Feet in 2 Worlds (Fi2W) Executive Producer and Founder John Rudolph will step down on April 1, 2024. John created Fi2W 20 years ago as a new way for immigrant journalists and journalists from communities of color to tell their stories on public radio. Today, Feet in 2 Worlds is a nationally-recognized leader in centering immigrant voices in journalism. An award-winning producer of podcasts and digital stories, Fi2W is a model for journalism mentorship and training and serves as a launchpad for immigrant journalists and Black journalists who become leaders in their field.
“From the beginning, Feet in 2 Worlds has been about empowering journalists from immigrant communities, the majority of them women and people of color,” Rudolph said. “The natural evolution of the organization is that it should be led by a woman of color who comes from an immigrant background. I am handing the reins to Mia to make that happen.”
The incoming Managing Director, Mia Warren, is a former Feet in 2 Worlds editing fellow and a highly skilled and respected podcast producer. She developed the first season of Feet in 2 Worlds’ award-winning podcast A Better Life? She was also a producer for StoryCorps, co-created and produced the podcast Feeling My Flo, and more recently was a senior producer at Sony Podcasts.
“I’m thrilled to be rejoining Feet in 2 Worlds as Managing Director,” Warren said. “During my Fi2W fellowship in 2020, I received close mentorship and intensive training that I’d rarely encountered in prior jobs or positions. Over the course of a year, I learned the intricacies of what it takes to be an effective editor and leader. The experience helped me assess my own strengths and weaknesses and prioritize what kind of work I want to do. And it propelled me to the next level of my career.”
“John Rudolph is a mentor and friend who’s built a successful 20 year legacy at Fi2W, and I’m excited to build upon that by working with talented journalists of color and immigrant journalists across the country. I know this community will help shepherd me in as the next leader of the organization,” continued Warren.
“Mia is an outstanding leader,” Rudolph said. “I am excited to see where she takes Feet in 2 Worlds, and I am ecstatic that our new managing director is someone who comes from within our network.”
In addition to producing ground-breaking stories from immigrant communities across the U.S., Feet in 2 Worlds’ mentoring methods have helped transform journalism. Collectively, Fi2W alumni reach millions of readers, listeners, and viewers every month with journalism informed by our training and journalistic values. Fi2W alumni also teach at colleges and universities, where they use methods developed by Feet in 2 Worlds to help shape the next generation of journalists. Feet in 2 Worlds’ mentoring methods will play an important role in the leadership transition, as a team of mentors will support Mia to ensure success in her new position.
“John has been a beloved mentor to many immigrant journalists like me for over a decade,” said Valeria Fernández, chair of the Fi2W board of directors, who is also managing editor of palabra from NAHJ and a former Feet in 2 Worlds reporting fellow. “The team and vision he realized in Fi2W had a pivotal impact on my career. It gave me the courage to write in English, to be on public radio and amplify the voices of immigrant communities.”
“It all comes full-circle as John passes the torch to Mia Warren, who is a formidable producer and will carry the spirit of mentorship through a changing and turbulent media landscape for POC journalists serving their communities,” continued Fernández.
Created in 2004 to produce a radio documentary about new immigrants in New York City, Feet in 2 Worlds is a nonprofit news organization that works with immigrant journalists around the country and brings their work to large and diverse audiences through partnerships with a wide range of news outlets. Guided by the motto, “It matters who tells the story,” Feet in 2 Worlds’ journalism covers a range of topics from elections and climate change to food in immigrant communities and the impact of Covid on immigrants.
Feet in 2 Worlds is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Ford Foundation, the David and Katherine Moore Family Foundation, the Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation, an anonymous donor and contributors to our annual NewsMatch campaign.
Feet in 2 Worlds, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, and a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News.
