Sign In

ABOUT US

about us

We Are ...

NONPARTISAN
ONC shows all viewpoints. In a world of agenda-driven news, our commitment to truth, fairness, balance, good manners and good ideas – wherever they come from – is what sets us apart. No food fights here!
SOLUTION - FOCUSED
ONC’s focus is on problem-solving, not finger-pointing. We make a difference by hosting open-minded conversations that encourage collaboration instead of conflict.
POWERED BY YOUTH
Our organization is driven by a community of over 800 student interns and volunteers, gently guided by experienced professionals who want to give a boost to America’s future leaders.

ONC’s STORY

Our National Conversation (or ONC, for short) began in February of 2020 when CEO Jeff Hall placed an advertisement on an intern bulletin board.

He was seeking a handful of students interested in building a new, nonpartisan news outlet that summer. Hall, a former VP at the Los Angeles Times, had had it with hyper-partisan media.

By mid-March, just a few weeks later, COVID-19 had shut down the world. Students everywhere had lost summer internships and jobs.  Spring and summer classes were canceled. 

Because ONC was willing to host this internship remotely, Hall suddenly found himself drowning in applications.

Hall immediately signed up 92 interns to help build OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION in the summer of 2020. 

Overnight, ONC had become full-blown organization, run virtually by students all across America.

The students organized themselves into teams – content, video production, social media, admin, HR, podcasting, tech and more.

Together they wrote a book (“Let’s Fix America”), built a website and started hosting podcasts. 

Our policy students wrote well-researched opinion pieces and policy proposals that took into account points of view from across the political spectrum. 

ONC’s goal is to become a sane alternative to all the anger and toxic partisanship that exists in America today. 

Our motto: “Let’s get America talking again.” Our focus is on problem-solving, not finger-pointing. 

At ONC, we prove daily that individuals with different philosophies really can get along and work out their differences. 

There have been a lot of ups and downs along the way, but we have persisted.  In 2024, we organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

In 2025, we seek to raise money so we can begin paying our students a stipend, build a stronger tech operation and market OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION. 

OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION (ONC) showcases news, opinions, podcasts and social media posts from across the political spectrum.  In one place, you can explore and understand a wide range of views regarding how to make America a better country.

ONC is produced by students – America’s future leaders.

You can help our “less hate, more debate” movement take root by sharing our content, writing a column, 

appearing on one of our podcasts, sponsoring a student intern or making a tax-deductible contribution (we’re a nonprofit).

Over time, OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION seeks to become a household name – a truly fair and balanced media outlet known for treating everyone with respect and focusing on problem-solving, not finger-pointing.

Want to get in touch?  Send an email to: info@ournationalconversation.org.

ONC BY THE NUMBERS

student Interns & volunteers
0
Colleges & Schools
0
Policy Proposals Written
0
Podcasts Recorded
0
Book Published
0

TEAM

Autumn Antonson

Autumn Antonson

Very passionate about politics and writing, Autumn has experience managing and editing at multiple publications, including a student newspaper and academic journal. She graduated with a degree in English within a university in Scotland, where she currently continues to live.
Dave Stephens

Dave Stephens

Director of Human Resources
Dave Stephens has over a decade of experience in government work, board member experience with nonprofits, and a graduate degree in Human Resource Management.
Olivia Backley

Olivia Backley

Grant Writing Team Leader
Olivia Backley is the Grant Writing Team Leader at Our National Conversation, overseeing funding strategy and proposal development to support the organization’s mission. Full bio coming soon.
Raisa Gunawan

Raisa Gunawan

PR and Events Team Lead
Raisa Gunawan is the PR and Events Team Lead at Our National Conversation, guiding public relations strategy and coordinating events that advance the organization’s mission. Full bio coming soon.
Mitali Purohit

Mitali Purohit

Director of Technology
Mitali Purohit holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Cal State LA. She leads ONC’s tech department, managing development and infrastructure. With expertise in full-stack development, she excels in building scalable systems and mentoring teams.
Brianna White

Brianna White

Graphic Design Team Lead
Brianna White is a Fine Arts graduate from Maryville College and the co-lead of the Graphic Design team at ONC. She helps bring designs to life for ONC's various departments and oversees the distribution of projects to interns.
Cesar Hernandez

Cesar Hernandez

UX/UI Director
Cesar Hernandez is a UX/UI Director dedicated to elevating digital products through thoughtful design, clear structure, and user‑centered strategy. He leads with creativity, technical insight, and a commitment to building experiences that are both beautiful and highly functional.
Adhithyaa Arul Murugan Alwar

Adhithyaa Arul Murugan Alwar

AI Engineering Lead
Adhithyaa Arul Murugan Alwar is the AI Engineering Lead at Our National Conversation, directing AI strategy and development to support the organization’s mission. Full bio coming soon.
Brady DeFelice

Brady DeFelice

Chief Podcast Engineer
Brady DeFelice is chief podcast engineer. He is skilled in Adobe suite and Davinci Resolve. He hopes to one day work for a media company where he can do concept work and film editing.
Jeff Hall

Jeff Hall

Editor & CEO
Jeff Hall is a newspaper guy going way back (Kansas City Star, Los Angeles Times, Brentwood News). Like many, he is concerned about how nasty and partisan everything has become. He started OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION in an attempt to get America talking again.
Kate Mullins

Kate Mullins

CEO
Kate Mullins is the CEO of Our National Conversation. Full bio coming soon.
Cindy Brown

Cindy Brown

Chief Financial Officer
Cindy Brown has served in advisory and administrative roles at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, Kloss College Consultants, and TheLatest.com. She currently facilitates administration and financial record-keeping at ONC.
David Hill

David Hill

Board Member
David Hill has served in content strategy, editorial, and managerial roles in numerous educational and professional training organizations, such as John Wiley and Sons Inc, Udacity, and Singularity University. He currently advises ONC on strategy and data-backed impact analysis.
Dr. Lanette Trowery

Dr. Lanette Trowery

Board Member
Dr. Lanette Trowery has worked extensively in data analysis, STEM education, and K-12 curriculum development. She currently advises ONC on its civic education material and content strategy.
Ruben Navarrette

Ruben Navarrette

Board Member
Ruben Navarrette is a nationally syndicated, Pulitzer-nominated columnist whose work can be found in the Washington Post, USA Today, Fox News, Daily Beast, and other publications. He is the most widely read Latino columnist in America. He also hosts a popular podcast: Ruben in the Center. He gives ONC writers and content producers feedback on their material.
Perry Brimijoin

Perry Brimijoin

Board Member
Perry Brimijoin has over a decade of experience in nonprofit consulting and fundraising. She currently works on fundraising with Campbell & Company, where she has overseen fundraising efforts for NPR. She advises ONC on fundraising.
Justin DeMaris

Justin DeMaris

Board Member
Justin DeMaris is a digital media technologist with extensive experience in software engineering and management. He currently works in consumer engineering at Merriam-Webster and is a Co-Founder and Board Member at Flexpress. He advises ONC on technology.
Deaven Rector

Deaven Rector

Board Member
Deaven Rector is an ONC alum and currently works as an associate attorney at F3 Law in California. His emphasis is labor and employment law. He leverages his legal expertise and his past experience with ONC to advise on ONC’s community building and internship programming efforts.
Keith Newman

Keith Newman

Mentor
Keith Newman is a seasoned marketing and media executive who has run and worked at several media and tech companies. Today he is a GTM consultant and advisor specializing in developing unique growth tactics at the GTM Firm. He also hosts THE LOOK BACK, a podcast where he interviews Silicon Valley’s greatest founders, funders and influencers. Keith has provided guidance and mentorship to ONC’s marketing department.
Brian Thomas

Brian Thomas

Mentor
Brian Thomas is a hematologist, medical oncologist, and healthcare policy advocate who completed his residency at the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He has served on a variety of medical committees and boards while leading efforts to expand physician productivity and quality metrics in cancer care. He advises on public policy and civic engagement at Our National Conversation.
Contact Us