Meet the Fellows: Rilwan Balogun

June 8, 2015June 29, 2015 Chris Wimmer marijuana, News21, Rilwan Balogun

Rilwan Balogun (center) (Photo by Matias J. Ocner) — Rilwan Balogun (center) discusses stories with his colleagues. (Photo by Matias J. Ocner/News21)

Posted June 8, 2015

NAME: Rilwan Balogun, John and Patty Williams Fellow

SCHOOL: University of Tennessee, 2015 graduate

BEFORE NEWS21: While at the University of Tennessee, I worked as anchor and reporter for UT Today, a news magazine program that broadcasts on the NBC affiliate. In the summer of 2014, I interned with NBC News and worked on the coverage of the MH17 Malaysia plane crash.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON? I am looking at why there aren’t more minorities and women in the marijuana industry – what barriers do they come across? I am also looking at startups, people who are joining this growing industry.

FUN FACT: I have gone skydiving, so that tells you I like to take risks and be adventurous, but you have to drag me away from Netflix or a great movie first.

CONNECT WITH ME: @RilwanB5 on Twitter. You can see more of my work on my website at rilwanbalogun.com.