#346- How an Indie Newsroom Fights Big‑Money Media with Yukari Kane

I'm so excited to share this week’s conversation with my guest and friend Yukari Kane, CEO and co-founder of the Prison Journalism Project (@prisonjournalism).

Yukari is a former @WSJ tech reporter who made the leap into nonprofit leadership — and let me tell you, her story is incredible. We talk about what it’s like to run a growing org that operates at the intersection of journalism, education, and criminal justice reform.

Here’s what we dig into:
✍️ How Yukari went from covering Apple to teaching journalism inside San Quentin
📉 The broken media landscape and why storytelling from the inside matters more than ever
💡 What it takes to raise $1.7M from scratch — without a fundraising background
📊 Why building a loyal audience = building your donor pipeline
🧠 Real talk on sustainability, strategy, and how to say no as a leader

One of my favorite quotes from her:
🗣️ “I’m not asking for money. I’m building relationships.”

This is a must-listen for anyone running a small (but mighty!) nonprofit, building community through storytelling, or wondering how to lead through tough times with clarity and purpose.

Important Links:

Connect with Yukari : https://www.linkedin.com/in/yukarikane/ 

Upcoming Events: https://www.rheawong.com/events/ 

My Big Ask Gifts Program: https://go.rheawong.com/big-ask-gifts-program 

My Book, Get That Money Honey: https://go.rheawong.com/get-that-money-honey 

My Newsletter: https://www.rheawong.com/