Headquarters, Bay Area, CA

Cristi Hegranes, Executive Director, Founder

Cristi Hegranes is the president and founder of The Press Institute. She is an award-winning journalist and a renowned international journalism trainer.

Hegranes, the recent recipient of the Ida B. Wells Award for Bravery in Journalism, has taken her education and experiences and crafted a series of truly unique and inspiring media curricula that allow journalists everywhere to live up to their potential, create ethical journalism, and allow readers to live freer, fuller lives by providing greater access to information. Cristi is the winner of a Clarion Award for Investigative Journalism, a Lifestyle Journalism Prize and numerous other honors. She holds a Masters Degree from New York University, served as a fellow-in residence at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg and received a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University in L.A., where she is often a lecturer in the English Department. Cristi also teaches News Entrepreneurship at San Francisco State University.

Read a letter from our founder

Jennifer Ruwart, Global Business Development Officer

With over 15 years of domestic and international experience in project, program, and operational management, Jennifer understands what it takes to nurture and grow big ideas. She’s worked for two of the largest health care companies in the US, spent two years with the Peace Corps in Mongolia and received an MBA from Schiller International University in Madrid, Spain. Before joining The Press Institute, she directed the successful global launch of World Pulse’s media products and developed their signature program to train grassroots women in web 2.0 and citizen journalism.

In her new role, Jennifer will work hard to keep The Press Institute on the forefront of social entrepreneurship. Her first stop is Nairobi with her husband, Shawn, and their baby, Jonah, where she will launch our first social enterprise, the Women's Media Center.

Annie Hunt, Associate Editor

April Sun, Development & Social Media Intern

April received her B.A. in Philosophy/Law and Society and Political Science. She is currently applying to law schools and plans to pursue a career in international human rights. In her free time, April enjoys traveling, wine tasting, going to art galleries and music venues, and hiking.

Samir Ghimire, Editor, News Desk, Nepal

To contact our Newsroom in Nepal, please email nepal@globalpressinstitute.org

Lin Wafula, Editor, News Desk, Kenya

Lin Wafula is The Press Institute's Director of Programs, Africa and the Editor of the Kenya News Desk. She is also the founder and director of Project Africa, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the women of rural Africa. In her spare time, Lin works as a consultant of public and cultural diplomacy, and is an online correspondent. Previously, she worked as the co-host of a Kenyan current affairs program, a feature writer and a media studies educator.

To contact our Newsroom in Kenya, please email kenya@globalpressinstitute.org

To contact our team of Reporters in India, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mexico, Chile, or Brazil please email newsroom@globalpressinstitute.org

Dave Kankiewicz, Web Developer

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