Priorities
Staff
Amber
Executive Director
Amber is Executive Director of Media Democracy Fund. She has a 20 year career in philanthropy, partnership development, and leadership training as a senior manager and strategic advisor in the areas of social justice, democratic engagement, and digital rights. She served for four years as MDF Deputy Director, during which time she designed and implemented strategies to expand MDF’s grantmaking portfolio and strategies, and was named by Slate Magazine in 2015 as one of the women who won Net Neutrality. Prior to joining MDF, Amber served as Director of Partnerships with Proteus Fund. She holds a BA in Ancient Greek and Latin with Linguistics.
Jacquelyn
Director of Programs
Before joining MDF, she was the Senior Investigative Researcher and Special Projects Manager at First Draft, where her research focused on disinformation affecting Black and Latinx communities. Previously, she worked at TED Conferences on projects geared towards information disorder, at her alma mater New York University conducting user experience research, and as an editor of photography at media service organizations such as Meredith Corporation and NBC Universal. She holds a Masters of Fine Art from Parsons School of Design in Art, Media, and Technology, as well as a Master of Science from NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Integrated Digital Media.
Jenny
Director of Programs
Jenny previously served as the director of equity initiatives at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalist (CUNY). In this role, she collaboratively worked with departments across the School to implement best practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She served previously as managing director of the News Integrity Initiative, a project to strengthen trust between newsrooms and communities, including addressing mis- and disinformation targeted disproportionately against BIPOC communities. Before that, Jenny was the vice president of research and chief content officer for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, a research organization for social justice philanthropy; managed the journalism portfolio of grants at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation in Chicago, and served as director of strategic initiatives at Chicago Public Media.
Kristin
Director, Special Projects
Kristin is a social researcher and organizer. From 2001 to 2016, she worked with the Future of Music Coalition, a national nonprofit that advocates for musicians. She co-directed FMC’s Artist Revenue Streams research project, which collected data directly from thousands of US-based musicians and composers to better understand the changes in their sources of income. In the 1990s, she was the co-owner of Simple Machines, a DC-based independent record label that released over seventy records in eight years. During that time, she also played guitar in the band Tsunami, which released four albums on Simple Machines and toured extensively. Kristin has a BA in Sociology and an MA in Urban Affairs and Public Policy.
Suher
Program Officer
Suher is a community advocate and campaign and policy strategist working on issues that impact marginalized communities. Before joining MDF, Suher was the Policy and Campaign Specialist at the Arab American Institute (AAI) where she launched and ran the first and only national, grassroots coalition-led movement to Get Out The Count (GOTC) of Arab Americans for the 2020 Census called 'Yalla, Count Me In!' Prior to her work at AAI, Suher served as the Government Relations Director of the University of California Student Association, where she cultivated her coalition building, policy advocacy, and community advocacy skills. Suher holds dual BAs in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies.
Tessa
Program and Development Officer
Tessa is a writer and storyteller with a range of digital media experience, including ghostwriting, research, virtual course development, and social media management. She supports MDF’s development activities, grant making, and communications. Tessa holds a BA in Written Arts.
Jaime
Manager of Research and Training
Jaime is the Manager of Research and Training. He previously worked as a senior researcher and projects manager at First Draft where he monitored political and health mis- and disinformation in Spanish-language and Latinx communities. He was a former researcher at NBC News Investigations and data editor at Type Investigations. Jaime has a BA in international relations and attended the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
Nick
Program Manager, Development and Communication
Nick manages MDF’s development activities and supports a range of other efforts to advance MDF’s mission. Nick joined the MDF staff after eight years as a consultant to MDF and other philanthropic projects, including the HKH Foundation, the Piper Fund and Public Interest Projects/NEO Philanthropy. He maintains a small photography and video production company called Light & Noise, Inc., which is currently working on long-term projects about radio astronomy and the United States atomic weapons program. Nick holds a BA in Philosophy, with a focus on feminist philosophy of science.
Sarah
Administrative Coordinator
Sarah has been with MDF part time since 2013, supporting MDF's staff with the nitty gritty of their logistics. Sarah has a BA in International Development.
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