Humanitas Media Logo
Elderly woman sitting on the ground reading a book, symbolizing lifelong learning and the power of personal stories

The Humans behind humanitas media

What We Stand For

Individual Stories, Lasting Impact

We focus on individual stories—because that’s where connection begins. By translating broad injustices into personal narratives, we help readers see the human truth behind global issues.

We’re All Humans First

The stories we share could just as easily be our own. That’s why we tell them with dignity, compassion, and empathy—always honoring the humanity at their core.

A Platform for the Unheard

Too many voices are left out of the conversation. We’re here to change that. By elevating underrepresented perspectives, we foster empathy, deepen awareness, and help audiences connect with stories that matter.

Stories to Move Us Forward

We share these stories to honor resilience, not to dwell in hardship. They are stories of courage, creativity, and quiet strength—reminders that even in the darkest places, humanity endures.

The Mission We’re On

Humanitas Media was born from a belief in storytelling as a force for human rights. We amplify personal narratives that expose injustice, affirm dignity, and empower survivors to reclaim their voices. By confronting systems of oppression and lifting marginalized perspectives, our mission is to connect powerful human stories with a global audience. We are committed to making these narratives accessible and emotionally resonant, building empathy and deepening awareness. Through these deeply human stories, Humanitas Media will inspire a global community embracing understanding and solidarity.

Meet the people who make us

BOARD MEMBERS

Portrait of Tracy Aanenson, founder and president of Humanitas Media, advocate for human rights storytelling

Tracy Aanenson, PhD, President

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Portrait of Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, human rights lawyer and author, board member at Humanitas Media

Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, JD, Secretary

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Portrait of Dr. Peter Melchert, medical director and board treasurer at Humanitas Media

Peter Melchert, MD, Treasurer

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SENIOR POLICY AND EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS

Portrait of Brian Dooley, human rights activist and senior policy consultant with Humanitas Media

Brian Dooley, PhD

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Allen Peacock

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ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Headshot of Rasheed Ahmed, advisory board member at Humanitas Media

Rasheed Ahmed

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Portrait of Linda Budd, psychologist and advisory board member at Humanitas Media

Linda S. Budd, PhD, LP

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Headshot of Humanitas Media Advisory Board Member Rebecca Everly, international lawyer for human rights

Rebecca Everly, JD

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Philip Kearney, JD

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Portrait of Nabeel Rajab, Bahraini human rights advocate and advisory board member at Humanitas Media

Nabeel Rajab​

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Portrait of Dr. Sophie Richardson, human rights expert and advisory board member at Humanitas Media

Sophie Richardson, PhD

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Headshot of Lhadon Tethong advisory board member for humanitas media

Lhadon Tethong

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Portrait of David Wilk, poet, editor, and publishing consultant serving on the Humanitas Media advisory board

David Wilk

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Humanitas means kindness and when we look at how global situations are reported, that’s often what’s missing.

We seek to go beyond the stats and misinformation and re-establish the connection between our humanness and core similarities, rather than focusing on our differences. We don’t talk about stories in academic terms but instead lead with respect, dignity, and understanding. We believe that when we tell these stories from a human perspective, highlighting how these global issues affect individuals, we can change the way people view these situations and inspire action.

Portrait of Tracy Aanenson, founder and president of Humanitas Media, advocate for human rights storytelling

Tracy Aanenson, PhD, President

Tracy Aanenson is the visionary founder and president of Humanitas Media, bringing over four decades of experience in higher education, management, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education and communications.

Dr. Aanenson has held senior leadership positions at prominent higher education institutions, including the law school at the University of Toledo and the medical schools at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Minnesota. In these roles, she played a crucial part in shaping strategic initiatives, managing external relations, and leading significant fundraising efforts. As a committed advocate for justice and inclusion, Dr. Aanenson has consistently mentored women, helping them discover their voices in competitive environments and volunteering time to raise funds in support of domestic violence prevention and survivor services.

Through Humanitas Media, Dr. Aanenson is dedicated to elevating underrepresented voices and advancing human dignity by harnessing the power of storytelling. Under her leadership, the organization combines narrative, advocacy, and empathy to confront injustice, foster connection, and inspire meaningful social change.
Portrait of Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, human rights lawyer and author, board member at Humanitas Media

Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, JD, Secretary

Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, JD is Special Counsel at Human Rights First, where he spearheads impact litigation and advocacy efforts to uphold democratic principles and support human rights defenders globally. Beyond representing Guantanamo detainees, he has sued Turkey for assaulting peaceful protestors in Washington, D.C., the Trump administration for attempting to deport a college student based on her pro-test activity, and a U.S. pastor who fomented legislation in Uganda criminalizing the LGBTQI community. Josh has conducted human-rights investigations in countries such as Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain.

In the early 2000s, Josh served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, working on the prosecution of war crimes cases.

He has provided commentary for national media, authored op-eds in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian, and spoken before Congress and at colleges, law schools, churches, and synagogues regarding Guantanamo and international law.

Portrait of Dr. Peter Melchert, medical director and board treasurer at Humanitas Media

Peter Melchert, MD, Treasurer

Peter Melchert is a board-certified internist and pediatric hospitalist with over 23 years of experience at Abbott Northwestern and United Hospital in Minneapolis. Dr. Melchert specializes in managing the full spectrum of inpatient care, ensuring seamless transitions from admission through discharge, and currently serves as Director of Medical Simulation International, advancing clinical training in low-resource settings. He’s been recognized as a “Top Doctor” by both MN Monthly and Mpls St. Paul Magazine.
Portrait of Brian Dooley, human rights activist and senior policy consultant with Humanitas Media

Brian Dooley, PhD

Brian Dooley is a longtime human rights activist, specializing in working with human rights activists living in revolutions, wars or under severe repression. He is an Honorary Professor of Practice at Queen’s University Belfast, a Visiting Scholar at UCL in London, and Senior Advisor at Human Rights First. From 2020-2023 he was Senior Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders. He has authored several books, including on civil rights, and on the Northern Ireland conflict. With over four decades of experience, Dooley is a leading voice on the protection of Human Rights Defenders.

Allen Peacock

Allen Peacock worked for a quarter century as one of the leading editors in American book publishing. Books he acquired and published won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award, among others. He worked with writers as diverse and renowned as Salman Rushdie, Robert Coover, Robert Olen Butler, Ann Beattie and MacArthur Award winners Joanna Scott and William Gaddis. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in English & American Literature.

Headshot of Rasheed Ahmed, advisory board member at Humanitas Media

Rasheed Ahmed

Rasheed Ahmed is a mission-driven leader working at the intersection of philanthropy, civil rights, and cross-cultural bridge-building. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Indian American Muslim Council, the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the U.S., and teaches philanthropy and fundraising strategy as adjunct faculty at Indiana University’s Fundraising School. With a background spanning corporate technology and nonprofit leadership, Rasheed brings over two decades of experience in movement building, narrative strategy, and institution development. He was the Founding Executive Director of the Zakat Foundation Institute, led the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA), and co-founded the US-India Policy Institute and the Center on Muslim Philanthropy. Rasheed’s work is rooted in equity, purpose, and public service. Whether advocating for human rights, mentoring the next generation of social impact leaders, or helping communities navigate complex civic landscapes, he approaches each endeavor with clarity, conviction, and care.

Portrait of Linda Budd, psychologist and advisory board member at Humanitas Media

Linda S. Budd, PhD, LP

Linda S. Budd is a licensed psychologist, marriage and family therapist, and registered play therapist–supervisor with over 35 years of clinical experience. She specializes in childhood temperament, parent–child relationships, and personality disorders. Dr. Budd is the author of Living With the Active Alert Child, The Journey of Parenting, and I’m OK, You’re Not OK. A former adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota, she has taught and presented nationally on family systems and emotional development.
Headshot of Humanitas Media Advisory Board Member Rebecca Everly, international lawyer for human rights

Rebecca Everly

Rebecca Everly is an international lawyer with more than two decades of experience in the areas of human rights and access to justice. As Executive Director of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies and Director of the U.S. National Academies’ Committee on Human Rights, her work focuses on global challenges at the intersection of human rights and science, technology, and health. From 2007-2014, Everly worked with non-governmental organizations in India and Malaysia to advance the rights of women and children on issues such as health, education, and labor. She also has extensive research and professional experience on rule of law and human rights in post-conflict societies, including as a legal advisor in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Philip Kearney, JD

Philip Kearney, JD, is a Shareholder at Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney in San Francisco and a former Assistant District Attorney, Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and United Nations International War Crimes Prosecutor. He has personally tried over seventy-five domestic jury trials covering crimes from murder to financial fraud and has led five international trials. As a federal prosecutor, he specialized in national security, terrorism, money laundering, and cybercrime, serving as Digital Currency Coordinator and chairing a multi-agency cyber task force. He has also trained law enforcement and judicial personnel around the world and through USAID-supported programs.
Portrait of Nabeel Rajab, Bahraini human rights advocate and advisory board member at Humanitas Media

Nabeel Rajab

Nabeel Rajab is a leading Bahraini human rights advocate and co-founder of both the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights. A prominent voice during the 2011 Arab Spring, he has spent decades exposing government abuses, advocating for political prisoners, and promoting civil liberties across the Gulf region. Rajab has faced repeated imprisonment for his activism, including a five-year sentence in 2018 for criticizing state policies, and was released under an alternative sentence in 2020. Internationally recognized for his courage, he remains a steadfast champion for freedom, justice, and human dignity in the face of repression.
Portrait of Dr. Sophie Richardson, human rights expert and advisory board member at Humanitas Media

Sophie Richardson, PhD

Sophie Richardson, PhD is the Co-Executive Director of the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), a coalition dedicated to advancing human rights and grassroots activism in China through peaceful, democratic reform. She speaks Chinese and has spent over three decades researching political repression and civil liberties in China and Southeast Asia. From 2006 to 2023, she served as China Director at Human Rights Watch, and in 2024 was a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute, where she examined how democracies respond to rising human rights threats from the Chinese government. Dr. Richardson has testified before the U.S. Congress, Canadian Parliament, and European Parliament, and is the author of China, Cambodia, and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Her work contributes to global efforts to defend human rights in the face of authoritarianism.
Headshot of Lhadon Tethong advisory board member for humanitas media

Lhadon Tethong

Lhadon Tethong is the co-founder and director of Tibet Action Institute where she leads a team of technologists, researchers and rights advocates developing strategies and innovative training, education, and technology programs for Tibetans and others living under extreme repression. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the International Tibet Network and as a board member for United for Iran. Lhadon received the first annual James Lawson Award for Nonviolent Achievement from the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict in 2011, the U.S. Secretary of State’s International Religious Freedom Award in January 2024, and she accepted the Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy on behalf of Tibet Action Institute in 2018 and 2024. When she’s not running around the world speaking out for Tibet, she’s trying to catch up to her three young children.
Portrait of David Wilk, poet, editor, and publishing consultant serving on the Humanitas Media advisory board

David Wilk

David Wilk is a poet, editor, publisher, and publishing consultant. He was editor and publisher of Truck magazine and Truck Press, as well as Longriver Books, founder of City Point Press, and co-founder and publisher of Frederator Books. Wilk was the Literature Program Director at the National Endowment for the Arts and worked for many years in book distribution. Wilk’s poetry and nonfiction has been published in literary magazines and by independent presses, most recently Lorine Niedecker: The Poet in Her Place. He is on the board of CLMP (Community of Literary Magazines and Presses), podcasts about books and publishing at Writerscast.com, and provides publishing and consulting services for a variety of clients. 
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