Dear Friends,
I am thrilled to announce that the Board of Directors has appointed Abby Rapoport as Media Impact Funders’ next executive director.
Abby was selected after an expansive national search conducted by Korn Ferry and brings to the role a diverse set of prior experiences as the co-founder of a media start-up, the head of a legacy media outlet, a media funder and a working journalist.
She is currently co-founder and publisher of Stranger’s Guide, an award-winning publication that explores how politics, power and culture shape daily life across the globe. With a strong emphasis on the humanities, featuring short stories, creative nonfiction and photography, Stranger’s Guide aims to combat stereotypes and expand global citizenship. It has received four National Magazine Awards.
Abby has extensive board experience, including having served on the boards of Type Media, the Texas Democracy Foundation and the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation. At the Rapoport Foundation, based in Waco, Texas, she worked collaboratively with other funders to build support for The Waco Bridge, a new local journalism initiative from The Texas Tribune. She also led working groups on building demand for civic information and on fighting disinformation, developing strong relationships with other journalism funders as well as a keen appreciation for the need to close the gap between the expectations of funders and the needs of media organizations.
Based in Austin, Abby began her career as a political reporter at The Texas Tribune, and subsequently worked as a staff writer on politics and policy for the Texas Observer and The American Prospect. Abby then served as the Observer’s acting publisher, where she worked to stabilize the publication, securing new funding and organizing key events and new initiatives.
Abby is a connector, a bridge builder and an evangelist for media funding who is passionate about helping to build the infrastructure necessary to grow and defend the field. In this moment of unprecedented challenge for journalism and documentary filmmaking, Abby is the right leader to guide Media Impact Funders’ next chapter as we work to support our members and sharpen our impact on the sector. I could not be more excited for the future of Media Impact Funders with Abby at the helm.
I’d like to thank our current executive director, Vince Stehle, for his stellar leadership of Media Impact Funders over the last 14 years and for helping to ensure a seamless transition. His last day will be Aug. 29. Abby will start in the role on Aug. 12.
Please join me in congratulating Abby on her new role as executive director of Media Impact Funders. I also invite you to join us for a virtual conversation on Aug. 18 to welcome her and learn more about her vision for the organization. Additionally, there will be many opportunities to connect with Abby in person at events throughout the fall. Please keep an eye on our calendar and future emails for more details. We are eager to hear your thoughts on how Media Impact Funders can best support you as we work toward our shared goal of creating and sustaining a vibrant, thriving and inclusive media ecosystem for all.
In Community,
Kayce Ataiyero
Board Chair
Media Impact Funders
