Retha Hill
Retha Hill is the founder of AncestoriesXR.com, a company that produces
Founder/AncestoriesXR.com · Phoenix, Arizona, US
Open to advisory
Product · Leadership & Strategy
I am happy to talk about media outreach strategies.
Makes warm intros to
5
Hours / month
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
AncestoriesXR
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
Hall of Fame Inductee
Inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame in 2024.
Journalism
An extensive career as a reporter, editor, and professor in journalism.
Executive Leadership
Held leadership roles at ASU, Washingtonpost.com, and BET.com.
Award Winner
Received multiple awards for journalism and innovation.
Digital Journalism
Played a founding role at Washingtonpost.com and BET.com.
Innovation Leadership
Served as Executive Director of Innovation at Arizona State University.
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.
Editorial Leadership
Served as a founding editor of Washingtonpost.com, guiding editorial direction.
AI Ethics
Focuses on the ethical use of AI in journalism and communication.
Communication
Excellent communication skills demonstrated through journalism career and public speaking.
Content Strategy
Formulated content direction as a founding editor at Washingtonpost.com and VP of content at BET.com.
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.
job
Founding Vice President of Content
BET Interactive
Developed and launched the award-winning BET.com platform as founding content lead.
job
Founding Editor & Executive Producer
Washington Post Newsweek Interactive
Pioneered early digital journalism initiatives and local content as a founding editor and executive producer.
job
Co-Founder
Playable Stories
Co-founded a media startup helping journalists create serious games to explain complex issues.
job
Professor Emerita & Former Director of Innovation
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Arizona State University
Served as Director of Innovation leading cutting-edge media tech initiatives, AI ethics guidelines, and AR/VR projects.