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January 2011
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Daring To Be Different
Three Journalism Alumni Make Their Mark with Creative Start-Up VenturesBy Amber N. SeatonStrategic Communication Student Upon entering the Missouri School of Journalism, students must choose to pursue their studies in a specific emphasis area, likely with the hope of working in that field. However, with constant changes in the industry and economy, some adventurous alumni have used their journalism degrees as a springboard into totally unexpected career paths, sometimes at brand-new companies. For these individuals, the decision to step into new business ventures was nerve-wracking but led to great opportunities, freedom and excitement.
Liz Bohannon, MA '09While conducting research for her master's degree project, Liz Bohannon, MA '09, studied the impoverished city of Kampala, Uganda. Compelled to learn more about the country and the personal struggles of its citizens, Bohannon moved there. She wrote and photographed for a quarterly magazine published by the Cornerstone Leadership Academy, a program for talented students from underprivileged backgrounds to grow as leaders. Many of her stories were profiles of the schools within the academy and the determined children who attended them. This work helped Bohannon realize her passion for advocacy writing, that is, writing that moves readers to take action. "I loved the idea of writing for a purpose," Bohannon says. "Writing in Uganda gave me the opportunity to think creatively while trying to engage the rest of the world in the problems that Africa faces."
Kelsey Allen, BJ '10Another adventurous alumna, Kelsey Allen, also wandered into a new business dedicated to meeting the needs of the underserved. After graduating in May, Kelsey, BJ '10, moved to Chicago from her home in Omaha, Neb., to begin working as assistant editor for Renew, a lifestyle magazine for the addiction-recovery community. "When I first interviewed with Renew, the magazine was brand-new," Allen says. "I didn't know much about it, but I was definitely eager to begin my career there."
Brian Storm, MA '95Allen's path created a new direction for her career, but Brian Storm, MA '95, directed his from the beginning. Storm has long been passionate about photography and multimedia dedicated to human interest. Thus, he began MediaStorm, a multimedia production studio, and ran the company for nine months after he graduated. In 2005, after pursuing other career opportunities, Storm brought the company back in full force. "I actually started MediaStorm while I was a graduate student studying photojournalism," Storm says. "My goal at that time, and still today, was to create compelling cinematic narratives that combine the staying power of still photography and the context of an audio narrative." Storm runs the multimedia production studio from Brooklyn, N.Y. The studio publishes narratives discussing the human condition and provides multimedia-training services to students in a number of journalism schools. "There wasn't anyone solely focused on creating multimedia stories in the way I wanted to work," he says. "I started MediaStorm so I could produce these stories the way I wanted to. So I wasn't trying to start my own business as much as I was trying to lead a movement around storytelling." Since its start more than 16 years ago, MediaStorm has been recognized for its quality productions. The company has received four Webby Awards, three Emmy Awards and the first Alfred I. duPont Award for Web-based production. MediaStorm has provided picture and audio editing, broadcast video production and multimedia presentations to large organizations such as AARP, Reuters, Starbucks and The Discovery Channel.The OutlookWhile there is no doubt that each of these alumni's start-ups have been successful, both Allen and Storm still fear the economy's potential to dampen their progress. "We have received so much positive feedback from the addiction recovery community on the prototype issue we released in September," Allen says. "But positive feedback does not guarantee that investors will be eager to fork over money to support our magazine, especially with this economy. There is always a risk that our current investors could pull their funds, and Renew would be nothing more than a mere idea." Storm hopes to combat the sluggish economy by broadening MediaStorm's client base. "The most important thing for us is that we have a diverse business model," he says. "We don't rely on one client or one line of business to generate revenue." At the beginning of 2011, Storm hopes to launch several new lines of business, which will generate more revenue and attracting more clients. "These new lines of business will not only require us to expand, but also will add value to our existing lines of business," Storm said. "We will continue to work with clients to help them tell their story with the industry to share our methodology and with storytellers to help bring their work to a broad audience." In far-away Uganda, Bohannon also fears the troubled economy, but her outlook on the future of her business remains positive. "A lot of people thought I was crazy when I told them of my idea to start a retail company in the midst of a recession," she says. "But Sseko has received a positive response from American and other global consumers. And the way I see it, if we started at the worst of times, it can only get better from here."
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