About HEATDRAWN
HEATDRAWN was founded in 2020 by award-winning journalist and producer Ethan Ward.
The studio develops original reporting and narrative projects examining power, culture, and belonging. Its work spans publishing, audio, and experimental digital formats.
SELECTED PROJECTS
INHERITANCE — An independent long-form publication examining what we carry forward from family, ambition, race, and nation, and what happens when the life we inherited no longer fits.
REPUTATION — An award-winning limited series podcast on homelessness and housing policy.
THE THREAD — An AI-powered narrative experiment exploring obituary data, memory, and legacy.
Omidyar Network Tech Journalism Fund Grant (2026)
LA Press Club SoCal Journalism Award — Best Limited Podcast Series (2024)
Housing Narrative Award — Best Podcast Episode (2023)
RECOGNITION
THE FOUNDER
Ethan Ward
Founder & Executive Producer
Ethan Ward is an award-winning journalist and storyteller working at the intersection of culture, technology, and power.
He executive produced Reputation, an award-winning limited series podcast examining homelessness and housing policy, earning recognition from the LA Press Club and the Housing Narrative Lab. In 2026, HEATDRAWN received support from the Omidyar Network Tech Journalism Fund for investigative reporting on AI regulation and enforcement.
His reporting has appeared in USA Today, NPR, Slate, Fast Company, Marketplace, and PBS SoCal. He has delivered keynote addresses and government presentations on housing, civil rights enforcement, and responsible AI.
Born in Washington, D.C., shaped by 13 years in Los Angeles, and currently working internationally, Ward’s work examines what we inherit — and what it costs to carry it forward.
