As Carnegie Corporation sharpened its focus on strengthening democracy, it faced a familiar challenge: how do you make complex, often polarizing issues accessible without oversimplifying them? While the foundation supported groundbreaking work across democracy, education, and international peace, there was no consistent editorial platform connecting those ideas into a broader public conversation or showcasing the impact of its grantees.
At the same time, audiences increasingly expected content that was fast, engaging, and easy to understand. The opportunity wasn't simply to create another explainer series, but to build a scalable editorial platform that reframed complex topics through curiosity rather than conflict—encouraging people to reconsider assumptions, engage with new perspectives, and become more active participants in civic life.
I conceived and launched There's More to Know, a short-form editorial series that transformed complex, often polarizing topics into accessible, engaging conversations. Built around the idea that there's always more to know, each episode invited audiences to reconsider familiar topics, from AI literacy and big data to rural America, through the perspectives of experts leading Carnegie-funded initiatives.
I developed a fast-paced format that combined provocative hooks, concise storytelling, and a distinctive motion design to make nuanced ideas feel approachable and engaging without sacrificing credibility. The series became a scalable platform for amplifying Carnegie's grantees and increasing exposure to the impact of Carnegie's grant-making, with the aim of inviting civic participation from audiences on those issues and openness to new perspectives.
I led the series production end-to-end, from subject selection, content strategy, interviews, filming, editing, and motion design, ensuring every episode balanced audience engagement with Carnegie's broader communications goals.
There's More to Know gave Carnegie a new way to connect its grantmaking to the public, turning complex ideas into clear, engaging stories that reached audiences beyond the philanthropy sector. By creating a consistent format for showcasing grantees and the issues they were tackling, the series helped make Carnegie's work more visible and relevant to ongoing public conversations.
More importantly, the project showed that serious ideas don't have to be difficult to engage with. With the right framing, storytelling can make complex issues more approachable and encourage people to reconsider their assumptions.
Catriona Whalley (Social Strategy)
Khafra Crooks (Associate Producer)
Aranza Caballeros (Associate Producer)
Sandra Hernandez (Associate Producer)