DIRECTOR | CO-FOUNDER

jen@ledenola.org

Jennifer Larino (she/her) oversees our operations, development and editorial strategy. She is a journalist with more than a decade of experience covering local news in New Orleans. Prior to founding Lede New Orleans, she was a lead reporter at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, and, before that, managing editor at New Orleans CityBusiness. She is a 2022 JSK Journalism Fellow at Stanford University. She lives in MId-City and can be spotted riding her bike to and from our newsroom.

CO-FOUNDER

ejaaz@ledenola.org

Ejaaz Mason (he/him) Is the co-founder of Lede New Orleans. He is a film producer, director, graphic designer, and has produced more than 500 pieces of video content for Unilever, Coca-Cola and Essence Music Festival among others. Prior to founding Lede New Orleans, he taught film at New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School. Ejaaz is currently serving as a JSK Fellow at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

trevon@ledenola.org

Trevon Cole (he/him) oversees logistics, operations and supports finance for all programs. Trevon is a multimedia journalist and author. Prior to joining Lede New Orleans, he self-published two essay collections and worked as a freelance journalist for his hometown newspapers: The Houma Courier and The Daily Comet. Trevon served as a Fall 2020 Community Reporting Fellow and a Spring 2021 Senior Fellow before joining the team as Operations Coordinator.

FELLOWSHIP COORDINATOR

jay@ledenola.org

Jay Marcano (they/them) organizes program planning of the community reporting fellowship and supports the growth and well-being of its fellows. As fellowship coordinator, Jay researches, develops and maintains relationships with local community groups and coordinates in-the-field reporting assignments for each cohort. As a freelance journalist, photographer and writer, Jay focuses on stories related to the environment, culture and community action groups.

ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR

mandy@ledenola.org

Mandy Ortiz (she/her) leverages her skills as an interdisciplinary storyteller, community organizer and strategist to lead the organization’s community events, workshop programming and listening work. Her introduction to writing came from her mother and her love of storytelling from her grandfather. Her lived experience growing up as a Puerto Rican-Mexican-American in Chicago has shaped her work in cultural narration through writing and photography. Additionally, she is Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Dawn Audio, a New Orleans-based music-tech company.