In 2022, the Maynard Institute welcomes back Dickson Louie as the Maynard 200 Fellowship program’s media entrepreneurship executive-in-residence. As Principal of Louie & Associates and Lecturer at the University of California Davis Graduate School of Management, Louie has over 25 years of professional management experience within the news media industry. He brings veteran expertise as a planning and business development executive at the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle. At these organizations he helped oversee the launch of several new initiatives, including the Viet Mercury Vietnamese-language weekly at the Mercury News. As a member of the corporate staff of Times Mirror—then the parent company of the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and the Baltimore Sun—Louie oversaw the finances of its $2 billion newspaper division.

One of the Maynard Institute’s core programs, the Maynard 200 Fellowship provides advanced, tuition-free training to mid-career journalists of color. With the supportive peer network, Maynard 200 fellows have the opportunity to grow the impact of their work while helping diversify institutional and entrepreneurial news organizations.

“In this era of digital disruption, it’s never been easier to be an entrepreneur. But the challenges of establishing a sustainable venture remain. In this Maynard 200 media entrepreneur track, fellows learn the frameworks that will help increase the odds of their venture’s success: discovering market opportunities, identifying business models, learning how to pitch ideas, setting goals, and leading a start-up team.”
Dickson Louie, Principal of Louie & Associates

Curriculum designed for today’s media entrepreneurs

When asked about how Maynard 200 fellows benefit from the media entrepreneurship curriculum, Louie said, “In this era of digital disruption, it’s never been easier to be an entrepreneur. But the challenges of establishing a sustainable venture remain.”

“In this Maynard 200 media entrepreneur track, fellows learn the frameworks that will help increase the odds of their venture’s success: discovering market opportunities, identifying business models, learning how to pitch ideas, setting goals, and leading a start-up team.”

Maynard 200 entrepreneurs learn how to pitch to investors

The Maynard 200 entrepreneurship track is designed to support fellows navigating the modern media landscape. “Fellows learn from case studies, marketing experts, and media entrepreneurs who have already been there and made it,” Louie said.

One of the components of the media entrepreneurship curriculum is a pitch meeting with a panel of industry veterans and potential investors during the October training sessions. Last year’s panel included digital media executives such as Christian Hendricks, Managing Partner of Extol Digital, and Waylae Gregoire, Partner and Head of Business Development of NextShark. Check back for details on the 2022 panel and read more about the 2021 Maynard 200 media entrepreneurship award recipients.

About Maynard 200 faculty, mentors and partners

The Maynard 200 program is grateful to all members of the 2022 faculty and mentors. In addition to media entrepreneurship, the Maynard 200 program includes three additional areas of focus for investigative storytellers, executive leaders, and frontline editors. Each track is led by accomplished industry veterans such as peabody award-winning journalist Aaron Glantz for investigative storytelling, former newsroom C-suite executive Virgil Smith for the leadership track, and senior editor John X. Miller for frontline editors and managers.

Over 60 executives in media and other relevant disciplines participate in the Maynard 200 program. Their expertise and representation mirror that of our fellows — of diverse heritage, geography across the United States and globally, affiliation at mainstream and ethnic media outlets as well as entrepreneurial ventures.

Since the inception of Maynard 200, the Maynard Institute’s partners have been instrumental in the program’s success. Partner organizations include Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), Native American Journalists Association (NAJA), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Poynter Institute, the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY), and Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ). Special thanks to IRE’s support for this year’s mentorship roster, which includes their distinguished board members and network partners.

The program supports and emboldens the next generation of storytellers, leaders, managers, creators and founders of new media ventures. Check out the video greetings from the 2021 Fellows and the recap of the 2021 fall training session plenary fireside chat featuring Los Angeles Times executive editor Kevin Merida.

Maynard 200 has been supported by Google News Initiative, the Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the Hearthland Foundation, and the McClatchy Foundation. The Fox Corporation is a confirmed sponsor for the 2022 program.

Join the Maynard 200 Kick-off in Los Angeles

The 2022 program will be held in-person during the week of June 27th at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles, California. Maynard 200 fellows will benefit from tuition-free training and mentorship, plus air travel and lodging expenses will be covered by the Maynard Institute.

The deadline to apply for Maynard 200 was March 28, 2022. Applications are now closed.

Aaron Glantz, Senior Investigations Editor at The California Newsroom (NPR, KQED, KPCC, KCRW, KPBS, CapRadio, CalMatters). Photo by: Sarah Blesener.

In 2022, two-time Peabody Award-winner Aaron Glantz returns as executive-in-residence for the Maynard 200 fellowship program’s investigative storytelling track. Glantz currently serves as Senior Investigations Editor for The California Newsrooms, a collaboration of California public radio stations such as NPR and CalMatters. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America and the PBS NewsHour. A former senior reporter at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and a recent JSK Fellow at Stanford, his books include ‘Homewreckers,’ ‘The War Come Home’ and ‘How America Lost Iraq.’

One of the Maynard Institute’s core programs, the Maynard 200 Fellowship provides advanced, tuition-free training to mid-career journalists of color. With the supportive peer network, Maynard 200 fellows have the opportunity to grow the impact of their work while helping diversify institutional and entrepreneurial news organizations.

“As track executive-in-residence for Investigative Storytelling, my first priority is to foster this sense of community and build a strong network of support.”
Aaron Glantz, Senior Investigations Editor, The California Newsroom (NPR, KQED, KPCC, KCRW, KPBS, CapRadio, CalMatters)

“What I love most about the Maynard 200 Fellowship is the way it builds community among dynamic journalists of color, who are just ready to break out and change the world,” Glantz said. “These last two years have been incredibly rough and people all across America often feel isolated and alone. As track executive-in-residence for Investigative Storytelling, my first priority is to foster this sense of community and build a strong network of support.”

Finding a community of peers and mentors

“Many fellows come to Maynard 200 as the only Black, Latino, or Asian journalists in their newsroom. By the end of the program, they leave part of a community of rising media professionals,” Glantz said.

Glantz explained how fellows are “trained by some of the best investigative journalists in the business and paired 1:1 with a mentor who is selected specifically to help them fly. Last year’s mentors included journalists – from the New York Times and Washington Post, CNN and NPR, ProPublica and The Marshall Project – all united in their determination to bring change in our industry and empower audiences in the communities we serve.”

“These mentor relationships not only help the Maynard fellows take the next steps in their career, they also build a fabric of connectivity of talented journalists of color within the media, building resilience and making the changes we seek in the media more sustainable.”

The investigative storytelling curriculum’s impact

As returning faculty, Glantz has seen the positive impacts of the Maynard 200 fellowship program. “This is my second year as track executive-in-residence for Maynard 200 and I am just blown away by both the talent of the fellows, the power of the community it creates and the difference that community can make in propelling their careers,” Glantz said.

“I look at the talent these fellows have when they come in and see the tremendous difference the Maynard 200 fellowship can make in helping them overcome barriers. Throughout the year-long program, nearly every investigative storytelling fellow went through a job change or received a promotion.”

Every track of the fellowship program includes training sessions and hands-on workshops on best practices. The investigative storytelling curriculum is designed to provide journalists with the tools they need to succeed.

“My goal in constructing the fellowship track is to arm these rising journalists of color with the tools they need to be the best investigative journalists in America — from filing public records requests and analyzing data, to developing relationships with vulnerable sources, confronting the powerful, and taking care of their mental health.”

Some of the confirmed faculty for this year’s investigative storytelling track include:

• A.C. Thompson of ProPublica and FRONTLINE (Polk Award-winner)
• Emmanuel Martinez of The Markup (Pulitzer Finalist)
• Monique Madan of USA Today
• Kari Cobham, director of journalism fellowships for the Carter Center.

Plus, Mark Walker, a Maynard 200 fellow from Class of 2021 will lead a Freedom of Information Act workshop. During the Maynard 200 fellowship, Walker was part of two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams at the New York Times.

More about Maynard 200 Faculty and Mentors

The Maynard 200 program is grateful to all members of the 2022 faculty and mentors.

Over 60+ executives in media and other relevant disciplines participate in the Maynard 200 program. Their expertise and representation mirror that of our fellows – of diverse heritage, geography across the United States and globally, affiliation at mainstream and ethnic media outlets as well as entrepreneurial ventures.

In addition to investigative storytelling, the Maynard 200 program includes three additional areas of focus for media entrepreneurs, executive leaders, and frontline editors. Each track is led by accomplished industry veterans such as media strategist Dickson Louie for media entrepreneurship, former newsroom C-suite executive Virgil Smith in executive leadership, and senior editor John X. Miller for frontline editors and managers.

The program supports and emboldens the next generation of storytellers, leaders, managers, creators and founders of new media ventures. Check out the video greetings from the 2021 Fellows, the award recipients from the media entrepreneurship track, and the recap of the recent plenary fireside chat featuring Los Angeles Times executive editor Kevin Merida.

Watch the Maynard 200 “Ask Me Anything” Webinar

Interested in applying for Maynard 200 but have questions? Watch Maynard 200 Program Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley and alumni guest speakers as they gave a special FAQs webinar (Passcode: 81%PueT1) to learn more about the fellowship program.

Get key information about this year’s program and insights to make your application competitive. Hear directly from alumni about their fellowship experience, which they consider transformative in their media careers and entrepreneurial ventures.

This webinar was designed for investigative reporters, executive leaders, media entrepreneurs, and frontline editors and managers, who are interested in Maynard 200.

The webinar covered:

• Program eligibility requirements
• Tips for a successful application
• Curriculum and 1:1 mentorship benefits
• Networking opportunities and more!

Watch the webinar (Passcode: 81%PueT1) and we look forward to seeing you there.

The deadline to apply for Maynard 200 was March 28, 2022. Applications are now closed.

The Maynard Institute invites program alumni to join the Maynard 200 Challenge. All alumni who recruit an eligible candidate for the 2022 Maynard 200 fellowship program will receive a special thanks and invitation to the kick-off festivities and plenaries this summer. The Maynard Institute’s network of media professionals of color is unparalleled. There’s no better way to grow the Maynard Family than with alumni referrals.

About the Maynard Alumni Challenge

In the spirit of growing the Maynard Family tree, alumni are invited to recruit one eligible applicant for the 2022 Maynard 200 fellowship program. We challenge our program alumni to recruit media professionals interested in developing their careers in one of the four Maynard 200 curriculum tracks: investigative reporting, executive leadership, media entrepreneurship, and frontline editing and management.

The alumni who refer a Maynard 200 applicant selected for the fellowship program will receive special thanks and online access to the plenary sessions scheduled for the week of June 27 and October 24.

When submitting their online application, alumni recruits must select “Maynard Alumni” as their referral source. The deadline to apply for Maynard 200 was March 28, 2022. Applications are now closed.

After the candidate selection process closes in late April, alumni who referred successful applicants will be contacted by the Maynard Institute with special thanks and details on how to virtually join the Maynard 200 plenary sessions.

Share this link with your recruits: bit.ly/maynard-alumni-challenge

Alumni with questions can contact Maynard 200 Program Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley(at)mije.org.

Building relationships you can depend on

We recently caught up with alumni Amanda Barrett to congratulate her on her promotion to Vice President and Head of News Audience at The Associated Press. Previously AP’s Deputy Managing Editor, Barrett first joined AP in New York in 2007 as a content coordinator and over the next decade she was promoted to critical news editor roles, directing AP’s award-winning coverage of Hurricane Sandy. By 2017, Barrett had a position in leadership.

Barrett first joined the Maynard Family in 2009 through the Media Academy Program.

“I learned so much about being a manager: how to have difficult conversations, how to solve complex business challenges. And I built friendships that I still depend on.”
Amanda Barrett, Vice President and Head of News Audience, The Associated Press

“I first encountered the Maynard Institute when I attended the Media Academy in 2009. Little did I know the profound effect Dori, Evelyn, Martin, and the program would have on my life. I learned so much about being a manager: how to have difficult conversations, how to solve complex business challenges. And I built friendships that I still depend on,” Barrett said.

She also participated in the Maynard 200 Fellowship program in 2018.

“Over the years, the Maynard mentorship never ended. Eventually, Evelyn asked me if I would be interested in a program that would help propel my career to another level and that turned out to be the Maynard 200. Executive coaches Virgil Smith and Caroline Ceniza-Levine were phenomenal, in addition to my mentor Susan Leath. I am so blessed to be a part of the Maynard family,” she added.

Find out what’s new with Maynard 200

Interested in the Maynard 200 fellowship program but have questions? Watch Maynard 200 Program Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley and alumni guest speakers as they gave a special FAQs webinar (Passcode: 81%PueT1) to learn more about the fellowship program.

Maynard 200 is the cornerstone program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. Since 2018, the Maynard Institute has trained over 90 media leaders, storytellers, and entrepreneurs through the fellowship program.

Watch the webinar to get key information about this year’s program and insights to make your application competitive. Hear directly from alumni about their fellowship experience, which they consider transformative in their media careers and entrepreneurial ventures.

This webinar was designed for investigative reporters, executive leaders, media entrepreneurs, and frontline editors and managers, who are interested in applying to the Maynard 200 Fellowship program.

The webinar covered:

• Program eligibility requirements
• Tips for a successful application
• Curriculum and 1:1 mentorship benefits
• Networking opportunities and more!

Our Oakland Voices alumna, and Oakland’s very own first Poet Laureate Ayodele Nzinga, is featured in a new film released this week at The New Yorker. The 17-minute film is called The Game God(s) and is directed by filmmaker Adrian L. Burrell, focusing on the relationship between Black Americans, the American Dream, and capitalism.

Nzinga collaborated with Burrell in writing a spoken word poem, which she reads as a monologue in various settings throughout Oakland “with all the gravitas of a priestess,” according to The New Yorker writer Maya Chesley. Nzinga’s riveting read connects the theme throughout the film in a powerful, dynamic way.

Director Burrell, who grew up in Oakland, displays his filmmaking prowess through interviews with imprisoned men, a drug dealer, a former Madame, a man who was shot, a formerly incarcerated woman speaking about the horrors of prison and suicides within prisons while juxtaposed with a scene of her tenderly holding her baby while bathing.

The film raises questions about the so-called American Dream and why so many are shut out of the dream. “I believe the American Dream is like a carrot,” Burrell tells The New Yorker. “You can sail it out in front of people who were never meant to be citizens.”

The Game God(s) is Executive Produced by another Oakland filmmaker, Pete Nicks, who recently premiered his Netflix documentary Homeroom.

More about Oakland Voices

Maynard Institute professional development programs have the goal of fueling the pipeline of journalists of color into the newsrooms of America. Oakland Voices is a nine-month program led by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education that trains Oakland residents to tell the stories of their neighborhoods. Oakland Voices (OV) correspondents are trained in digital media storytelling — writing blogs and online pieces, taking photos, shooting video, and using social media to discuss issues that matter most in their communities.

This blog was written by Oakland Voices Co-Director Momo Chang and originally appeared on the Oakland Voices website.

In 2022, the Maynard 200 program expanded to add a fourth track of curriculum designed for frontline editors and managers, which will be led by John X. Miller. With over forty years of media experience, Miller is a veteran journalist and currently the senior editor for news, commentary and HBCUs for The Undefeated, ESPN’s website that reports on the intersection of race, sports and culture.

“Today’s newsrooms require high-performing editors and managers to keep pace with the frenetic multimedia news cycle. Editing the news, managing teams, juggling tasks and maintaining work-life balance are such a challenge. The Maynard 200 Frontline Managers and Editors track will provide the fellows with the relevant training, curricula, mentorship and hands-on coaching that will equip them to excel as multimedia professionals.”
John X. Miller, Senior Editor, The Undefeated

Miller is joining the Maynard 200 Fellowship faculty, in addition to his role as the chairman of the Maynard Institute’s board of directors. One of the Maynard Institute’s core programs, the Maynard 200 Fellowship provides advanced, tuition-free training to mid-career journalists of color to prime them as candidates for higher leadership roles. As industry leaders, Maynard 200 fellows have the opportunity to change the management culture including hiring practices in institutional and entrepreneurial news organizations.

“What excites me the most about being executive-in-residence for this track is the opportunity to work alongside these amazing journalists as they gain the practical tools, knowledge and confidence that will accelerate their careers,” Miller said. “The Maynard Institute has always been about assembling people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to elevate the practice of journalism in the increasingly diverse world. They will gain confidence and knowledge, discover peers and mentors they can rely on and become personally empowered to lead their organizations. They will be transformed.”

New Curriculum for Frontline Editors and Managers

The training sessions and hands-on workshops will explore successful management styles, resilient leadership, team building, and effective strategies for navigating newsroom dynamics.

The deadline to apply for Maynard 200 was March 28, 2022. Applications are now closed.

Who is encouraged to apply:

Editors, with one to five years of experience, including assigning editors both print and online; assignment editors and executive producers in broadcast who supervise either in-house reporters, writers, and producers or freelancers or both.

Mid-level managers, with one to five years of experience, who may or may not have direct reports, but hold strategic leadership or communications roles in their newsrooms or media organizations.

More about Maynard 200 Faculty and Mentors

The Maynard 200 program is grateful to all members of the 2022 faculty and mentors. Over 60+ executives in media and other relevant disciplines participate in the Maynard 200 program. Their expertise and representation mirror that of our fellows—with diverse heritage, geography, affiliation at mainstream and ethnic media outlets as well as entrepreneurial ventures.

In addition to frontline editors and managers, the Maynard 200 program includes three additional areas of focus: media entrepreneurship, executive leadership and storytelling. Each track is led by accomplished experts, and this year we are privileged to have media strategist Dickson Louie for media entrepreneurship, former newsroom C-suite executive Virgil Smith in executive leadership, and award-winning investigative reporter and author Aaron Glantz for storytelling. Dickson Louie and Virgil Smith serve on the institute’s board of directors as well.

Watch the Maynard 200 “Ask Me Anything” Webinar

Interested in applying for Maynard 200 but have questions? Watch Maynard 200 Program Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley and alumni guest speakers as they gave a special FAQs webinar (Passcode: 81%PueT1) to learn more about the fellowship program.

Get key information about this year’s program and insights to make your application competitive. Hear directly from alumnae about their fellowship experience, which they consider transformative in their media careers and entrepreneurial ventures.

This webinar was designed for investigative reporters, executive leaders, media entrepreneurs, and frontline editors and managers, who are interested in applying to the Maynard 200 Fellowship program.

The webinar covered:

• Program eligibility requirements
• Tips for a successful application
• Curriculum and 1:1 mentorship benefits
• Networking opportunities and more!

The deadline to apply for Maynard 200 was March 28, 2022. Applications are now closed.

In February 2022, Oakland Voices launched a new series called “Black Voices in the Town” with grant funding from The African American Response Circle Fund with a focus on stories about how the pandemic has impacted Black-owned businesses, Black artists, and health, written by Oakland Voices alumni and local freelance writers.

The Oakland Voices program includes more than 60 members who have completed the community journalism training program over the course of the past 10 years. Many in this group have actively contributed to the Oakland Voices website with articles, interviews, and personal essays, as well as freelancing for other outlets and continuing their professional development.

On February 1, 2022, a group of the alumni gathered virtually to catch up, talk about what they wished to see in 2022 for the program, and discussed story ideas.

About “Black Voices in the Town” Series

‘Black Voices in the Town’ is funded by The African American Response Circle Fund. In 2020, the Brotherhood of Elders Network in partnership with the East Bay Community Foundation established the fund in response to the impact of COVID-19 as a public health crisis for African Americans who live, work, and worship in Alameda County.

The series of stories and photo essays will address the impacts of COVID-19 on Black people in Oakland, California.

The first piece published, by Iris M. Crawford, highlights two Black outdoor enthusiasts, and how nature provided a space for them during the pandemic.

Continued Training and Workshops in Data Journalism, Mapping, Investigative Journalism, and More

More than a dozen of the Oakland Voices alumni gathered virtually last week In small breakout groups to catch up and talk about what types of continued professional development and opportunities they’d like to see. Oakland Voices alumni expressed interest in workshops for the group around investigative journalism skills, public records requests, data journalism, mapping, a design workshop, and more.

When COVID arrived in March 2020, the alumni program coordinator at the time (now Co-Director of Oakland Voices) Momo Chang and coordinator (now Co-Director) Rasheed Shabazz invited guest speakers via Zoom to chat about being a local journalist and around topics such as immigration coverage and beyond. Guest speakers included Oaklandside’s Azucena Rasilla, UC Berkeley Journalism School Professor-in-Residence Andrés Cediel, KQED columnist Pendarvis Harshaw, local investigative and community journalists Darwin BondGraham and Davey D, Program Manager at Disability Media Alliance Project Cara Reedy, and others. The alumni who attended the most recent meeting expressed that the webinars were valuable.

Not in Isolation

Many of the Oakland Voices alumni expressed gratitude for the group itself and members of the group. As alumni, many who freelance write now while balancing day jobs or school, expressed that writing can be isolating. The alumni group helps to make them feel less alone as writers and provides a network and supportive community, as well as an outlet to tell authentic stories about Oakland.

“I have published stories in several Bay Area outlets, and I can irrefutably say that Oakland Voices is the most committed to telling the real Oakland story.” Tony Daquipa, 2017 Oakland Voices alumnus

Daquipa has been covering OUSD school issues, as well as arts & culture coverage. His most recent stories focus on school closures..

Finally, many expressed how the group is enjoyable because it gives people an opportunity to talk about Oakland and the many facets. The stories written are real and some are about serious issues, yet the group as a whole wanted to uplift positive and hopefully stories about The Town as well.

The Maynard Institute congratulates Maynard program alum Michael D. Bolden on his new role at the American Press Institute as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. The American Press Institute, an affiliate of the News Media Alliance, is dedicated to helping news publishers navigate and adapt to organizational and industry change to sustain journalism. In their press release dated January 11, 2022, the American Press Institute stated that Bolden “is a proven leader who has shown deep commitment to quality journalism.”

Helping journalism thrive

The American Press Institute (API) is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization affiliated with the News Media Alliance. API is dedicated to the mission of making journalism sustainable and the concept that the publishers that thrive in the 21st century will be those with a deep understanding of rapidly changing audiences.

Bolden, currently the director of culture and operations at the San Francisco Chronicle and a member of the newsroom’s executive leadership team, will begin in his new role with API by February 14.

“It is the privilege of my lifetime to join the enterprising team at the American Press Institute, who work at the forefront of guiding news organizations through constant change. In this time of misinformation and uncertainty, our communities, especially those that have been dispossessed and disregarded, need us more than ever. I look forward to partnering with our visionary board, our funders, newsrooms across the industry, and concerned people everywhere to meet the needs of our audiences, lift trust in the media and help journalism thrive.” Michael D. Bolden, American Press Institute, Executive Director and CEO.

Visions for leading an industry through constant change

Bolden shared his vision for API in his recent piece “The next step in my journalism journey”:

“Journalism has too often functioned as a closed ecosystem, with limited access to talent and ideas. That world can’t exist any longer, not if we want to reach new audiences and serve the ones our industry has neglected for far too long.

In this time of uncertainty, our diverse, multicultural society needs great journalism and the pursuit of truth more than ever, and the team at the American Press Institute stands at the forefront of guiding news organizations through this fog of constant change. That makes how we operate internally important.

I want to nurture a culture at the American Press Institute that is a model for how to operate an organization. By creating a paradigm at API, we can more effectively help publishers navigate the changes taking place in their newsrooms and help journalism leaders bring more empathy, transparency and understanding to their work. I believe this is just as important for the future of journalism as developing new products and subscription models.”

More about Maynard Institute Programs

Maynard Institute professional development programs have the goal of fueling the pipeline of journalists of color into the newsrooms of America. One of the Maynard Institute’s core programs, the Maynard 200 Fellowship provides advanced training and mentorship to mid-career journalists of color for promoting their career growth and expanded leadership roles.

The call for applications is now open for the updated 2022 Maynard 200 program. The application deadline is March 7, 2022. Space is limited. Learn more and apply today!

One of the Maynard Institute’s core programs, the Maynard 200 Fellowship supports the next generation of storytellers, leaders and entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds. The program provides relevant training courses, resources and mentorship by distinguished media professionals. In 2021, media strategist Dickson Louie led the media entrepreneurship track and launched a new award program. Based on the scores from a panel of media business experts, two fellows, Travers Johnson, founder of Queerency and Annie Guo VanDan, co-founder of Asian Avenue Magazine, have been recognized for their outstanding media venture pitches.

About the Maynard 200 Media Entrepreneurship Awards

The Quentin Hope Metrics Award in Entrepreneurship is a $1,000 prize funded by the Maynard Institute. It honors a teacher and coach, Quentin Hope, who guided co-executive directors Martin Reynolds and Evelyn Hsu in growing the reach and revenue of the institute. The prize is awarded to the media project business plan that scores highest for sound strategies and rigorous metrics.

The Dori J. Maynard Media Entrepreneurship Award honors the late president of the Maynard Institute and is funded by the Maynard Institute through a donation from Dickson Louie. The award provides up to $1,000 in additional entrepreneurial training through IDEO U, or an equivalent training entity, approved in advance by the Institute, to the media project that receives the highest cumulative score from the outside judges.

Congratulations Media Entrepreneurship Award Winners

Quentin Hope Metrics Award

Annie Guo VanDan is the recipient of this year’s Quintin Hope Metrics Award, which recognizes her work as president of Asian Avenue magazine, a Denver-based publication that lifts up the stories and voices of Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). She began the publication in 2006 at age 20 in collaboration with her mother, a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan.

With a Journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Annie worked in marketing and communications roles with Procter & Gamble, The Integer Group and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.

She found her passion in health equity and community engagement work and is also a change specialist for Change Matrix, where she works with diverse communities to provide training and technical assistance on racial justice, equity and inclusion. In 2009, she founded the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network, a 501(c)(3) that serves the state’s AAPI community.

She completed her MBA in Health Administration from the University of Colorado Denver in 2012 and lived briefly in San Diego before returning to Denver, her hometown. She enjoys hiking, playing tennis and spending time with her husband and their two daughters.

Dori J. Maynard Media Entrepreneurship Award

Travers Johnson received the highest overall score as founder and editor in chief of Queerency, a digital media company that highlights the best in queer business. He has more than 12 years of experience in digital media, print publishing and email marketing at some of the world’s leading companies, including Penguin Random House, Edelman and BET.

A writer and editor based in Austin, Travers was trained at Morehouse College and Georgetown University and is passionate about helping people tell their stories across various mediums.

Apply to Join the Maynard 200 Kick-off in Los Angeles

The 2022 program will be held in-person during the week of June 27th at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles, California. Maynard 200 fellows will benefit from tuition-free training and mentorship, plus air travel and lodging expenses will be covered by the Maynard Institute.

The deadline to apply for Maynard 200 is March 21st. Space is limited. Submit your application today!

Oakland Voices Co-director Rasheed Shabazz reported a two-part cover series for the East Bay Express in 2018 on the predatory towing that unlawfully targeted residents of Summer House Apartments in Alameda, California. Thanks in part to his reporting, the Alameda County District Attorney launched an investigation into Private Property Impound Inc., or PPI Towing and found “systemic fraud.” Formal charges were filed by the Alameda County District Attorney for predatory towing, falsifying documents and tax evasion in October of 2021. Shabazz recently wrote a follow-up piece about how his reporting led to the investigation and charges.

The impact of local journalism

A flagship program of the Maynard Institute, over seventy Oakland residents have completed the nine month Oakland Voices storytelling program. As the media landscape shifts, the critical role of Oakland Voices continues to grow, amplifying stories that impact the local communities of Black, indigenous and people of color. The work of Oakland Voices correspondents motivated Shabazz to report the story of PPI Towing’s corruption.

“Seeing the work of Oakland Voices’ recent graduates Brandy Collins and Iris M. Crawford inspired me to return to reporting. I’m grateful I could use data journalism to investigate and highlight the exploitation of people in my community.” Rasheed Shabazz, Oakland Voices, Co-executive Director

Photo: Oakland Voices correspondent Iris M. Crawford with program Co-director Rasheed Shabazz at the 2019 graduation ceremony.

Recent Oakland Voices alumni Iris M. Crawford received the Taylor/Blakeslee Fellowship from the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing and is now attending MIT’s graduate program for science writing. Other graduates such as Brandy Collins, who published her first cover story for the SF Weekly, and Ayodele Nzinga, who was recently inaugurated as Oakland’s first poet laureate, continue to positively impact their local communities since graduating the program.

The 2021 Oakland Voices cohort and beyond

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakland Voices had to pivot to a virtual model and plans to shift to a hybrid of online and in-person when the pandemic allows. The current cohort of Oakland Voices is the largest to date and hopes to gather in person in 2022. Recent stories featured a “Talk of the Town” series including:

• “How have you ascended through this pandemic while living in Oakland?” by Toni Rochelle
• “What is your dream for the future of Oakland?” by Raheem Divine
• “What comes to mind when you think about ‘Oakland’ and why?” by Marilu Aguilar
• “What do you love about Oakland’s food culture?” by Tyla Brown

Support the local reporting of Oakland Voices by making a donation to the Maynard Instiute today. Your tax-deductible donation directly supports the journalism that serves local communities.

We congratulate Maynard 200 fellow Raji Ramanathan on being selected as one of ten filmmakers to participate in the inaugural Sundance Institute Producers Intensive. The two-day program provides creative, strategic and professional development support for early career fiction and nonfiction producers from traditionally underrepresented communities who are poised to take the next step in their filmmaking career.

Ramanathan is an award-winning journalist and a documentary filmmaker based in California. She currently serves Al Jazeera (AJ+) as Senior Video Producer. Outside of work, she puts her energy into documentary films. She aims to tell stories that expose systemic barriers, especially when it relates to race, immigration and women.

From Maynard 200 to Sundance Institute

The nonfiction film project that Ramanathan received the Sundance Institute fellowship for is called The Civil Case. The film explores the 1980 civil lawsuit brought against three Klansmen who went on a shooting spree in Chattanooga, Tennessee, injuring five Black women. The film documents how five women fought back in a new way with the support of civil rights attorney Randolph McLaughlin, who helped the women win an important victory against the Klan and set a legal precedent for today’s court battles on racial violence.

In a recent email exchange, Ramanathan shared, “I never in a million years expected to be part of such a prestigious and resourceful family like Sundance. I’m beyond thrilled and grateful to have been selected as a fellow for the Sundance Institute’s inaugural Producers Intensive. I’ve already met several incredible women filmmakers and learned about key components of a producer’s role in filmmaking.”

With support from the Maynard 200 community

“Imposter syndrome comes crawling in when you’re a storyteller, an artist and a dreamer because you really have to be vulnerable to tell an impactful story. And while some of that fear may never go away, speaking with my peers and getting guidance from mentors at Maynard has helped to alleviate some of that anxiety,” Ramanathan added.

About the Maynard 200 Program

The Maynard Institute has trained two outstanding cohorts so far since 2018, who are now being promoted in both mainstream and ethnic media newsrooms such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, theGrio, the Associated Press, the Washington Informer, Mundo Hispanico, Nieman Journalism Lab, among many others, or earning grants for entrepreneurial media ventures. The continuation of this cornerstone program will be critical to advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in American media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. These leaders will have the opportunity to change the management culture including hiring practices in institutional and entrepreneurial news organizations. The program is tuition-free thanks to funding by Google News Initiative, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Hearthland Foundation and the McClatchy Foundation.

Learn more about the 2021 Fellows!