Rowan Walrath joined BostInno in April as a staff writer covering innovation in Massachusetts, bringing a unique perspective to Boston from her time as a freelance journalist in San Francisco.
Walrath has an impressive journalism background, having spent time writing and fact-checking for WIRED, Mother Jones, Eater, HuffPost and more. While known for her ability to cover an expansive range of topics, Walrath has spent dedicated time on the future of transportation beat at WIRED, and during her editorial fellowship at Mother Jones, she reported on health, science, climate and related policy. Her new role at BostInno is a bit of a coming-home party. Walrath is a graduate of Northeastern University, and she cut her reporting teeth in Boston covering local news for the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, and WGBH.
Enjoy our pre-podcast written Q&A below. You can also listen to our BSU podcast discussion on any of your favorite audio platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud). Enjoy.
Where did you grow up? Just north of Houston, Texas.
How would you sum up your childhood? I explored a lot: art, music, dance, the outdoors, writing. My parents indulged in my curiosity, which certainly gave me a leg up when I finally dove into journalism.
What most inspired your career in journalism? Tough question, because I had a lot of entry points. One experience that has motivated me to stay was one at my college paper—I wrote a feature on how mental health support systems fail college students. It resonated with a lot of people, and (I heard) it made its way to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (wish I could confirm!). That was an early demonstration of journalism’s power to effect change.
What brought you to focusing on innovation? A combination of a drive to (1) interrogate the startup ecosystem and (2) highlight companies and founders in places that are not the Bay Area.
What area of innovation most interests you? Biotech and greentech are pet interests.
What do you love most about Boston? Professionally, the energy and sharpness of the people here. Personally, the seasons!
Who’s been the most inspiring figure in your life? I have several, but Kara Swisher is definitely up there.
At what point do you think you became a true journalist? When I published my first article in my college paper. Support student journalism!
What is one story you wish everyone would read that you’ve written? One I published in Mother Jones, on the mental health effects of climate change and the activist psychiatrists who are working on proactively addressing them.
What is one story you wish everyone would read that you didn’t write? This is sort of cheating, because I fact-checked it, but Maryn McKenna’s feature in Mother Jones on bacteriophage therapy. Just really incredible storytelling (with a spotlight on the difficulties of systemic change in the FDA to boot).
What events happening in Boston need more coverage? Employee activism. The Wayfair walkout was one thing, but I’d really love to dive into tech labor this year.
Where does innovation and journalism intersect? Where editors and reporters are finding new ways to engage their audiences and bring them into the reporting process.
What other types of stories inspire you? Ones about youth activism, always.
Who is doing important work for the city of Boston? Anyone who is creating concrete career opportunities for kids and those making career changes.
What challenge facing Boston and the world would you most like to see solved? The distribution of capital. Relatedly, housing.
You can follow BSU on Twitter at @BostonSpeaksUp and discover more inspiring stories at the Boston Speaks Up blog and recommend BSU guests by contacting bostonspeaksup@gmail.com.
