Independence Public Media Foundation Welcomes Seven New Board Members
PHILADELPHIA, February 4, 2025 – The Independence Public Media Foundation (IPMF) welcomes seven new members to its board of directors. The new board members bring a wide range of skills and expertise including media-making, strategic coalition-building, nonprofit governance, public relations, and philanthropy. They will join IPMF’s seven other board members in support of the foundation’s mission to move resources for media and media-making owned and led by communities harmed by systems of oppression and media erasure.
“As an organization that’s reimagining traditional philanthropic processes, we’re constantly examining ways to make all aspects of our organization, especially governance, more equitable, accessible, and accountable to our communities,” said IPMF President Molly de Aguiar. “Using an open call search for new board members, rather than an invitation-only process, is one way we’re trying to live our values.”
IPMF, through its first-ever board open call, invited community members to apply and join its board. This aligns with the foundation’s ongoing commitment to share power with communities typically excluded from philanthropy. Over 60 applications were received, and the seven new board members were selected through a three-step interview process that included conversations with the IPMF board and staff.
“As we become more established as a foundation, it’s essential to have a board and staff continuously committed to advancing philanthropic processes, policies, and decisions that promote equity and justice in our communities,” said Jamila Medley, IPMF board chair. “The new board members possess the qualities needed to do that work—and the local expertise, leadership, and creativity.”
The seven new board members are:
Alex Lewis is the co-founder and creative director of Rowhome Productions, a Philadelphia-based audio production agency that specializes in making podcasts, radio documentaries, audio tours, and other narrative audio projects. Prior to Rowhome, Alex spent more than a decade producing award-winning audio documentaries and podcasts for National Public Radio (NPR), BBC Radio 4, and many other public media outlets, media companies, and local organizations. His work has been recognized with a Peabody Nomination and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He's a graduate of the Transom Story Workshop and studied music theory at Northwestern University.
Ana Graciela Méndez is a Panamanian-American journalist and product manager at the Marshall Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the criminal justice system. In a previous role, she served as special projects editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer’s former Lenfest Local Lab, a community-centered, experimental product team that sought to improve the news experience in the Philadelphia region. Ana, along with a small group of New York Times journalists, was awarded a 2017 Gerald Loeb Award for graphics for an investigation into the construction of the Panama Canal’s new set of locks. Additionally, her interests in community news and bridging information gaps led her to co-found Nueva Nación, a digital news organization in her native Panama. Ana is currently based in Philadelphia.
Ahmed Moor is a Palestinian-American writer born in Gaza. He founded a development finance company which operated in Egypt and Jordan. In addition, Ahmed worked as a journalist in Beirut, Lebanon, where he wrote about politics, human rights, Palestine, and migration. His work has been published in the Guardian, the London Review of Books, the Nation, and other publications. He co-edited “After Zionism: One State for Israel and Palestine” published by Saqi Books in 2012, and he is currently writing a book about Palestine. He currently serves on the advisory board for the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights and is a Fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Ahmed calls Philadelphia home.
Hannah Sassaman is a community organizer with over twenty years of experience organizing for power and tech justice. She is the executive director of People's Tech Project, which supports social movements in developing a positive vision of how technology can contribute to a liberatory world. Previously, as the longtime policy director at Movement Alliance Project (MAP), Hannah spearheaded the CAP Comcast campaign, which helped thousands of Philadelphians win affordable internet for themselves and their communities, and served as a model for community accountability campaigns on telecommunications companies nationwide. In addition, as the campaign director at Prometheus Radio Project, Hannah fought the powerful national broadcasters’ lobby and led the community and legislative strategy that helped pass the Local Community Radio Act, a federal bill that allowed thousands of communities to build their own local radio stations. She lives with her family in West Philly.
Lauren Stebbins is a program officer with The Barra Foundation focusing on developing and implementing impact investing strategies that accompany the foundation’s grantmaking. Before joining Barra, she served as a development project manager with Stone Sherick Consulting Group where she focused on project management and fundraising for affordable housing and mixed-use real estate projects. Lauren also served as a vice president at Opportunity Finance Network where she managed programmatic initiatives designed to provide capacity-building resources, financial support, and learning opportunities to community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Lauren is passionate about addressing systemic inequities that hinder access to resources for marginalized populations. She holds an undergraduate degree in sociology and political science from Brown University and a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.
Meaghan F. Washington is a native Philadelphian currently serving as the deputy communications director for the office of Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson. She is also the owner of Francis Goodwin Public Relations. As a communications strategist, she brings 15 years of expertise in PR, marketing, and branding for high-profile clients in healthcare, real estate, education, and the arts. She was the lead communications strategist with the Philadelphia City Archives, Little Giant Creative, and Mural Arts Philadelphia on the critically acclaimed project “Legacy Reclaimed: 7th Ward Tribute.” She previously served on the board of Mariposa Food Co-op. She has a B.A. in communications and political science from Albright College. She is also a devoted mother of two young children and an active member of her faith community.
Zainab Sultan is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and impact producer whose work focuses on diversifying filmmaking spaces. Raised in Saudi Arabia, she spent several years working as a journalist in Doha, Qatar, where she developed her passion for storytelling. Her latest documentary, “Stand Up for Madinah,” premiered on Al Jazeera English. Zainab also served as the outreach and impact manager for “To Kill a Tiger,” a documentary nominated for the 96th Academy Awards. Zainab has worked with renowned film festivals, such as DOC NYC, where she managed key programmatic initiatives. She is a steering committee member of Bitchitra Collective: Indian Women in Documentary, an organization advocating for the rights of women and non-binary filmmakers of Indian origin in the U.S. and India. She is also a proud member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Asian American Documentary Network, and Global Impact Producers Alliance. Zainab's writing has been featured in Columbia Journalism Review, Al Jazeera English, U.S. News, and others. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and three kids.
For the complete list of IPMF Board of Directors please visit our team page.
For more information, contact Enni Aigbomian, enni@independencemedia.org
About Independence Public Media Foundation
Formerly known as WYBE Channel 35, Independence Public Media Foundation was founded in 2018 when WYBE sold its broadcast license as part of the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadcast Incentive Auction and received a one-time payment of $131.5 million. With these funds, IPMF supports community-owned and -led media and internet projects in the Greater Philadelphia area. The foundation envisions a local media landscape that truly reflects the diverse and complex lived experiences of its residents by moving resources to communities historically harmed by systems of oppression and media erasure.
