MTC Class of 2025’s “Game-Changing” Second Session
“MTC is more than the tools in the program,” Chicago Block Club Senior Director of Development, Maple Walker said.
March 24, 2025
PETERSBURG, FL – The Media Transformation Challenge (MTC) Class of 2025 wrapped up the second week of its year-long fellowship at the Poynter Institute last week, marking another milestone in their transformational journeys.
“Week two was truly game-changing,” Associated Press Vice President Global Safety, Risk and Resilience, Mark Grant, said. “It allowed me to receive real-time feedback, test my strategies, and discuss professional work challenges.”
The week commenced with Fellows presenting updates on their year-long, performance-driven challenges. In small groups, Fellows refined their North Star, Metrics for Success, Early Wins, and Emerging Strategies before sharing five-minute versions with the full cohort. The cornerstone of the MTC Fellowship, this performance challenge-based approach drives organizational transformation and individual growth by pursuing performance – not just projects, plans, or initiatives.
Among the updates presented:
A member-funded, nonprofit investigative newsroom will transform by documenting and measuring its output against that mission while developing new distribution strategies.
An award-winning nonprofit newsroom will build connections between the military and the citizens they serve by driving deeper awareness, engagement, and distribution.
A nonprofit, hyperlocal, urban news organization will shift away from fiscal insecurity by bolstering its philanthropic portfolio, growing major gifts, and boosting event revenue.
An independent, nonprofit newsroom will move from a siloed culture of urgency and reactivity to a focused, intentional team to increase reach and better serve its audience.
A nonprofit newsroom focusing on gender, politics, and policy is working to shift from a reactive, urgency-driven culture to a more strategic and intentional approach to better serve its audience.
- A nonprofit news network ensuring access to trusted news for all people in every community will shift from supporting individual members to strengthening the field and influence how foundational support.
“It became very clear how much support each member of the class has from others,” Ashanti Martin General Manager WURD said. “People asked for help and offered help.”
“I also got to see how different organizations of all sizes and scopes have similar challenges, and that even those we think of as the most successful media brands have thorny challenges. We all have things to share and to learn.”
Midweek, MTC faculty member Karen Gordon led a session on Temperament Styles, a perennial favorite among MTC Fellows. The session provided insight into communication preferences, collaboration styles, and decision-making approaches, equipping participants with tools to work more effectively with peers, partners, and stakeholders. By understanding their own operating styles – as well as those of others – Fellows gained actionable strategies to enhance leadership and team dynamics.
As the week progressed, MTC 2023 alum Lisa Heyamoto guided Fellows through key MTC tools and frameworks to refine their three-part challenge statements, with a focus on the “how we will do it” aspect. Fellows explored various strategic models, including:
- Table stakes vs. Differentiators – Identifying core competencies and unique value propositions.
- The Value Wheel – Examining value promise, delivery, customer experience, and monetization.
- Testing Assumptions – Ensuring plans are adaptable and grounded in practical execution.
These sessions helped Fellows clarify their strategies for the next nine months, adding depth and precision to their challenge roadmaps.
“The Power Opinion Matrix resonates with me and my challenge,” Block Club Chicago‘s Senior Director of Development, Maple Walker, said. “It gives me a bird’s eye view on communication gaps and how to get our whole team (not just some) on the bus and accelerating forward.”
The week also included sessions led by Stéphan Mayoux, Amanda Barret, and Benjamin Wagner on managing stress, recognizing workplace strains, and incorporating mindfulness practices into leadership routines. These discussions underscored the importance of resilience and well-being in driving sustainable change.
“MTC is more than just learning the tools in the program,” Walker said. “It creates a space for news leaders to be vulnerable which isn’t the norm in this industry.”
Beyond intensive work sessions, Fellows also took time to unwind and connect outside the classroom – including a Yankees spring training game – offering a chance to relax and strengthen relationships within the cohort.
As the MTC Class of 2024 moves toward their third convening in Salt Lake City in June, Fellows are now equipped with refined strategies, deeper self-awareness, and a strong support network, setting the stage for continued transformation and impact in their respective organizations.
