About us
Overview
Factal is a breaking news technology company that helps the world's largest organizations protect people, avoid disruptions and expedite disaster relief when global events put them at immediate risk.
Founded in 2018, Factal is the only company that combines instant social media discovery with trusted verification in a single platform. From outbreaks and active shootings to wildfires and severe weather, Factal blends AI technology with a 24/7 newsroom of experienced journalists to enable global organizations to see precisely where and how they're at risk in real time. Learn how Factal works.
Factal is trusted by many of the world's largest companies, technology platforms, newsrooms and NGOs for security, business continuity, crisis communications, disaster response and content verification. We provide our service for free for humanitarian aid NGOs and fact checkers. See our solutions and integration partners.
Based in Seattle with a London office, Factal was created by the founders of BreakingNews.com at NBC News. Scroll down to learn about our mission, team and investors. Interesting in learning more? We'd love to hear from you.
Mission
Factal is a news organization founded on a public service mission to protect people from imminent harm and help those in immediate need. We work hard to earn your trust through high standards in our code of ethics.
Our Story
Most startup stories begin with an idea. Factal's story begins with another organization called Breaking News.
Leadership
Charlie Tillinghast, co-founder and CEO
charlie@factal.com
Charlie was the President & CEO of MSNBC Interactive, LLC. where he chartered the formation of Breaking News as an internal startup under a separate brand. During Charlie's 13-year tenure, msnbc.com was consistently the #1 news site, as measured by unique users. Following Microsoft's 2012 divesture of its stake in the MSNBC joint venture, Charlie served as CEO of a video content security company in England; and later as CEO of Seattle-based Mixpo, Inc., a digital advertising platform that was acquired by Netsertive. Charlie is the 2015 recipient of Geekwire's Hire of the Year award. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Brown University.
Ben Tesch, co-founder and VP of technology
ben@factal.com
Ben was the co-founder, technical director and creative director of Breaking News, leading the technology and design teams. Earlier at NBC News, he was the manager of the Labs Group, an R&D group of developers and designers tasked with conceptualizing new products and businesses. Prior to NBC, Ben led the design and front-end development of Minnesota Public Radio and its network of websites for stations and programs, which won multiple Edward R. Murrow awards during his tenure. He also led the initial design and front-end development of American Public Media and its network of programs websites, one of which received a George Foster Peabody Award.
Cory Bergman, co-founder and VP of product
cory@factal.com
Cory was the co-founder and general manager of Breaking News. Earlier at MSNBC Interactive (msnbc.com), he worked as the director of new product development, identifying and fostering innovative product efforts. Prior to msnbc.com, Cory led the digital team at KING TV in Seattle, winning the highest national awards for a local TV site. Separately, he co-founded and built hyperlocal site MyBallard.com, which won a national Online Journalism Award; and Lost Remote, a popular media blog acquired by AdWeek. Prior to his work in digital, Cory covered breaking news for NBC News as an assignment editor and field producer. He has an MBA from the University of the Pacific.
Editorial Leadership
Jillian Stampher, head of news
jillian@factal.com
Jillian is a journalist with a focus on news editing and mobile platforms. Most recently at HuffPost, she worked as a front page editor, assigning and editing evening news coverage, often as the only editor on the site. While there, Jillian helped redevelop HuffPost's editorial mobile initiatives, tracking alert analytics and coordinating the launch of push categories. Prior to HuffPost, Jillian was an editor at Breaking News, where she covered major stories from the aftermath of the Boston bombing to the Nice terrorist attack while also growing Breaking News' social platforms.
Bada Kim, managing editor
Most recently an editor at Agence France-Presse's Asia hub in Hong Kong, Bada developed and launched the agency's first Korean-language platform focusing on misinformation. Before this, she led Dataminr's Asia desk in London, specialising in breaking news, and held roles at the Associated Press' live video desk and South Korea's Yonhap News Agency and Korean Broadcasting System, covering North Korea news.
Rebecca Bratek, senior editor
Rebecca was most recently a producer on CBS News' social team, where she managed the network's flagship accounts, produced videos and wrote on a variety of topics. Prior to that, she was an editor for Breaking News, where she focused on politics and helped plan coverage of the 2016 election. She has an MA from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in New York and a BA in English from the University at Buffalo.
Jimmy Lovaas, senior editor
Jimmy was most recently a manager at Dataminr, where he oversaw a team of domestic news domain experts and regularly supervised global coverage. Prior to that, he was an editor at Breaking News and a freelance reporter for Reuters, McClatchy, and The Seattle Times covering state and local politics, music events and crime. He's covered virtually every type of major breaking news story. Jimmy came to journalism after graduating from the University of Washington with a BA in Journalism following more than 20 years of jobs ranging from flight attendant to retail manager. He loves cats.
Halima Mansoor, senior editor
Halima is a journalist experienced in print and digital with a focus on breaking news and infographics. She was last running the international breaking news desk out of Istanbul, Turkey, at TRT World, where she was recognized for building teams and audiences. Prior to TRT World, Halima was at a national newspaper in Pakistan, in charge of the edition focusing on the complex northern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and the tribal districts. Halima's work — reporting and editing — was nominated for the Online Journalism Award 2016 as part of a digital interactive special report on the Army Public School terror attack in Peshawar, Pakistan. Her reportage covers a range of topics, including terrorism, music, public health and gender rights. Outside of work, Halima is interested in rehoming strays and developing a repertoire on food commentary.
Alex Moore, senior editor
Alex was most recently a part of the Domain Experts team at Dataminr where he oversaw coverage of breaking news from regions ranging from Eastern Europe to Latin America. Prior to moving to Seattle, he worked in the policy world in Washington, D.C., studying arms control and non-proliferation. He holds a master's degree in International Conflict and Security from the Brussels School of International Studies.
Irene Villora, senior editor
Irene is a multi-lingual journalist based in London who has worked for Agencia EFE and for Thomson Reuters as a visuals breaking news editor. She worked in Colombia between 2016 and 2019, where she specialised in the coverage of Latin American news and conflict in the region. More recently she worked in Poland for one year. She previously worked as a lifestyle, gastronomy and culture writer in Spain, where she's from. She graduated from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid on a full scholarship.
Department Leadership
Brooke Barker, business operations manager
Before joining Factal, Brooke assisted in Pediatric Anesthesia traveling to dental offices throughout Western Washington. She now handles day to day business operations and all things human resources for Factal. Outside of work, you'll find her adventuring with her family and working towards living a more regenerative lifestyle.
Brian Gass, sales development manager
brian.gass@factal.com
Brian has a diverse background in designing and implementing successful sales campaigns for IT infrastructure, web design, and commercial real estate firms. Prior to launching his career in sales, Brian was a cook at a Michelin star restaurant in Manhattan and a long distance hiker, completing the 2600 mile Pacific Crest Trail. He earned a dual BSBA from Sierra Nevada University in finance & entrepreneurship. When not cooking or exploring the Cascades, he volunteers with 501 Common's Executive Service Corps.
Carolyn Kahler, director of member success
Carolyn is a Member Success expert from Orange County, CA. Prior to joining Factal, Carolyn worked for ten years at Bloomberg as a Client Service Partner specializing in legal technology for AMLAW 100 firms and Fortune 500 companies. Carolyn is a licensed and formerly practicing attorney. She earned her J.D. at UIC John Marshall Law School.
Corwin Light-Williams, mobile team manager
Corwin is a developer in Seattle, Washington. He has worked on everything from video games to biochemistry software, as well as the original Breaking News. His favorite drink is an Arnold Palmer.
Ryan Ockuly, head of sales
ryan@factal.com
Ryan is a sales executive with startup, growth and management experience in security, unified communication, life safety and emergency communication. Ryan has designed, sold and managed successful delivery of technology solutions and service at the enterprise level for Fortune 1000, healthcare, education and government organizations. Prior to joining Factal, Ryan worked nine years at Alertus Technologies where he was an integral part of growth in sales, product development, partnerships and OEM channel relationships.
Elissa Olinsky, director of product
Elissa does human-centered product, research, and accessibility work from her home base in Maryland. Prior to Factal, Elissa led teams of researchers and communicators who helped make government websites and APIs meet their users' needs. She holds a Master's degree in Museum Education and had a first career at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, where she created in-museum experiences both digital and physical.
Claire Sindlinger, director of marketing
Claire is a marketer who loves telling stories and building mission-driven brands. Before starting at Factal, she worked in paid media, then spent eight years in edtech helping to support K–12 teachers and students through thoughtful, targeted marketing. When she’s not working, you’ll typically find her exploring the Cascades, at the pottery wheel, or off discovering a new corner of the world.
Advisors
Stephanie Clary
Stephanie Clary is the deputy editor at New York Public Radio / WNYC. She has previously held leadership roles at VICE, CNN, MIC and Breaking News. Stephanie shares a Pulitzer Prize with The Seattle Times staff for the 2010 breaking news coverage of the 2009 Lakewood police shooting. She also shares the 2016 Gannett Foundation Award for Technical Innovation with the Breaking News staff and a SPJ Northwest Excellence in Journalism award for her coverage of the 2010 winter Olympics. For her work at CNN, she shares 2019 Edward R. Murrow, Webby and Shorty awards with her team.
Mike Davidson
Mike Davidson is corporate vice president for Design & Research at Microsoft. He was previously vice president of Design at Kraken, vice president of Partnerships & Community at InVision, and spent three years building the Design & Research org at Twitter. Mike has also worked in design leadership roles at NBCNews, ESPN, Disney, as well as founding his own company, Newsvine, which was eventually acquired by MSNBC. Mike earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington and studied Creative Advertising and Management at the University of Oxford.
Steve Dowling
Steve Dowling is vice president of Communications at OpenAI in San Francisco. He began his career as a broadcast journalist, covering Washington, D.C. for CNBC and establishing the network's Silicon Valley bureau. He later served as vice president of Communications at Apple.
Hanson Hosein
Hanson Hosein is the co-founder of the Communication Leadership graduate program at the University of Washington and the President of HRH Media Group LLC, a media production and communications strategy firm. He's an award-winning documentary filmmaker and former broadcast journalist, earning an Emmy while working with NBC News in overseas conflict zones. Hanson hosts the UW's "Co-Existing with COVID-19" Public Lectures series, and leads conversations on misinformation in partnership with the UW Center for an Informed Public. He's presently intent on recalibrating the power dynamic between people and technology as Co-Principal of MIRA! — Mobilize Innovation, Reimagine Agency — a community-first approach to learning and innovation.
Investors
Factal's 2018 seed investment round was led by SeaChange Fund in Seattle with additional funding by Grubstakes, Frontier Angels, Sierra Angels, OF Partners and Dave Smith. Factal's 2021 A-Round was led by Arthur Ventures with participation by SeaChange Fund.
Press
Factal, which alerts companies of breaking news events, raises $3.3M after doubling revenue in 2020
GeekWire (June 2021)
Breaking News founders launch Factal, delivering real-time news and incident alerts to companies
GeekWire (August 2018)
This Startup Wants To Sell Verified Breaking News Alerts To Companies
BuzzFeed (August 2018)
I want bad news and I want it fast: That's the business model for Factal, a business-focused company from the founders of Breaking News
NiemanLab (August 2018)
For press inquiries, email us at hello@factal.com
View Factal's press kit here. It contains press releases, logos and product screenshots.
Jobs
Factal is hiring! Learn more about working at Factal, see our current job openings and apply.
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