Retha Hill
Retha Hill is the founder of AncestoriesXR.com, a company that produces short, cinematic documentaries for family historians from their genealogy records. She has been a journalist, news executive and professor of journalism.
Founder/AncestoriesXR.com · Phoenix, Arizona, US
About Retha
Retha Hill is the founder of AncestoriesXR.com, a company that produces short, cinematic documentaries for family historians based on their genealogical records. She is a professor emerita at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Until she retired in 2025, she was the school's executive director of innovation. She is a sought-after speaker and trainer on the ethical use of technology, particularly AI, in journalism and communication. She was a reporter at the Washington Post, a founding editor of Washingtonpost.com, and was the founding vice president of content at BET.com. She has won multiple awards for journalism and innovation. In 2024, Retha was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.
Company
100 million people are actively researching their family histories. They have the records and the stories. What they don’t have is a captivating way of sharing that history with digital-first family members. AncestoriesXR turns genealogy records into cinematic documentaries about an ancestor that the whole family will want to watch — all at an affordable price.
Funding Stage
Pre-Seed
Funding Raised
None/Bootstrapped
Team Size
Just Me/Co-Founders
Annual Revenue
$0 to $100k
Founded
2021
Industry
Consumer Products
Skills
Journalism
An extensive career as a reporter, editor, and professor in journalism.
Hall of Fame Inductee
Inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame in 2024.
Executive Leadership
Held leadership roles at ASU, Washingtonpost.com, and BET.com.
Innovation Leadership
Served as Executive Director of Innovation at Arizona State University.
Award Winner
Received multiple awards for journalism and innovation.
Digital Journalism
Played a founding role at Washingtonpost.com and BET.com.
Content Strategy
Formulated content direction as a founding editor at Washingtonpost.com and VP of content at BET.com.
Communication
Excellent communication skills demonstrated through journalism career and public speaking.
AI Ethics
Focuses on the ethical use of AI in journalism and communication.
Editorial Leadership
Served as a founding editor of Washingtonpost.com, guiding editorial direction.
Entrepreneurship
Successfully founded and operates AncestoriesXR.com.
Mentorship
Implied through roles as a professor and trainer. Have worked with young staff members and later students for most of my career as an editor, manager, and professor.
Education
Served as a professor and executive director at Arizona State University.
Digital Media
Possesses significant experience in digital content leadership and strategy.
Management
Managed content teams and academic programs, demonstrating strong organizational skills.
Higher Education
Served as a professor for 18 years, professor emerita, and executive director at Arizona State University.
Founder
Founded AncestoriesXR.com, demonstrating entrepreneurial drive.
Technology Ethics
Sought-after speaker and trainer on the ethical use of technology in journalism.
Public Speaking
Sought-after speaker and trainer on the ethical use of technology and AI.
Research
Implied through genealogical records for AncestoriesXR and reporting duties.
Writing
Developed strong writing skills as a reporter at The Washington Post.
Content Creation
Creates content for various platforms, including digital documentaries.
Strategic Planning
Involved in setting strategic direction for various organizations and initiatives.
Product Development
Involved in creating and bringing the AncestoriesXR product to market. Founding teams at Washingtonpost.com in 1995 an BET.com in 1999.
Cinematic Storytelling
Expertise in creating captivating cinematic content for AncestoriesXR.
Digital Storytelling
Transforms genealogical records into engaging digital narratives for AncestoriesXR.
Company Formation
Established AncestoriesXR.com as a new venture. Previously, a co-founder of Playable Media, a company that created a platform to help journalists create serious games.
Training & Development
Acts as a trainer on technology ethics for professionals.
Content Management
Managed content as Founding Vice President of Content at BET.com.
Technology Industry
Expertise in the ethical use of technology, particularly AI, across various sectors.
Documentary Production
Produces short, cinematic documentaries for AncestoriesXR.
Family History Industry
Founded AncestoriesXR.com, focusing on cinematic documentaries for family historians.
Market Analysis
Demonstrated understanding of the target market for AncestoriesXR, focusing on family historians.
Genealogy
Works extensively with genealogical records for AncestoriesXR to produce documentaries.
Value Proposition Development
Developed a compelling offering for family historians with AncestoriesXR.
Pricing Strategy
Implied understanding of pricing to offer an 'affordable price' for AncestoriesXR.
Experience
milestone
Hall of Fame Inductee
National Association of Black Journalists
Inductee into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.
Honored in 2024 for a lifetime of significant contributions to the field of journalism. Was the first inductee noted for pioneering work in digital as well as traditional journalism.
job
Reporter
The Washington Post
Worked as a reporter for The Washington Post.
Gained extensive experience in journalism and news reporting at a prestigious national newspaper.
job
Founding Editor
Washingtonpost.com
Served as a founding editor for Washingtonpost.com. In charge of creating Internet-specific content for Washingtonians. For example, an interactive subway map, weekly chats with beloved Washington Post columnists, and Yelp-style databases long before Yelp existed.
Played a pivotal role in the launch and initial editorial direction of The Washington Post's online platform.
job
Founder
AncestoriesXR.com
Founded a company producing short, cinematic documentaries for family historians.
Launched AncestoriesXR.com, a venture focused on transforming genealogical records into engaging digital content.
job
Professor for 18 years. Current Professor Emerita
Arizona State University
Held a professorship at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Retired in July 2025 to work full-time on AncestoriesXR. Now hold rank of professor emerita.
Achieved the status of Professor Emerita, signifying a distinguished academic career.
job
Founding Vice President of Content
BET.com
Served as the Founding Vice President of Content for BET.com.
Instrumental in establishing and leading the content strategy and production for the digital platform of BET.