What's Your Story? Here's Ours.

Hi! We’re Lioness.

We’re in your inbox to tell stories. The good, the bad, the funny, the inspiring or the sad, the infuriating, but most of all - the untold. 

At Lioness, we believe in the power of stories, and we are bent on sharing them (no matter whose feathers we might ruffle). 

During the current COVID-19 crisis, we’ve seen their importance. Personal stories have revealed abuses of workers, uncovered government mismanagement, and spurred momentum for mandatory paid sick leave.

The right story at the right time can change the world.

When Bill Gates read an article about the millions of preventable deaths in developing countries due to diarrhea, it led him to shift the focus of his foundation’s work to global health. This philanthropy has gone on to fund projects that have improved the health of thousands of people, saving countless lives -- all because someone read a story.

When Casey Newton, a reporter at The Verge, caught wind that Pinterest didn’t offer paid time off benefits for contractors doing mission-critical work, he wrote a story about it and shared it on Twitter. The article was widely shared among Pinterest employees, who loudly pressured the company to change their approach to contractors. The company ended up changing their policy.

These stories and other stories that have caused some of the biggest changes in our era came to the world’s attention because everyday people spoke up. 

People like you.

This newsletter is the place for you to read along, but also the place for you to join in. We’re interested in your untold stories, because stories brought to light can change culture, right wrongs, bring down power structures, and create movements. 

How does Lioness plan to do this?

• Lioness is a conduit between everyday people, their stories, and countless media organizations, podcast networks and journalists. We provide people a pathway to tell an important story via vetted personal essays on our website, and to national media outlets, with the option to keep their identity hidden if need be.

• We also help reporters find the sources they need to get their story. In each newsletter, we’ll feature journalists who want to talk to everyday people like you on a specific topic. Readers who have information on a matter can respond by replying to this newsletter.

Let’s start with where we are now. Do you have a story about COVID-19 that is not making news? Are there voices not being represented in the media or in government policy because they can’t be heard over the din? Reply to this newsletter if you have a COVID story -- whether uplifting or terrifying -- to share.

This bi-weekly newsletter and a podcast (coming soon) will amplify some of the stories you share. Lioness is committed to paving the way for those speaking truth-to-power and creating a medium through which the important, positive, weird, and interesting things that are happening around us in these crazy times can be heard.  

We are a woman-owned company run by women -- Lionesses, of sorts. Men are welcome, too, of course. Still, we agree with Elena Ferrante that:

“The female story, told with increasing skill, increasingly widespread and unapologetic, is what must now assume power.”

Last but not least, here are our stories:

Ariella Steinhorn, Founder

Ariella is a storyteller, writer, and advocate for workplace equity. After a series of personal experiences in the workplace, she co-founded Simone, a workplace equity organization that guided hundreds of people through workplace challenges including sexual harassment, discrimination and abuse. She has recently spent time on both coasts, but ultimately, New York City won out. Ariella lives with her partner and very affectionate cat, Tiger, and when she’s not speaking truth to power, she is working on a book about her experiences with men in power. 

Amber Scorah, Senior Writer

After leaving her Jehovah’s Witness missionary post in China, Amber was shunned by all her family and friends as an apostate. Moving to New York City to start a new life, she quickly discovered that the zeal and determination she had brought to her preaching was much better suited to creating positive change in the real world. Amber became a parental leave advocate whose story of the loss of her son on his first day in childcare touched millions. Last year, she released a critically-acclaimed memoir about the experience of leaving a high-control religion.  

This is the beginning of our story. We can’t wait to hear yours.

Please share this newsletter with friends who you think will be interested. They can sign up here — and get in touch if they have a story of their own to share.

Thanks for reading, and to be continued…

Lioness