Hearken: Case Studies

Client: Hearken

Brief: Write case studies for Hearken’s 2023 “Champions of Curiosity” awards. Hearken is a social impact consultancy that uses democratic practices and the power of engagement to impact and influence systems for the public good. Through the use of technology, training and consulting, they identify where existing systems—like journalism, business, and higher education—are limiting democracy from happening in its fullest form. Then, Hearken reimagines and democratizes their practices in ways that improve systems, and create the conditions for longterm, positive social change.

View the WBEZ case study here and the Vermont Public Media case study here.

Response: All of the winners of Hearken’s 2023 Champions of Curiosity Awards were public radio stations who’d used Hearken’s technology, consultancy and training. In order to understand why they were award winners, I listened to the correlated stories, then interviewed the Hearken founder about how the organization’s story aligned with Hearken’s ideals, mission and values. Last, I reviewed the format and structure of awards from past years so that I could stay consistent with the flow and language. I also made image recommendations for each story (based on the original piece’s graphics, photos and social media). Once the pieces I wrote were approved by the client, they were published on Medium and LinkedIn, and shared with Hearken’s followers.