Jeff McCarter

Jeff McCarter is the founder and executive director of Free Spirit Media, which he created in order to share his experience as a media professional (cameraman, editor, and Emmy Award-winning producer) with youth from under-resourced communities. In mainstream media, McCarter witnessed the lack of diversity in both representation and opportunity. Now, Free Spirit Media cultivates diverse youth voices to transform media and society. McCarter was a founding co-chair of the Chicago Youth Voices Network and serves on Chicago's Committee for Media Access. He is a thought leader in the fields of youth media education and digital media and learning, and has presented at multiple conferences, including DML (Digital Media and Learning) and ACM (Alliance for Community Media). He studied humanities and film production at the University of Colorado and nonprofit management at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He's worked on feature films directed by Steven Soderbergh and Ron Howard, and on documentary television with ABC News, PBS, and WTTW Chicago. McCarter is a fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago. He lives with his family on Chicago’s West Side. He also serves on the board of Friends of STEM Magnet Academy and the Douglas Park Advisory Council.