To address the ongoing challenges facing independent journalism, this session will explore how philanthropic funders have expanded the spectrum of capital available to support high-quality media as a ...
Carlissia Graham
Carlissia Graham is the President of New Media Ventures (NMV), a mission-driven venture fund and investor network funding early-stage media and tech companies to advance a multi-racial, representative democracy. NMV envisions a country with strong, well-resourced movements for change, expansive and trusted media platforms, and civically engaged citizens that are influencing social equity. NMV has a history of seeding innovative media disruptors like Blavity, Wonder Media Network, CrowdTangle, Juggernaut and over 120 other mission-driven entities that are working to shift the structures of power in the US to benefit more people; many of which are now widely recognized pillars of the social change community.
Carlissia is committed to expanding the media ecosystem by creating pathways for underrepresented voices to have a greater institutional footprint, particularly as it relates to increased access to capital, narrative ownership, platform accessibility, and distribution parity. She believes that media is the most powerful tool for accountability and mobilization in our democracy, and that it must center the experiences of those most unseen in order to be truly reflective.
Carlissia draws from 15 years of experience in politics and social advocacy as well as her firsthand experience as a serial entrepreneur. She has spent her career shaping the policy and governance of American institutions that are shifting society at scale - from the Obama White House to the U.S. Senate to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and even the U.S. department of Agriculture and Energy. Within the investment space, her work centers on equipping innovative changemakers with the resources and knowledge they need to scale impact, particularly in BIPOC communities.
