ChangeStream Media

Our Team

Executive Director and co-founder Denise Miller sees her work with ChangeStream Media as the perfect application of her experience in the media, education, and non-profit fields. While earning a BA in broadcast journalism from the University of Southern California, she coordinated a mentoring program for at-risk youth. Working at an education nonprofit in Seattle, she matched hundreds of professionals with classroom volunteer opportunities. Denise has written and taken photographs for publications in Arizona, Seattle, and Madrid, Spain; worked as a research assistant for the Los Angeles Times Magazine; and produced multimedia packages and award-winning articles as a staff reporter for the Snoqualmie Valley Record in Washington. Strong interests in education and travel spurred her to teach English in Madrid and most recently in Seoul, where she led events for the local Green Drinks group and co-produced a film for the 48 Hour Film Project. Denise is thrilled to direct an organization dedicated to creating positive social change through storytelling and volunteer efforts.

Chief Operating Officer and co-founder Sean Koenig has a long history of working at the intersection of media, finance and charitable projects. As business manager for a weekly newspaper at the University of Virginia, he eliminated a $10,000 debt through aggressive marketing of advertising space; designed advertising layouts; and published 12 feature articles. After earning an M.Sc. in biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego, he discovered a passion for travel and volunteerism. As the canvass director of the Miami office of the Fund for Public Interest Research, Sean trained hundreds of employees, organized rallies, held press conferences, and lobbied members of congress. Having raised over $500,000 for groups like Greenpeace and Save the Children, he decided to assist needy communities worldwide directly, leading disaster response teams in Bangladesh, Haiti and Indonesia with All Hands Volunteers. At ChangeStream Media, Sean hopes to put his diverse skill set to work for communities and grassroots organizations creating a better tomorrow.

Vice President Meri Bauer earned a double Master’s in international studies and public affairs from the University of Washington and is now working on her PhD. Her research focuses on East and North African and diasporic arts and culture, and her thesis explains how the fine arts industry in Egypt and Kenya encourages economic development and community mobilization. She co-founded and directs a Seattle-based nonprofit called PAUSE: A Space for New Visions, which brokers paintings and sculptures from an agricultural village in Kenya in the Seattle art market. She has worked for an education nonprofit in Seattle and for a human rights organization in Kenya. Meri believes in the power of art and media to transcend geographical and cultural distance and economic disparity, and sees her involvement with ChangeStream Media as a chance to help disseminate that power around the world.

Director Hannah Whitmore brings a wealth of nonprofit filmmaking experience to ChangeStream Media. Having graduated from Washington State University with degrees in communication and anthropology, she has over a decade of experience working in media. She developed and ran award-winning media programs as the Media Integration Coordinator for Tincan, a Washington nonprofit that uses information technology and interactive media for education and community development. She formed her own production company, Whistle Punk Productions, and began creating multimedia projects internationally. Her video work for the Juara Turtle Project in Malaysia was a key inspiration for the formation of ChangeStream Media. Hannah’s artistic oversight will help ChangeStream Media’s staff and volunteers grow as digital media storytellers.

Director Oke Johnson’s 15 years of experience in the business world will ensure that ChangeStream Media succeeds both as a charitable project and a financially sound nonprofit corporation. As the Senior Vice President of Compliance Services and Senior Asset Manager for LEDIC Management Group, he oversees a portfolio of properties, cultivates new business and ensures compliance with all regulations related to government programs. His fluency in accounting statements, annual reports and tax auditing provide the financial insight essential to the long-term viability of the organization. Oke has always taken pride in helping low-income families find homes through careful administration of federal benefits. He views ChangeStream Media as a way to put his executive skill set to work for the global community.

Social Media Manager Laura Brewer was raised in a family of musicians and writers who cultivated her passion for the arts from an early age. With degrees in English and Media Studies from Loyola University Chicago, Laura armed herself with tools to create, promote and share creative projects. She also continued to develop a commitment to social responsibility and justice. Since moving to Seattle over two years ago, Laura has advanced social media efforts and written for such organizations as the Seattle Office of Film + Music, Seattle International Film Festival, Seattlest, The Local Dish and eMedia Music. She has also edited and produced small film projects, including two projects commissioned by the City of Seattle about local music. Laura is thrilled to couple her arts background with her enthusiasm for grassroots efforts with ChangeStream Media!