About Us

In today’s digital age, news and information outlets are evolving at an accelerated speed and House of Local is here to help catalyze this emerging landscape.

We’re a new kind of consultancy for a new media world-focused on innovation, community and open dialogue.

We work with our clients and partners to help them understand and navigate digital media through planning, coaching and training.

Our Team

Susan Mernit

Susan is Oakland Local’s editor and publisher. A former arts activist, she is a former VP at AOL and Netscape, and a former Yahoo Senior Director. Mernit was the consulting program manager for The Knight News Challenge in 2008-09, as well as a consultant to organizations including Salon.com & TechSoup Global, where she led the re-design of their portal. Follow her at susanmernit.com and @susanmernit.

Kwan Booth

Kwan is an Oakland Local cofounder,  journalist, creative writer and media strategist in charge of Oakland Local’s training and community programs. He helps media, nonprofits and small business leverage online tools and has led workshops for organizations including the Knight Digital Media Center, the Online News Association, The National Conference on Media Reform, The Black Coalition on AIDS and the  International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy. Follow him at boothism.org and @boothism.

Amy Gahran

Amy Gahran helps organizations and individuals realize benefits from effective, creative use of online, social, and mobile media. Amy is a journalist, media consultant, entrepreneur as well as Oakland Local cofounder. She covers mobile technology for CNN.com and digital journalism and newsroom leadership for the Knight Digital Media Center at the University of Southern California. Follow her at contentious.com and @agahran.

Lisa Williams

Lisa runs Placeblogger.com and works at the intersection of news and the web.  She is a fellow at the MIT Media Lab’s Center for Future Civic Media and serves on the boards of several journalism organizations, such as the New England Center for Investigative Reporting and OpenCourt.us. Lisa is a judge for the Online Journalism Awards as well as the New Media Women Entrepreneurs grant program.  She won a Knight 21st Century News Challenge award in 2007 and was the McCormick/J-Lab New Media Women Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009. Follow her at @lisawilliams.

CB Smith-Dahl

CB Smith-Dahl  is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and educator and Oakland Local’s Community Media Manager. She is the founder of Community Bridge Video and produces educational and promotional films in partnership with nonprofits and community based organizations including Inner City Filmmakers, Streetside Productions/The East Bay Asian Youth Center, and Horizons/The DJ Project. Follow her work at communitybridgevideo.com and @mssmittyb.

Additional team members:

• Tehea Robie
• Debi Mason
• Deborah Acosta