Tasneem Raja
Telling Your Story
"As a journalist, I'm used to being behind the scenes and helping other people tell their stories. But when I become an entrepreneur, I realized I needed to tell my own. In this session, I'll share what I've learned as a journalist and storyteller about what makes for a good story, and how to effectively communicate your business's mission, successes, and goals."
Tasneem Raja is a writer and journalist. She writes for The New Yorker Online, the Atlantic, Mother Jones, and other national outlets. She also runs The Tyler Loop, a “small batch” hyperlocal digital newsmagazine in Tyler, Texas that focuses on policy, history, and demographics in East Texas. A former senior editor at NPR, she launched a popular podcast exploring issues of identity and race with NPR's Code Switch team. At Mother Jones, she specialized in data visualization and was part of a team that compiled the first-ever database of mass shootings in America. She's a pioneer in the field of data-driven digital storytelling, a frequent speaker on issues of inclusion and diversity in the workplace, and a die-hard fan of alt weeklies, where she got her start as a local reporter. She lives in Tyler, Texas with her husband, her stepson, and two imperious terriers.
