Speaker Bios
Boyd huppert
reporter
kare, minneapolis, mn
During his 40-year career in television news, Boyd Huppert has become widely known for his work as a video storyteller and teacher.
Boyd is marking his 30th year at KARE TV in Minneapolis where he produces the station's "Land of 10,000 Stories" segment. In addition to his reporting duties, Boyd serves as National Storytelling Coach for the 49 newsrooms of TEGNA, KARE’s owner.
Independently, Boyd has presented hundreds of visual storytelling workshops across the United States and abroad. He has served for nearly three decades as a faculty member at the Advanced Storytelling Workshop, sponsored by the National Press Photographers Association.
Boyd's work as a reporter has earned some of journalism's highest honors, including 26 National Edward R. Murrow Awards, multiple National Headliner and Sigma Delta Chi Awards, the Scripps Howard Award, the national Emmy for feature reporting and 168 regional Emmys.
In 2023, the Radio Television Digital News Foundation presented Boyd with its Lifetime Achievement Award, while the National Press Photographers Association honored Boyd with its Founder’s Award, the NPPA’s highest honor. Also in 2023, Boyd was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame. In 2016, Boyd was admitted into the Emmy Silver Circle, recognizing career contributions to the television industry.
Prior to his arrival at KARE, Boyd worked at WITI-TV in Milwaukee, KETV in Omaha, and WSAW-TV in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Boyd grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and graduated with a journalism degree from UW-River Falls, where he was named the university's 2013 distinguished alumnus.
Les Rose
Professor of Practice, BDJ
SI Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
TV News photojournalist for 38 years, mostly for CBS News/KCBS in Los Angeles. Amazing that I started when I was two. Last ten years (and counting) as a Professor of Practice in Broadcast and Digital Journalism at the Newhouse School. Zero desire for retirement. I believe journalism is a calling, and the First Amendment is first for very good reasons. Two great sons in their 20s, one very supportive wife, and I love them all beyond words. One very bad back from the first career. Still laugh like a loon with my three brothers of other mothers, yearly. Al Tompkins is a true gift to journalists. Been to 1,300 rock shows. Ketchup is NOT for hot dogs. You can love both the Beatles and the Stones. If you complain about your life, watch a blind person cross the street, and then shut the hell up. "Don't just aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference," (Denzel Washington) is my northern star. Help the interns in your newsrooms, for their sake and for journalism's future. Know the name of your janitor.
Alex Mahadevan
Director of the AI Innovation Lab
The Poynter Institute, Saint Petersburg, fl
Alex Mahadevan is the director of MediaWise, a digital media literacy initiative based at Poynter, where he's also on faculty leading its AI Innovation Lab. He's trained thousands of students, older adults and journalists in online verification, digital and AI tools and media literacy. Alex co-wrote Poynter’s AI ethics guide, led its two Summits on AI, Ethics and Journalism and co-leads Stanford's Empowering Diverse Digital Citizens Lab. He began his career as a reporter, editor, videographer and data journalist at Observer Media Group.
Adrienne Broaddus
Network Correspondent
chicago, il
Emmy Award–winning national correspondent with reporting experience at CNN, NBC Network, and MSNBC. She believes local news is the heartbeat of impactful storytelling, and some of her most meaningful work came while anchoring and reporting as a solo journalist at KARE-TV in Minneapolis, MN. Her career spans multiple markets, from Michigan to Indiana. Her heart is her specialty, and she has covered more mass shootings than she cares to count. Not everyone can sit with people on the worst days of their lives. With Adrienne, there is grace. She has a distinctive way of helping viewers understand what they can’t see—whether it’s a child’s chair left behind after a parade mass shooting, or the lingering scent of candles at a memorial. Those details that turn breaking news into human stories that stay with you.
Shawn Hoder
Vice President and News Director
WUPA, Atlanta, GA
Shawn Hoder is Vice President and News Director at CBS News and Stations' local businesses in Atlanta, GA. A West Virginia native, Hoder attended West Liberty State College to gain his bachelor's degree. Hoder has worked across the country, gaining experience at nearly every position in the newsroom. His journalism has impacted people in WTOV Steubenville, OH, WPXI Pittsburgh, PA, WFTV Orlando, FL, KIRO Seattle, WA, WJLA Washington, DC, WXIA Atlant,a GA, WBNS Columbus, OH, WTSP Tampa, FL, KDKA Pittsburgh, PA, and CBSNEWS in Atlanta, GA.
He's at his best with his wife, Brittany, two daughters, Saylor and Cruise…and their dog Lordess Emmy Winterbottom Hoder, III by his side.
Over the course of his career, Hoder has been honored with multiple Peabody Awards, numerous regional and national Edward R. Murrow Awards, as well as 50+ Emmy Awards.
Savannah Levins
Investigative Reporter
WXIA, Atlanta, ga
Savannah Levins is an award-winning investigative reporter for 11Alive News in Atlanta, where she specializes in accountability reporting that centers real people. Her work bridges rigorous investigations with deeply human storytelling, illuminating how systemic failures, government decisions, and institutional power affect real lives. Known for blending data, documents, and heart, Levins brings clarity, empathy, and urgency to investigations, showing how storytelling can drive impact, understanding, and change. She's spent most of her career as a solo video journalist and has received multiple awards, including three Emmys and three Edward R Murrow Awards for her storytelling and writing.
Jaleesa Irizarry
Senior Multimedia Journalist
KUSA, Denver, CO
If you’ve thought about applying there, Jaleesa Irizarry has probably worked there. Jaleesa is a senior multimedia journalist at KUSA in Denver, Colorado, after making stops at stations across the country.
With more than a decade of experience, she has worked as an MMJ in South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas, and now Colorado. Along the way, she has earned multiple regional Emmy Awards and Edward R. Murrow Awards for her writing, reporting and MMJ storytelling.
Since 2022, Jaleesa has also served as a faculty member for the National Press Photographers Association’s Advanced Storytelling Workshop. She credits her success to the photojournalists who took her under their wing throughout her career. Jaleesa takes pride in taking the ‘long route’ to get to her dream station and enjoys mentoring the next generation of storytellers.
Ruth Morton
PhotoJournalist
WUSA, Washington, D.C.
Ruth Morton started in news at WCAV-TV in Charlottesville, VA. She worked there for 7 years, three in production and four as a photojournalist. She came to WBFF in Baltimore in 2015 as a photojournalist, and continued to WUSA9 in Washington, D.C. in 2021 as a Special Assignment Unit photog. She has won multiple regional Emmys, Murrows, AP awards, an NPPA Best of Photojournalism, and an NPPA Judge’s Choice Award. She enjoys walking in a forest with her toddler son, watching Drag Race, and going to vegetable and/or fruit stands!
Justin Berger
Reporter
WANF, Atlanta, ga
Justin reported in Washington and North Carolina before moving back to his hometown of Atlanta, GA, to work for Atlanta News First in 2025. He spent two years at WLOS in Asheville, NC. The majority of his time at WLOS was spent covering Hurricane Helene and how the people of Western North Carolina picked up the pieces of their lives in the aftermath. Justin won an Emmy for his coverage during the storm.
Matthew Yates
Assistant chief photojournalist
WLOS, Asheville, NC
Following a love of documentaries and horror movies, Matthew stumbled into news, caught the storytelling bug and never looked back.
John Kirtley
Workshop Director and host
Sound Of Life Media, Asheville, NC
John Kirtley founded Sound Of Life Media in 2016 to spread his passion for high-quality visual storytelling in television news. He enjoys helping his clients achieve their goals in local markets all over the country and at the national level.
John told stories in newsrooms throughout the country, from North Carolina to Oregon. In his decade-long career as a storyteller, he won numerous awards, including 10 Emmy Awards, 5 Edward R. Murrow Awards, and was named the NPPA’s Ernie Crisp Photojournalist of the Year - Runner-up, the industry's highest honor for photojournalism.
John has spoken at workshops throughout the country, served as the co-director of the NPPA Southeast Storytelling Workshop, and is the director of the annual Sound of Life Storytelling Workshop.
John lives in Asheville, NC, with his wife and four children. He loves supporting independent music, coaching youth sports, Survivor, and a good acai bowl.
TIFFANI LUPENSKI
Workshop Director and host
Sound Of Life Media, HOUSTON, TX
Tiffani Lupenski is an award-winning investigative journalist and newsroom innovator with more than three decades in broadcast news. A former News Director in Portland, San Diego, and St. Louis — Tiffani has built and led powerhouse teams recognized for excellence, including an NPPA Station of the Year award.
Her investigative leadership has earned some of journalism’s highest honors — including a Peabody, IRE Award, and national Edward R. Murrow Award for exposing systemic corruption in the Chicago Police Department. Most recently, Tiffani has been a driver of the evolution of local news through content and streaming strategy, having launched successful livestream channels in both Chicago and Houston.
Tiffani currently lives in Houston, TX, with her husband, Matt. She's a devoted Texans fan, avid runner, and all-around cat fanatic. Tiffani Lupenski is an award-winning investigative journalist and newsroom innovator with more than three decades in broadcast news. A former News Director in Portland, San Diego, and St. Louis — Tiffani has built and led powerhouse teams recognized for excellence, including an NPPA Station of the Year award.
Her investigative leadership has earned some of journalism’s highest honors — including a Peabody, IRE Award, and national Edward R. Murrow Award for exposing systemic corruption in the Chicago Police Department. Most recently, Tiffani has been a driver of the evolution of local news through content and streaming strategy, having launched successful livestream channels in both Chicago and Houston.
Tiffani currently lives in Houston, TX, with her husband, Matt. She's a devoted Texans fan, avid runner, and all-around cat fanatic.