# Katie Orenstein

> Katie Orenstein is the New York-based founder and CEO of The OpEd Project, which trains and connects underrepresented experts with journalists and public platforms. A journalist and folklore scholar, she also wrote Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked under the name Catherine Orenstein. Her work connects the study of storytelling with practical efforts to broaden participation in public debate.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at The OpEd Project
- **Organizations:** The OpEd Project, Echoing Green, Ashoka, The Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership
- **Education:** BA; studied folklore, Harvard University, MA, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs
- **Known for:** Founded The OpEd Project, a training and mentorship initiative for underrepresented expert voices., Authored Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality, and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale., Echoing Green Fellow, class of 2008.

## Career timeline

- **1990s** — Studied folklore and reported from Haiti; consulted with the United Nations human rights mission.
- **1996** — Worked with international human rights lawyers assisting victims of military and paramilitary violence in Haiti.
- **2002** — Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked published by Basic Books under the name Catherine Orenstein.
- **2008** — The OpEd Project launched with Echoing Green seed funding; selected as an Echoing Green Fellow.
- **2016** — Elected an Ashoka Fellow.
- **2018** — Led an interactive workshop at the Modern Language Association convention.

## Achievements

- Founded The OpEd Project, a training and mentorship initiative for underrepresented expert voices.
- Authored Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality, and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale.
- Echoing Green Fellow, class of 2008.
- Ashoka Fellow, elected in 2016.
- Recipient of the Diana P. Scott Integrity in Action Award.
- Published commentary in The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Miami Herald.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — In a New Year message on LinkedIn, encouraged people to join Write To Change The World workshops and described voice as a form of citizenship.

## Links

- Website: https://www.theopedproject.org/about-katie/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katieorenstein

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/katie-orenstein
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-06