While my work has crossed over a variety of sectors, it’s easiest to explain what I do as a mix of journalism, media strategy and research. I serve as Director of Impact & Strategic Partnerships at the National Trust for Local News.

My consulting work, through the Ralstin Agency, largely focuses on business models for journalism, working with media companies, academic institutions and others on subjects such as newsletter strategy, audience engagement and business models.

Prior to launching my own consultancy, I worked as a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal in the Chicago and Los Angeles bureaux, covering national news and trends in education. I have also worked for other news organizations, such as the local-news site Patch, and produced animated videos on news literacy for the McCormick Foundation and the Center for News Literacy.

Understanding the role of media in society is a major theme in my work. I began reporting stories during a 3,000-mile bicycle trip from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast in 2007, capturing video and interviewing folks along the ride, thanks to a grant from the Medill School of Journalism.

During my time in Chicago, I served as an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University’s Medill School. Most recently, I produced an audio program on the unhoused communities in Los Angeles and Berlin for The Big Pond, a podcast from the Goethe Institute and distributed by PRX.

After graduating with degrees in journalism and international studies as well as a business minor from Northwestern University, I moved to Northern Ireland to take up my position as a UK Fulbright-Alistair Cooke scholar. In this role I reported on sectarian society and researched the role of media at Ulster University. While there, I earned a masters degree with honors in multimedia journalism. My thesis focused on the rise of populist rhetoric in the media landscape of post-conflict Northern Ireland.

In addition, I spent two years working at a start-up in Cambridge, Mass., learning about people, culture and strategy as Director of People Operations. My time at Seven Bridges informs my understanding of information dissemination, business strategy and company culture.