About me

I've been working at the intersection of technology, journalism, and community for over two decades.

I started my career building websites for local news – in 1995, less than a year after the first ever news website was launched. I’ve built platforms that have been used to organize communities, train specialists, share stories, and send footage back to the newsroom from war zones, the Olympics, Air Force One, and the top of Mount Everest.

I built Elgg, an open source social networking platform that formed the basis of my first startup, from scratch with no funding. It was translated into 80 languages and used by governments, global NGOs, and social movements that influenced the politics of entire nations.

As well as working alongside newsrooms for decades, as Senior Director of Technology at ProPublica and Chief Technology Officer at The 19th, I've worked extensively inside mission-driven newsrooms. I’ve led teams that have created best-in-class systems for activities like receiving tips securely and anonymously and building interactive storytelling. It's given me a strong understanding of how technology can empower journalists, and how it can fail them.

At Matter Ventures, I invested in early-stage media startups with the potential to change media for good. I taught venture design thinking to both startup teams and innovation teams from organizations like the Associated Press and the New York Times, helping them to overcome some of their biggest challenges. I learned what makes media startups succeed: prototype-driven thinking, sustainable business models, and teams that center their communities.

I’ve built and led teams that thrive on emotional safety, ability to innovate, open feedback, and rapid experimentation in many contexts. I know how to foster real innovation and experimentation, and create a great place to work in the process.

On this site, I discuss the business, culture, and implications of technology, outside of the hype cycle. Its readers include media executives, activists, startup founders, and big names in Silicon Valley tech. It's always free, independent, and reader-supported.

I'm having 1:1 conversations with other leaders from mission-driven organizations like newsrooms and non-profits about how they're using technology. Let's learn from each other.

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