Mary T. An

Mary T. An joined Groundswell as Executive Director in September 2022. Mary brings with her over two decades of experience in non-profit leadership, mission-driven programs and amplifying diverse voices for a more equitable world. Most recently, Mary was a Senior Director, International Programs at Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street. She led Sesame Workshop's media and education work in Sub-Saharan Africa, established a branch office in South Africa in 2018 and relaunched the beloved local show Takalani Sesame, featuring "Kami", a girl Muppet who is HIV positive.

Prior to joining Sesame, Mary oversaw development & planning at Brooklyn-based American Documentary POV ("Point-of-View"), the Emmy-award winning PBS documentary series known for putting a human face on contemporary social issues. Before POV, she served for over two years with the United Nations Development Programme in Khartoum, Sudan launching a $142 million program strengthening democratic and peacebuilding processes. Mary has consulted for UN Women, National Democratic Institute, Open Society Foundation, Emory University, and the United Nations Foundation; and is on the board of directors of The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture.

Mary started her career working in youth empowerment with REACH LA and Youth Radio in southern California. She holds a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts from Scripps College in Studio Art and English.