serves the next generation of media entrepreneurs and newsroom leaders in order to advance their career growth and leadership power in newsrooms and media organizations.
FAQs:
FAQs about the Propel Initiative Fire Up Entrepreneurship Program
An informational webinar will take place over Zoom at 10 a.m. PDT on Friday, April 17. Click here to register.
Fire Up aims to help start-up news organizations become more sustainable. Legacy news organizations are also welcome to apply if they meet the application criteria:
- Organization must be at least 1 year old with a product that has a demonstrated audience.
- Audience must be in California based on geography or community identity (e.g. immigrants in the Central Valley).
- Ideally, two decision makers from the organization should participate in every session of the seven-month program. One attendee who can attend every session must have financial decision making authority. (We will consider an organization that can send only one participant).
Your audience must be in California based on geography or community identity, and you must be able to attend in-person meetings in California (locations will vary).
Fire Up will consist of two cohorts. The first cohort of up to 16 people from eight news organizations will convene for seven months starting in late July 2026.
The second cohort will begin in 2027.
Apply here by May 1. A selection committee will contact semifinalists in May to schedule interviews.
During the interview phase, candidates will be asked to provide in-depth information about their organization, including financials and at least two letters of reference.
Selected participants will be notified by June.
Each news organization will receive a total of $20,000 in staggered payments during the program. Payments will be based on training attendance and participation.
The program will address how news organizations can approach revenue, audience, product and community to ensure sustainability. Participants will work with experts in business, audience strategy and other topics. Participants will also suggest topics that may serve as the focus of bimonthly remote sessions.
Thanks to the California Propel Local News Initiative, there will be no cost to participants. Travel, lodging and food will be provided for the three in-person meetings; reasonable incidental costs will be considered for reimbursement.
The first Fire Up cohort will meet in person for two days in late July 2026. Additional two-day in-person meetings will take place in October, 2026 and January, 2027. One person with financial decision making authority must attend each meeting.
Mandatory virtual meetings in 2026 will happen twice a month in August, September, November and December.
For required in-person meetings (see above for timing), the locations in California will vary.
Fire Up also has a mandatory online component. Virtual meetings in 2026 will happen twice a month in August, September, November and December.
The success of the program will depend on your full commitment to being an engaged participant.
Each meeting — in person and virtual — requires attendance by someone with financial decision making authority.
If you cannot commit to all the meetings from July 2026 to January 2027, you may apply for the second cohort (to begin in 2027).
The Maynard Institute’s Co-Executive Director Evelyn Hsu and Fire Up Deputy Director Doris Truong will be your main points of contact. Both have extensive experience coaching news organizations and news executives.
Reach out to Evelyn Hsu, Maynard Institute Co-Executive Director at ehsu@mije.org or Doris Truong, Deputy Director of the Fire Up program at dtruong@mije.org.