Sam Hodgson
Founder & Creative Director
Founder and Creative Director of Uptown 11 Studios and an Emmy Award–winning visual journalist. Two decades turning complex, technical subjects into clear, human stories for broad and bilingual audiences — and building and leading newsroom teams to do the same.
Experience
- Founder & Creative Director — Uptown 11 Studios · 2024–present
Leads creative direction, client partnerships, and quality control across the studio's documentary video, photography, and “newsroom-as-a-service” work.
- Director of Photography & Video — The San Diego Union-Tribune
Built and led a team of visual journalists and the newspaper's digital-first storytelling approach and culture.
- Photojournalist — The New York Times · 2016
Covered the U.S. presidential election as a freelance photojournalist across 20 states and 80+ cities; embedded for months with national campaigns.
- Staff Photographer — Voice of San Diego · 2006–2011
Sole staff photographer for the nonprofit newsroom, documenting quality-of-life issues and underserved communities.
Education
B.A., Journalism & Political Science, San Diego State University (2006); Associated Students Presidential Leadership Award.
Awards & Certifications
Emmy Award winner (2×) — including an Emmy-winning documentary on the campaign-finance scandal in California's 50th congressional district (2019–2020).
Relevance to the SEC
Newsroom leadership; plain-language distillation of technical content; bilingual production oversight; single-point project management and QC.
Ana Ramirez
Senior Visual Storyteller · Director of Photography
Senior visual storyteller and seven-time Emmy Award winner who brings stories to life “by air, land, and sea.” Decades of photojournalism with a focus on the environment and the region's cross-border and Latino communities; FAA Part 107 licensed drone pilot.
Experience
- Senior Visual Storyteller / Director of Photography — Uptown 11 Studios
Principal cinematography and immersive/aerial capture; leads on-camera interviews and field production.
- Staff Photographer — The San Diego Union-Tribune
Reporting focused on the environment and the region's rich cross-border and Latino communities.
- Visual Journalist — Austin American-Statesman
Short-form documentary storytelling.
Education
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University.
Awards & Certifications
Seven (7) Emmy Awards. FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate; expert free diver.
Relevance to the SEC
Bilingual (English/Spanish) field production with Latino communities; environmental and utility-adjacent subject affinity; FAA Part 107 aerial and 360°/immersive capture.
Izabel Jusino
Video Editor
Multicultural visual storyteller — first-generation Chinese and Portuguese (Macanese) American and third-generation Puerto Rican American — with 6+ years in video production. Specializes in shaping real stories into emotionally resonant, accessible content, with a focus on social impact and uplifting underrepresented voices.
Experience
- Video Editor — Uptown 11 Studios
Lead edit and finishing across the studio's documentary and client video library.
- Post-Production / Editor / Location Sound — Various · 6+ years
Post-production management, video editing, and on-location sound recording across social-impact and mental-health storytelling.
Education
B.A., Cinema, San Francisco State University.
Relevance to the SEC
High-volume bilingual editing (32-video series); accessibility-minded finishing (captions, transcripts); multicultural storytelling sensibility.
Megan Moore
Storyteller · Producer & Writer
San Diego (Chula Vista) native working at the intersection of service, education, and storytelling. Brings youth-development and creative-programming experience and a track record of nonprofit communications across California.
Experience
- Storyteller / Producer & Writer — Uptown 11 Studios
Production management, scripting, and scheduling; communications for nonprofit and public-interest clients.
- Communications — Children First Collective / California nonprofits · 2020–present
Began with a communications fellowship with the Children First Collective; ongoing communications work with mission-driven organizations.
- Centralized Programmer — City of San Antonio Parks & Recreation · 2015–2018
Created award-winning arts and education programs, including “The Gallery,” recognized statewide by the Texas Recreation and Parks Society (2017).
Education
B.A., Sociology and M.A., Human Services Administration — Saint Leo University.
Awards & Certifications
Texas Recreation & Parks Society statewide program recognition (2017).
Relevance to the SEC
Bilingual border-community engagement; plain-language writing for public audiences; K-12 / education programming; project coordination.
Naja Thomas
Creative Manager
Creative Manager with a business background and a deep understanding of San Diego's diverse communities. Helps organizations connect with their communities and tell their stories through strategic, creative campaigns.
Experience
- Creative Manager — Uptown 11 Studios
Works with local organizations to identify growth opportunities and develop creative campaigns; oversees creative operations and strategic partnerships.
- Business / Community Roles — San Diego (La Jolla to Chula Vista)
Built a deep understanding of the local business landscape across San Diego neighborhoods.
Education
B.A., Business (honors), San Diego State University (2022).
Relevance to the SEC
Creative management and strategy; community engagement; coordination of multi-stakeholder creative campaigns.
Austin Siragusa
Storyteller
Born-and-raised San Diegan and multi-disciplinary creative and producer, firmly rooted in the city and the stories it breeds. Brings experiential production, coordination, and on-the-ground field support.
Experience
- Storyteller — Uptown 11 Studios
Production support across discovery, production, and post; coordination and field logistics.
- Co-owner / Creative Producer — A Timeless Day (experiential agency)
Oversaw creative development, planning, and execution of activations and experiences; helped shoot, write, and host a local food video series.
Education
B.A., Marketing, Loyola Marymount University (2019).
Relevance to the SEC
Production assistance and coordination; experiential and community production; versatile field support.
