Katie Hawkins-Gaar is a journalism consultant, freelance writer, and the founder of Digital Women Leaders, a free mentoring initiative connecting women and nonbinary journalists around the world. Hawkins-Gaar writes the popular Substack newsletter My Sweet Dumb Brain and serves as an advisor and mentor with the Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship. She consults with a variety of journalism organizations, including the News Revenue Hub, Report for America, and the Poynter Institute.

Hawkins-Gaar previously worked at the Poynter Institute, where she co-founded the Leadership Academy for Women in Media, and taught journalists how to make the most of social media, understand audience engagement, rethink workflows, and foster creativity. Prior to Poynter, she was the managing editor of CNN iReport, the network’s global citizen journalism platform. She lives in Atlanta with her partner and daughter.