Propel Fire Up Entrepreneurship Program

OAKLAND, Calif., Apr. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As part of the California Propel Local News Initiative, the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education is launching two cohorts to support California journalism entrepreneurs. An informational webinar is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. PDT on Friday, April 10.

One of the main goals of the Fire Up program is to help news organizations with California audiences become more sustainable by addressing revenue, audience, product and community. Participants will work with experts in business, audience strategy and other topics.

The program will include a combination of intensive in-person workshops and virtual training sessions for seven months, starting in July. A second version of the program will run in 2027.

There will be three in-person convenings of Fire Up program trainees. The first in-person meeting will take place for two days in late July 2026, with exact dates and location (within the state of California). The next in-person sessions will take place October 2026 and January 2027.

This program requires two virtual meetings per month in August, September, November and December.

Each meeting — in person and virtual — requires attendance by someone with financial decision making authority and another decision maker from the organization. All meetings must be attended by both delegates from each organization.

Selected organizations will receive a total of $20,000 in staggered payments.

Fire Up is led by Maynard Institute Co-Executive Director Evelyn Hsu and Deputy Director Doris Truong. Trainers/mentors include Fran Scarlett, principal of Scarlett Ink Media, and Dickson Louie, principal of Louie & Associates. Applications for the 2026 program are due by 11:59 p.m. PDT on May 1, 2026.

For more than 45 years, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. We are creating better representation in U.S. newsrooms through our programs which give media professionals the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs.

The Maynard Institute’s programs are open to all. We are creating better representation in U.S. newsrooms through our programs which give media professionals the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs.

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