A massive transition in local news ownership is underway. This presents a generational opportunity to transform community news to be more equitable and responsive to community information needs. We want to be a part of it.
We are a team of community news founders and other folks inspired by the rise in independent news. We help journalist entrepreneurs focus on their journalism by taking as much off their plates as we can.
Indiegraf is led by sisters Caitlin Havlak, CTO, and Erin Millar, CEO, who worked together on growing The Discourse, a community-funded outlet that has won numerous awards across North America for its ambitious journalism.
When you join the Indiegraf network, you add the following people to your team:
Caitlin Havlak
Co-founder & Chief Product Officer
Caitlin is a developer and data analyst who uses her data and technology skills to drive audience revenue and growth potential for news outlets. She helped develop The Discourse’s audience revenue and growth strategy. She also led data journalism at The Discourse and taught data visualization at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism as an adjunct professor.
Erin Millar
Co-founder & CEO
Erin Millar is the CEO and Co-founder of Indiegraf where she works to grow community media businesses across Canada and the U.S. She’s a journalist and entrepreneur who founded The Discourse, where she led an award-winning journalism team and developed a successful business model for in-depth local news. She regularly contributes as an industry organizer and advocate on government policy. She is chair of the Canadian Journalism Collective, a non-profit created to distribute $100 million annual fund from Google to support sustainability and innovation in the Canadian news ecosystem.
Allison McIlmoyl
Senior Product Manager, Advertising
Allison brings nearly a decade of experience with her in communications and administration. She has worked in both the private and non-profit sectors with roles at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation and Maven Water & Environment. Allison loves volunteering, reading, and creating, and is passionate about work that enriches the lives of Canadians.
Carol Cavaleiro
Product Director
Based in Rio de Janeiro, Carol combines product, design and news. As an infographic designer, she has worked at the biggest media outlets in Brazil for over 10 years. In 2015, she co-founded Aos Fatos, an award-winning fact-checking agency, where she was head of innovation, responsible for digital products.
Anastasiya Razumyeyeva
Product Designer
Anastasiya is a trilingual graphic designer with a background in languages. Her education in both fields made her value the combined potential of words and visuals to communicate any idea. Her experience features work with nonprofits and businesses that seek positive change. She was raised in Montreal and is now based in Vancouver.
Kay Watanabe
Senior Implementation Developer
Kay is a developer with a great eye for design based in Vancouver. Her decade-long experience in sales and marketing in Canada and Japan developed her customer-focused creative thinking. She brings innovative business solutions to small to mid-sized businesses in her freelance work. She is passionate about contributing to business growth through her work.
Amy Van Es
Director, Client Operations
Amy is a digital strategist passionate about making the internet an equitable space. She spent the first decade of her career growing audiences in tech and publishing (most recently, as Deputy Editor at Today’s Parent) and has resolved to spend the second sharing what she learned to empower both individuals as digital citizens, and impact-driven projects.
Vanessa Reid
Senior Product Developer
Vanessa is a web developer who is passionate about exploring the power of art and technology to engage communities through digital storytelling. She graduated with distinction from Toronto Metropolitan University’s RTA School of Media and has worked on the digital teams at Deloitte, the Canadian Mental Health Association, MuchMusic/MTV, Concordia University and the Toronto International Film Festival.
Ramona Wildeman
Sponsorship Manager
Ramona is a creative sales agent, passionate about community-based-journalism. Previously she worked in advertising sales with Black Press Media and as a lender with Coast Capital Savings. Ramona’s passions include connecting with people, storytelling and practising the art of observation, camera in hand.
Bryn Ossington
Senior Manager, Publisher Experience
Bryn is based in Squamish, B.C. and brings experience from a diverse background in non-profits, publishing, and technology sectors. His roles have included Manager of Customer Success at an ad technology firm, Custom Services Lead at a fundraising startup, and Director of Product at a mental health-focused company. He was also the founding Publisher of the Community Edition, serving Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. Bryn is a staunch advocate for community media and is committed to finding a sustainable balance between community-supported and conventional business models to foster a dynamic media environment.
Elvin Noriega
Senior Manager, Expert Services
Elvin is a marketing strategist based in the U.S. with a B.S. in Marketing & Entrepreneurship from FGCU. Elvin’s expertise spans audience growth & development, revenue development, and advertising and sponsorship strategy. Prior to joining Indiegraf, Elvin led impactful initiatives in audience, product, and revenue development at the media startup Project Pulso.
Harvinder Singh
Senior Developer
Harvinder is a senior web developer with over 10 years of experience in the web development field. He has worked on various frontend and backend focused projects involving a diverse set of technologies like PHP, Javascript, React, HTML, CSS etc. He has a passion for coding and is always eager to find solutions to the problems around product development.
Austin Carter
Finance & Sponsorship Coordinator
Austin is a graduate of Athabasca University with a bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accounting. Before joining the Indiegraf team, Austin worked in administration and bookkeeping for various businesses, including Global Construction, LineOne and Securmedic. He is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and likes to play basketball with friends in his free time. He enjoys exercise, traveling and learning, and he tries to read a book every month.
Caroline Dinall
Publisher Guide
Caroline is a Toronto-based writer and strategist passionate about creating meaningful relationships between brands and consumers. While she has worked with legacy media companies like CTV News Channel, CBC, and Rogers TV, independent media and publications hold a special place in her heart. Prior to joining Indiegraf, she has found fulfillment in supporting entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses through community-based entrepreneurial programs.
Erica Ngao
Impact Manager
Erica is a Toronto-based writer, editor and fact-checker. Prior to Indiegraf, she was the associate editor at Reader’s Digest Canada. She has also worked at ELLE Canada and The Walrus. Previously, she participated in the Solutions Journalism Network Mentorship Program and the Nordic-Canadian Fellowship in Environmental Journalism. She studied journalism and curatorial studies at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Montse Cortez
Specialist, Sales & Marketing
Montse is originally from Mexico City but now calls Calgary her home. She is passionate about using digital strategies for social and environmental good. Montse specializes in creating engaging content and employing data-driven strategies to enhance online presence. In her previous role at Sistema.bio, she led social media efforts across Latin America, Africa and South Asia, focusing on generating leads and driving sales. Outside of work, she enjoys honing her skills in pastry arts.
Hannah Carty
Audience Strategist
Hannah is a Toronto-based writer and editor. Before joining Indiegraf, Hannah was a reporter at the Investigative Journalism Foundation and the editor of The Varsity, the University of Toronto’s student newspaper. In her free time, she enjoys making coffee and taking lengthy walks around Toronto.
Kimberly Arcand
Senior Customer Support Specialist
Kimberly has worked in the tech sector for nearly a decade as a customer success and knowledge management specialist, supporting entrepreneurs and nonprofits through an educational lens. Growing up in a small town, Kimberly understands the importance and need for local news and community-led journalism to nurture civic engagement. When Kimberly is offline, she’s creating sketchbook art or hanging out with furry little friends. Kimberly is based in Ottawa, Canada.
Valeria Angel
Publisher Guide
Valeria, a bilingual marketer, specializes in executing impactful marketing strategies across diverse industries, focusing on project management. As an Account Manager at Asterisk Marketing and a Marketing Manager at Humanly, she adeptly managed client relationships and orchestrated dynamic digital campaigns. Fluent in English and Spanish and driven by a passion for delivering results and continuous growth, Valeria is eager to leverage her account/project management skills in Indiegraf.
Olivia Gonzalez Yun
Customer Support Specialist
With a degree in Communications and a background as an educator and administrator, she brings a wealth of experience in servicing people. Proficient in three languages—Mandarin, English, and Spanish—and well-traveled, Olivia leverages her professional as well as her diverse cultural insights to excel in delivering exceptional customer support.
Catherine Nabulime
Implementation Specialist
Based in Toronto, Cat combines her education in science and design to excel in project management and supporting digital products that drive social impact. Outside of work, she loves art and gardening.
