The Pivot Fund Team
Tracie Powell, Founder of The Pivot Fund
Julian Boaitey, Director of Finance and Operations
Tracie Powell, Founder of The Pivot Fund
Tracie Powell is a leader in philanthropic efforts to increase racial equity and diversity in news media. She is the founder of The Pivot Fund, which seeks to support independent BIPOC community news.
Powell was a Fall 2021 Shorenstein Center Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, where she researched mechanisms for funding and cap
Tracie Powell is a leader in philanthropic efforts to increase racial equity and diversity in news media. She is the founder of The Pivot Fund, which seeks to support independent BIPOC community news.
Powell was a Fall 2021 Shorenstein Center Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, where she researched mechanisms for funding and capacity building for media outlets run by and for BIPOCTM (Black, Indigenous, other people of color, and traditionally marginalized) communities. Powell is the immediate past board chair of LION Publishers, a professional journalism association for independent news publishers where she had served on the board since 2017.
Prior to her work with The Pivot Fund and Harvard, Powell was founding fund manager of the Racial Equity in Journalism (REJ) Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. Powell is also the founder of AllDigitocracy.org, which focuses on the media and its impact on diverse communities. She was a senior fellow with the Democracy Fund, where she worked on the Public Square Initiative that seeks to support informed dialogue through nonprofit journalism investments. Powell was a 2016 JSK (Knight) Fellow at Stanford University and has written regularly for the Columbia Journalism Review and Poynter Online. Her work has been highlighted by countless journalism and academic institutions, including Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab. She is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and The University of Georgia’s Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Susan Smith Richardson, Managing Director
Julian Boaitey, Director of Finance and Operations
Tracie Powell, Founder of The Pivot Fund
Susan Smith Richardson is a veteran journalist and journalism educator. She has held leadership roles at the Guardian, the Center for Public Integrity and the Chicago Tribune. She has taught at Columbia College Chicago and Arizona State University, where she was the inaugural Ida B. Wells Professor of Practice. Richardson has served on tw
Susan Smith Richardson is a veteran journalist and journalism educator. She has held leadership roles at the Guardian, the Center for Public Integrity and the Chicago Tribune. She has taught at Columbia College Chicago and Arizona State University, where she was the inaugural Ida B. Wells Professor of Practice. Richardson has served on two Pulitzer Prize panels and was a 2002 Nieman Fellow at Harvard.
Julian Boaitey, Director of Finance and Operations
Julian Boaitey, Director of Finance and Operations
Julian Boaitey, Director of Finance and Operations
Julian Boaitey, Director of Finance and Operations, oversees accounting, financial
reporting, and operations for The Pivot Fund. He brings over 9 years of finance and
accounting management experience with non-profit organizations to the role.
Julian is experienced in virtually all aspects of finance and accounting management,
including financ
Julian Boaitey, Director of Finance and Operations, oversees accounting, financial
reporting, and operations for The Pivot Fund. He brings over 9 years of finance and
accounting management experience with non-profit organizations to the role.
Julian is experienced in virtually all aspects of finance and accounting management,
including financial reporting, budgeting, financial modeling and analysis, business
planning, and process improvement.
Julian received his BA, Business Administration and Accounting, from Drexel University
in Philadelphia, PA in 2012.
Justin Rushing, Chief Revenue Officer
Julian Boaitey, Director of Finance and Operations
Julian Boaitey, Director of Finance and Operations
Justin Rushing is a seasoned multimedia professional with 15 years of experience working across traditional, local, and emerging media companies.
During this time he has worked in many capacities across the industry with focuses specific to business development, digital advertising, and audience engagement.
Notable chapters of his professi
Justin Rushing is a seasoned multimedia professional with 15 years of experience working across traditional, local, and emerging media companies.
During this time he has worked in many capacities across the industry with focuses specific to business development, digital advertising, and audience engagement.
Notable chapters of his professional journey include roles at ESPN, EW Scripps, and Cars.com, as well as working across non-profit news media for the Memphis-based Daily Memphian and the San Diego investigative-focused inewsource.
In his recent position as Director of Growth and Partnerships at inewsource, Justin led a collaborative team dedicated to audience development, brand strategies, product optimization, and revenue attainment. He took the lead in fostering community and brand engagement, showcasing a steadfast commitment to the organization's editorial coverage and mission.
Over the past 8 years in senior leadership roles, Justin has consistently demonstrated a strong passion for innovation and collaboration leading to new organizational initiatives, job creation, and enhanced work culture.
In his new role as Chief Revenue Officer for the Pivot Fund Justin combines leadership, strategic vision, and a proven track record to guide the organization's sustainable growth and success.
His diverse background, uniquely positions him to navigate the dynamic landscape of revenue generation, ensuring continued success for the organization.
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Christian Monterrosa, Portfolio Manager
Eric Ortiz, Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation
Jean Marie Brown, Director of Research, Learning, and Evaluation
Christian Monterrosa is an accomplished photojournalist and reporter who has freelanced for top news outlets including The Associated Press, The New York Times, and Bloomberg. Committed to supporting fellow journalists, he served as the Western Region Chair for the National Press Photographers Association, advocating for the rights and r
Christian Monterrosa is an accomplished photojournalist and reporter who has freelanced for top news outlets including The Associated Press, The New York Times, and Bloomberg. Committed to supporting fellow journalists, he served as the Western Region Chair for the National Press Photographers Association, advocating for the rights and resources of visual journalists.
Christian was previously the Community Manager at LION Publishers. In this role, he fostered community and organized local events to enhance networking opportunities. Christian now serves as The Pivot Fund's portfolio manager, aiming to establish a transparent and trusting partnership with grantees. He envisions an environment where grantees can focus on informing and empowering their communities, free from the challenges of navigating funding complexities.
Jean Marie Brown, Director of Research, Learning, and Evaluation
Eric Ortiz, Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation
Jean Marie Brown, Director of Research, Learning, and Evaluation
Before joining the Department of Journalism at TCU, Jean Marie Brown held management positions at the Star-Telegram and The Charlotte Observer. She also taught leadership at the Poynter Institute. Previously, she was a newspaper executive at Knight Ridder and McClatchy newspapers; and a reporter for The Post-Tribune in Gary, Indiana, a
Before joining the Department of Journalism at TCU, Jean Marie Brown held management positions at the Star-Telegram and The Charlotte Observer. She also taught leadership at the Poynter Institute. Previously, she was a newspaper executive at Knight Ridder and McClatchy newspapers; and a reporter for The Post-Tribune in Gary, Indiana, and the Chicago Bureau of The Wall Street Journal. During her time at The Post-Tribune, she co-authored an award-winning series that examined the effects of racial segregation on Northwest Indiana.
Eric Ortiz, Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation
Eric Ortiz, Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation
Eric Ortiz, Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation
Eric Ortiz has 25+ years in journalism and community building and loves to make a difference through innovation. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in English, he started his journalism career as a digital editor in the early days of ESPN.com. Eric spent eight years at ESPN, then built NESN.com into the No. 1 regional
Eric Ortiz has 25+ years in journalism and community building and loves to make a difference through innovation. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in English, he started his journalism career as a digital editor in the early days of ESPN.com. Eric spent eight years at ESPN, then built NESN.com into the No. 1 regional sports website in the United States as founding editor of New England Sports Network's new media team. In 2013, he was named a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford and shifted his focus to media entrepreneurship, local news sustainability, and empowering marginalized communities through journalism. He built a platform for mobile media production and journalism, then founded and ran a tech media company to democratize local news and community reporting. Since then, he has built and led newsrooms in all types of for-profit and nonprofit media environments, from national and international news to social justice and community development, overseeing all aspects of editorial, revenue, operations, and growth activities. His focus now is on community journalism at the intersection of community engagement, youth development, and community empowerment with underserved communities. In spring 2024, Eric founded the Youth Community Journalism Institute at the Strong Mind Strong Body Foundation, a youth and community development organization in Minneapolis where he is executive director. The institute's mission is to provide equitable access to journalism opportunities starting in middle school. He is inspired to teach students of all ages how they can use community journalism and restorative practices to create solutions and strengthen their own communities so everyone in every community has the opportunity to thrive.
Elaina Di Monaco, Associate Director of Philanthropy
Eric Ortiz, Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation
Eric Ortiz, Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation
Elaina Di Monaco (they/them) is a nonprofit media professional who works at the intersection of development, engagement, and collaboration with a focus on maximizing impact and driving equitable journalism for BIPOCTM communities. They previously managed audience engagement and development for Billy Penn at WHYY in Philadelphia, and insti
Elaina Di Monaco (they/them) is a nonprofit media professional who works at the intersection of development, engagement, and collaboration with a focus on maximizing impact and driving equitable journalism for BIPOCTM communities. They previously managed audience engagement and development for Billy Penn at WHYY in Philadelphia, and institutional philanthropy for the Center for Public Integrity, where they also served as an elected officer of Public Integrity’s union with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild. They are passionate about ethical and impactful storytelling, intentional wealth redistribution, and journalism that serves the people. Elaina’s background includes arts management, live event production, theatre direction and dramaturgy. Elaina, raised in the South, now resides in Philadelphia with their wife, Emma, and two cats. They are an active member of Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ community.
Paola Marizán, Communications Manager
Paola Marizán, Communications Manager
Paola Marizán, Communications Manager
Paola Nicole Marizán is a Multilingual Content Strategist, Engagement Growth Expert, Journalist, and Podcaster with over 10 years of experience. Paola excels in supporting initiatives that elevate diverse voices and stories through community building and engagement. Her work as a multilingual journalist has been featured in The New York T
Paola Nicole Marizán is a Multilingual Content Strategist, Engagement Growth Expert, Journalist, and Podcaster with over 10 years of experience. Paola excels in supporting initiatives that elevate diverse voices and stories through community building and engagement. Her work as a multilingual journalist has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, PBS, and Medium.
Paola brings a wealth of experience in producing, hosting, and developing podcasts, radio shows, and multimedia content for diverse platforms and audiences. She is a certified project management professional (PMP), committed to designing and implementing content strategies that foster dialogue, understanding, and connection among different communities and cultures.
Her recent roles include serving as an Engagement Trainer for America Amplified and as the host and developer of the "¿Qué Pasa Midwest?" podcast for PRX/NPR. Paola has also collaborated with organizations like The Center for Public Integrity and The Cutaway Magazine, contributing her voice and expertise to a wide range of creative and journalistic endeavors.
Fluent in Spanish and English, Paola holds certifications in digital marketing, project management, and life coaching. Her mission is to empower and support partners and collaborators in creating impactful multilingual content strategies that connect communities worldwide.
Daymeia Wimberley, Staff Associate
Paola Marizán, Communications Manager
Paola Marizán, Communications Manager
With a background in operations, executive support, and event management, Daymeia brings a strong organizational skill set and a passion for creating streamlined, collaborative workflows. She's worked in roles across news organizations, tech startups, and education, where she managed project coordination, supported senior leadership, and
With a background in operations, executive support, and event management, Daymeia brings a strong organizational skill set and a passion for creating streamlined, collaborative workflows. She's worked in roles across news organizations, tech startups, and education, where she managed project coordination, supported senior leadership, and led staff enrichment initiatives. Her experience in people operations and internal communications has equipped her to foster productive, inclusive environments that support both individual and team success.
The Pivot Fund Advisors
Fran Scarlett
Alberto B. Mendoza
Alberto B. Mendoza
Fran Scarlett is a business strategist, coach and consultant who is passionate about building and growing entrepreneurial news organizations.
She is a member of Blue Engine Collaborative, a new consortium of consultants and advisors to media companies, startups, foundations, academia, and others, on revenue and audience growth, product
Fran Scarlett is a business strategist, coach and consultant who is passionate about building and growing entrepreneurial news organizations.
She is a member of Blue Engine Collaborative, a new consortium of consultants and advisors to media companies, startups, foundations, academia, and others, on revenue and audience growth, product development, consumer user experience and digital strategy.
Fran is a coach in the Facebook Accelerator programs, the GNI-INN Sponsorship Lab and the Knight-Lenfest Table Stakes program at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is an alum of and a coach in the Poynter Institute’s Media Transformation Challenge (MTC) executive fellowship program. Fran has worked in news media companies of all sizes and has started and run two publications targeted to underrepresented audiences. She also worked with many entrepreneurial and established companies across multiple industries. Recently she served as chief knowledge officer at the Institute for Nonprofit News, a network of 300+ nonprofit, mostly digital newsrooms where she oversaw the network’s capacity-building programs in leadership, equity, revenue and management. Fran has a B.S. in Mass Communications, Advertising from Boston University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is an avid gardener and has a goal to visit three continents in one year.
Alberto B. Mendoza
Alberto B. Mendoza
Alberto B. Mendoza
Alberto B. Mendoza is a managing director for the world renowned John S. Knight Journalism (JSK) Fellowships at Stanford University.
The program trains, develops and supports emerging and veteran journalists around the world. Alberto’s expertise areas are in nonprofit management, mentorship, DEI initiatives, fundraising and entrepreneur
Alberto B. Mendoza is a managing director for the world renowned John S. Knight Journalism (JSK) Fellowships at Stanford University.
The program trains, develops and supports emerging and veteran journalists around the world. Alberto’s expertise areas are in nonprofit management, mentorship, DEI initiatives, fundraising and entrepreneurship. Prior to joining JSK, he was the Executive Director for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) for nearly six years.
At NAHJ, he launched several new initiatives, including several multi-million dollar fundraising drives, ts and palabra, a multimedia outlet that hires freelance journalists to tell stories of the Latino community and the Hispanic Cultural Competency Handbook for newsrooms. The organization also expanded its partnerships and reach to provide mentoring, leadership development and training for it’s 4,250 + members. Alberto is also a coach for several journalism and fundraising training programs and is an alumnus of the Poynter Institute’s Media Transformation Challenge (MTC) executive fellowship program. Prior to joining NAHJ, Alberto held leadership positions in nonprofit education, environmental and health organizations. Among his major roles: western regional vice president of Jumpstart, an early childhood education nonprofit organization and president and CEO of the Coalition for Clean Air (CCA), a California policy and advocacy organization. Alberto is founder of Honor41.org, a 10 year old online non-profit organization that promotes Latinx LGBTQ role models through social media, education and storytelling. Alberto was inspired to launch Honor 41 because of his personal experience of being bullied and teased in high school for being gay. Honor 41 is an extension of his work as a leader in LGBTQ advocacy, community organizing and HIV/AIDS organizations, work he has been doing for over 30 years.
Alberto was born in Mexico and was raised in Puerto Rico and San Diego. He is a graduate of California Polytechnic University in Pomona, Californi
Sewell Chan
Alberto B. Mendoza
Marisol Bello
Sewell Chan was named editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune,
a nonprofit, nonpartisan, member-supported newsroom, in 2021.
Sewell was previously a deputy managing editor and then editorial page editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversaw coverage of criminal justice reform that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing.
Before
Sewell Chan was named editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune,
a nonprofit, nonpartisan, member-supported newsroom, in 2021.
Sewell was previously a deputy managing editor and then editorial page editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversaw coverage of criminal justice reform that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing.
Before joining The Times in September 2018, Sewell worked for 14 years at the New York Times, where he was a metro reporter, Washington correspondent, deputy Op-Ed editor and international news editor. Sewell began his career in July 2000 as a reporter at the Washington Post.
A native New Yorker, Sewell grew up in an immigrant family and was the first in his family to finish college.
He graduated from Harvard with a degree in social studies and received a master’s degree in politics from Oxford, where he studied on a British Marshall scholarship.
Sewell serves on the board of the News Leaders Assn. (formerly the American Society of News Editors) and the Board of Incorporators of Harvard Magazine.
He was previously a member of the national advisory board at the Poynter Institute.
Marisol Bello
Alberto B. Mendoza
Marisol Bello
Marisol Bello is a veteran storyteller. First as a career journalist- most recently at USA TODAY - telling the stories of families working to make ends meet, and then in the nonprofit world, where she led narrative strategies to change hearts and minds about those living on the brink and move people to action. She is the project director
Marisol Bello is a veteran storyteller. First as a career journalist- most recently at USA TODAY - telling the stories of families working to make ends meet, and then in the nonprofit world, where she led narrative strategies to change hearts and minds about those living on the brink and move people to action. She is the project director for the Housing Narrative Lab, a communications hub focused on changing the story about homelessness so everyone has a safe place to call home. Before that, she was the communications director at Community Change, where she championed how the organization created transformational narratives on issues affecting immigrants, Black and Brown voters, parents needing quality child care and families who need safe homes to lay their heads down at night. She started a unique network of storytellers made up of impacted people to raise the voices of those most affected. They are writers, videographers, designers, photographers and other creatives who tell their stories and those of their communities. A first generation American from a Caribbean family full of colorful storytellers, Marisol is originally from the Bronx and yes, she is a Yankees fan. She lives in Washington, DC with her family and a pandemic puppy named Chloe.
Pamala Silas
LaSharah S. Bunting
Pamala Silas
Pamala Silas is Associate Director, Community Outreach and Engagement for the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern University. Pamala has been a recognized leader for over 25 years addressing issues of equity, leadership, community development, housing and education in under-represented communities. She has
Pamala Silas is Associate Director, Community Outreach and Engagement for the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern University. Pamala has been a recognized leader for over 25 years addressing issues of equity, leadership, community development, housing and education in under-represented communities. She has successfully led regional and national non-profit organizations as well as served on boards, councils, task forces addressing these issues.
Her former positions include; Executive Director for National American Indian Housing Council, Native American Journalists Association and prior to forming her own Association Management & Consulting Company, Pam served 8 years as CEO of American Indian Science & Engineering Society’s national operation. In Chicago, she served as Executive Director for Metropolitan Tenants Organization, leading housing campaigns and aggressive direct organizing efforts with low-income tenants. Pamala has a B.S. in Economics from DePaul University and is a Certified Association Executive (CAE). She is an enrolled member of the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin and descendant of the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin.
Jamaal Glenn
LaSharah S. Bunting
Pamala Silas
Jamaal Glenn is a Director at Schmidt Futures, where he leads the organization’s entrepreneurship programs and for-profit venture investments.
Jamaal is also an adjunct professor at New York University, where he teaches graduate and executive education courses on finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Jamaal is also the founder of Glen
Jamaal Glenn is a Director at Schmidt Futures, where he leads the organization’s entrepreneurship programs and for-profit venture investments.
Jamaal is also an adjunct professor at New York University, where he teaches graduate and executive education courses on finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Jamaal is also the founder of Glenn Media Group, a boutique consulting firm with clients that include Google, Harvard University, and the City of New York.
Previously, Jamaal has been an investor and executive at Alumni Ventures Group, a global venture capital firm, First Look Media, a media startup founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, and Inneractive, a venture-backed tech startup that was acquired in 2016. He also founded and sold Politiconomist.com and Capitolista.com, and worked at Google and J.P. Morgan. Jamaal is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a New Urban Progress Fellow with Das Progressive Zentrum, a German think tank. Jamaal received an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and bachelors degrees in finance and journalism from the University of Missouri.
Jennifer Kho
LaSharah S. Bunting
LaSharah S. Bunting
Jennifer Kho is the Vice President of Journalism and Information Equity at DoGoodery, a sustainability consultancy, and a digital news leader advising Canary Media, Bay City News Foundation and other news organizations.
She co-authored a Membership Puzzle Project report on building news communities in July, and also serves as president of
Jennifer Kho is the Vice President of Journalism and Information Equity at DoGoodery, a sustainability consultancy, and a digital news leader advising Canary Media, Bay City News Foundation and other news organizations.
She co-authored a Membership Puzzle Project report on building news communities in July, and also serves as president of the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS).
Her previous leadership roles include the senior director of strategic innovation at HuffPost, where she led the development of new audience engagement, storytelling and revenue models, including membership; managing editor for HuffPost; and managing editor for the Guardian US.
LaSharah S. Bunting
LaSharah S. Bunting
LaSharah S. Bunting
LaSharah S. Bunting is Vice President and Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster. She previously served as the Director/Journalism at Knight Foundation, managing a portfolio of grants and initiatives focused on advancing organizational transformation, equity, and diversity in journalism. Before joining Knight, LaSharah spent nearly 14 years
LaSharah S. Bunting is Vice President and Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster. She previously served as the Director/Journalism at Knight Foundation, managing a portfolio of grants and initiatives focused on advancing organizational transformation, equity, and diversity in journalism. Before joining Knight, LaSharah spent nearly 14 years at The New York Times, where she led digital and organizational transformation across the newsroom and served in various editing roles. She began her career as an editor at The Dallas Morning News. LaSharah serves on the board of directors of Outlier Media, Open Campus, and Dow Jones News Fund, as well as on the advisory board of Military Veterans in Journalism.
Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar
Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar
Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar
Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar is a fundraiser, connector, and advocate for journalism. She is the Director of Development at the Conversation. Previously, she was at CalMatters, where she worked closely with the publisher from the nonprofit's early days to build out and grow diverse revenue streams focused on major gifts. Priyanka has a deep ba
Priyanka Sharma-Sindhar is a fundraiser, connector, and advocate for journalism. She is the Director of Development at the Conversation. Previously, she was at CalMatters, where she worked closely with the publisher from the nonprofit's early days to build out and grow diverse revenue streams focused on major gifts. Priyanka has a deep background in journalism, having worked as a reporter for many years. Early in her career, she co-founded an award-winning city magazine and website covering Oakland, one of the first genuinely local news sites in California, garnering the attention of news observers locally and nationally. She decided to move to the revenue side after AOL's Patch local news network collapsed, where she served as a Regional Editor. She ran her content and marketing consultancy and a successful content marketing studio catering to Fortune 500 tech corporations for Informa, a multinational publishing and events corporation. Priyanka is an alumna of UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.