Redefining Local Journalism

NewsCastic was the first startup I founded, built on the idea that local journalism needed a new model. Backed by venture funding and selected from over 10,000 applicants for Dreamit Ventures, we created a story assignment marketplace where businesses and media outlets could request stories, and qualified journalists could pick them up as paid assignments. As the product lead, I launched our web and iOS platforms in 12 cities across the U.S., growing our social media reach to over 10 million per month. Along the way, we introduced local businesses to the benefits of native advertising, helping them engage audiences through authentic, story-driven content. In 2014, Mattermark recognized NewsCastic as the fastest-growing startup in New Mexico—a testament to the impact we had on local storytelling.