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Tristan Ahtone
Editor In Chief at The Texas Observer
Professional Background
Tristan Ahtone is a distinguished journalist and a proud member of the Kiowa Tribe who thrives in his role as the editor-in-chief at the Texas Observer. Throughout his impressive career, he has contributed to a myriad of reputable news organizations including PBS NewsHour, National Native News, Wyoming Public Radio, NPR, Al Jazeera America, National Geographic, and High Country News. His work has made significant impacts on public discourse, offering a critical lens on indigenous issues, social justice, and the nuances of public health and poverty. Ahtone's commitment to journalism that elevates underrepresented voices and communities is complemented by his esteemed editorial leadership.
His dedication to preserving and advancing the narratives of Native communities has also been recognized through multiple journalism awards. These accolades include investigative honors from the Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Gannett Foundation. A testament to his excellent reporting and storytelling skills, these awards illustrate Ahtone's ability to convey complex issues with clarity and passion.
In 2017, Ahtone further expanded his knowledge and skills by being awarded a prestigious Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University. This opportunity allowed him to connect with fellow journalists, scholars, and leaders in media, continually enhancing his journalistic expertise and insights into the evolving landscape of news media.
Beyond his professional reporting, Tristan Ahtone has taken on leadership roles that influence the future of journalism. As the past president of the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA), Ahtone worked to promote diversity and representation in the media, advocating for the rights and acknowledgment of indigenous journalists and their stories. His efforts have initiated change and fostered greater understanding of Native issues in the broader media landscape.
Education and Achievements
Tristan Ahtone's academic background is as impressive as his professional endeavors. He pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts at The Institute of American Indian Arts, a school dedicated to serving Native American students and fostering a large cultural understanding through the arts. This experience has significantly shaped his perspective as a storyteller and journalist, grounding his work in the rich traditions and challenges faced by Native communities.
He further advanced his education by earning a Master of Science from Columbia University's prestigious Graduate School of Journalism. This program is known for producing some of the industry leaders in journalism, and Ahtone's time there equipped him with critical skills in investigative reporting, media ethics, and digital storytelling. His academic endeavors have seamlessly translated into his work, reinforcing his role as a key voice in contemporary journalism.
Notable Achievements
- Editor-in-Chief at Texas Observer: Leading the editorial direction of one of Texas' most respected publications, Ahtone ensures that vital stories and issues facing the state, particularly those affecting marginalized communities, are told with integrity and sensitivity.
- Award-winning Journalist: Tristan's work has been recognized with multiple awards for investigative journalism, showcasing his commitment to high-quality reporting. The honors he has received from the Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Gannett Foundation serve as proof of his excellence in the field.
- Nieman Fellow at Harvard University: His selection for the Nieman Fellowship speaks volumes about his contributions to journalism and his commitment to personal and professional growth. This fellowship provided him with a unique opportunity for academic advancement and networking with other professionals in the field.
- Leadership in NAJA: Serving as president of the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA), he has played a crucial role in advocating for indigenous journalists and promoting ethical and equitable practices within the media.
- Diverse Reporting Background: Over his extensive career, Ahtone’s reporting has spanned various important issues—from indigenous affairs at High Country News to health and social challenges at KUNM/Fronteras Desk and NPR, showcasing his versatility and depth as a journalist.
- International Experience: His role as a Chatteris Native English Teacher in Hong Kong reflects his commitment to education and cultural exchange, adding a global dimension to his professional profile.
In summary, Tristan Ahtone has built a remarkable career characterized by impactful journalism, deep commitment to indigenous representation, and leadership within the media landscape. His contributions not only enrich the field of journalism but also amplify the voices of Native communities that are often overlooked. With each story he covers, Ahtone continues to challenge conventions and inspire future generations of journalists to pursue truth and integrity in their reporting.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
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Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.