Bettina Chang
Program Manager, Just Democracy
(she/her)

Hailing from Chicago with a deep background in journalism, start ups, and nonprofits, Bettina is committed to supporting leaders who are catalyzing change from the ground up. She is a proud second generation Taiwanese American, and she believes that when we shift power to those most impacted by injustice, we can create a more just world.

“The Just Democracy team supports organizations that are working to make our democracy stronger, more equitable, and more resilient,” says Bettina. As the Program Manager for Just Democracy, Bettina partners with grantees to ensure they have what they need to produce impactful journalism in service of a robust civic life. She is particularly invested in the interconnectedness of economic security and news and information with civil rights and voting rights, acknowledging the complexities and realities of building a democracy in an unequal society.

Bettina received a BA in Psychology and a BS in Journalism from Northwestern University. Most recently, she was a 2025 John S. Knight Journalism Fellow/Institute for Advancing Just Societies Fellow at Stanford University. Prior, she co-founded and co-led City Bureau for nine years, where she oversaw Chicago programming and was lead editor on the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation, Missing in Chicago. Bettina also held roles as executive digital editor at Chicago magazine and editor at DNAinfo Chicago and Pacific Standard.

Bettina recently moved to the Bay Area with her husband, their giggly and opinionated baby daughter, and large-headed dog. She enjoys books with extensive world-building, day trips planned around food, and painstakingly crafting ceramic bowls that are ruined right before going into the kiln.