Veteran NPR Journalist Joins Open Innovation Agency as Chief Storyteller

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning NPR News Senior Producer and Social Media Strategist Davar Ardalan joins the innovation agency SecondMuse as the Director of Storytelling and Engagement today. Ardalan is a passionate storyteller, whose imaginative and interactive productions have touched public radio listeners on the radio, engaged audiences across social platforms and even landed her in the popular comic strip Zippy.  

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150913/265982

"We are thrilled that Davar is joining SecondMuse and hope to increase the reach and impact of our work through her engagement in communities and telling stories of innovative members," says Carrie Freeman, a Partner at SecondMuse.

With teams based in North America, Central America, Australia, and Asia, SecondMuse supports over 300 clients, including NASA, Nike, Intel, The World Bank and USAID. SecondMuse creates an ecosystem where communities and organizations collaborate using open data and open technology to generate sustained social impact. For instance, they've advanced data access and tools for cities to understand climate impacts and helped fishing communities in the gulf of Mexico to become more sustainable.

Their projects include the National Day of Civic Hacking, New York's Next Top Makers, LAUNCH, Central America Domestic Violence Hackathon, and International Space Apps Challenge. Their work has been highlighted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, The White House, and has won The World Bank Sustainable Development project of the year.

"It's energizing to join SecondMuse as a storyteller," Ardalan says. In her new role, she will build storytelling campaigns around the world beginning with a focus on the oceans and innovative ways entrepreneurs are harnessing resources in what's known as the blue economy. "Giving voice to social innovation is imperative as rising entrepreneurs create disruptive solutions from biodegradable homewares and fashion accessories to green chemistry and inventive ways to treat wastewater," Ardalan says. "We need to amplify these cutting-edge social impact stories."

Most recently, Ardalan served as the Senior Producer of NPR's Identity and Culture Unit, traveling across the country producing live events and moderating Twitter chats in collaboration with member stations on some of the most critical issues of the day including community and policing and voting rights. She has cultivated thought leaders across platforms, generating millions of impressions across the globe via Twitter. Ardalan was also part of NPR's Climate Change coverage traveling to Alexandria, Egypt to produce a series on the rising sea levels threatening Egypt's ancient way of life.

Ardalan has also served as senior supervising producer of NPR's Weekend Edition and supervising producer for Morning Edition, covering vital stories such as the war in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. She began her radio career as a reporter in 1991 at KUNM in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  In May 2014, she was the recipient of an Ellis Island Medal of Honor, for individual achievement and for promoting cultural unity. She is the author of two books My Name is Iran and The Persian Square. Ardalan is the mother of four and lives with her husband along the Severn River and Annapolis, Maryland.

For additional information go to:
www.SecondMuse.com and follow @idavar and @SecondMuse.

Contact Information:
SecondMuse
Innovation Collaboration Agency
SecondMuse
443-520-3155
[email protected]

SOURCE SecondMuse

Related Links

http://www.SecondMuse.com