About
Our mission: Building public trust in media through data.
Semipublic was founded on the belief that there must be accountability in today’s rapidly-changing public media landscape. We accomplish that through data research and analysis.
Team
Alex Curley
FOUNDER
Alex Curley is the founder and Executive Director of Semipublic. He began writing about public media’s finances in early 2025, first for the industry publication Current, and later as an independent newsletter. Two days after the vote to rescind public media’s federal funding in July 2025, he created and launched AdoptAStation.org, a website that connects donors to stations in need based on Semipublic’s research. Previously, he spent a decade at NPR, where he worked on product development, satellite-based audio distribution and editorial promotional strategy. He lives in Asheville, NC with his wife and children.
Sarah Caldwell
Sarah Caldwell is Chair and a founding member of the Board of Directors of Semipublic and currently serves as Foundation Relations Officer at the Southern Environmental Law Center. Her career spans nonprofit development, fundraising, and advocacy roles with organizations including UC Santa Cruz, the International Rescue Committee, and Appalachian Voices. Currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Management at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, Sarah helps guide Semipublic’s growth and long-term strategy.
BOARD CHAIR
Isabel Lara
Isabel Lara is a founding member of the Board of Directors of Semipublic and currently serves as Director of Communications for Monterey Bay Aquarium. She spent more than a decade in communications at NPR, ultimately serving as Chief Communications Officer. She brings to the Semipublic board deep expertise in public media and a strong belief in its essential role in civic life.
BOARD MEMBER
Munashe Magarira
Munashe Magarira is a founding member of the Board of Directors of Semipublic and currently serves as a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. His work primarily focuses on clean energy administrative litigation in front of the North Carolina Utilities Commission. He brings to the Semipublic board a deep curiosity and appreciation for public media.
BOARD MEMBER
Mary Childs
Mary Childs is a journalist and the host of Mary in America, a new talk show. She is the author of the best-selling book The Bond King. She previously co-hosted NPR's Planet Money, and before that worked at Barron's, the Financial Times, and Bloomberg News. Before starting in journalism, she was a Watson Fellow, painting portraits around the world. She lives in Virginia with her partner, kids, and a very good dog.
BOARD MEMBER
Abby Goldstein
Abby Goldstein brings more than four decades of experience in noncommercial radio management and programming, across large and small markets and on the national stage. She currently serves as President and Executive Director of PMCC, the Public Media Content Collective, a national association that offers content and programming professionals workshops, training, national conferences, audience research, and peer support. She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and is an avid home baker.
BOARD MEMBER
Products
At Semipublic, we’re constantly exploring new ways to make our data research and insights more accessible to decision makers and people who care about public media.
Launched after public media’s federal funding was rescinded in July 2025, adoptastation.org uses Semipublic’s research to help donors identify stations in need to give to.
Adopt A Station
After Semipublic began tracking industry layoffs in July 2025, we used our data to create a definitive dashboard for tracking the number of individuals affected by reductions in force among public media entities.
Layoffs Tracker
When the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ended its longtime jobs website at the end of 2025, Semipublic used its research on industry job listings to replace it.
Jobs
