About us

Narrative Muse is a team of passionate book, movie and TV lovers determined to transform the media landscape! We elevate stories by and about women and gender diverse folk by curating them for other readers and watchers.

That’s why we created the Narrative Muse Matchmaker. People who use the matchmaker (we call ourselves ‘Musers’) are matched with the books, movies, and TV shows that fit their taste and identity.

As a purpose-led Aotearoa-based startup, our platform is working to build and strengthen connections between historically-excluded, local audiences and content producers. Our innovation is through learning about the qualities of books, movies, and TV shows that connect with these audiences – and we're doing this through the use of AI.

First, we’re building technology that helps audiences find content that represents them. Secondly, through these insights, we'll help local producers of books, movies and TV to grow their understanding of the needs of their audiences, supporting the resilience of our industry and bringing local content to the world.

Join the revolution!

When you sign up with Narrative Muse, you’re doing more than just discovering awesome book, movie, and TV recommendations. You’re supporting women and gender diverse storytellers, you’re telling content producers what you want to read and watch, AND you’re helping to create more of the stories you crave. 

In short, you’re changing the game. 

Together, we can transform the entertainment industry into one that supports women, trans folks, gender diverse artists, and non-binary storytellers from across the sexuality spectrum, with varying disability experiences, and from all ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds. 

Join Narrative Muse today and be part of the representation revolution.

You can learn more about us in this article here.

Meet our team

Say hi to Brough. She’s the original Narrative Muse instigator. She asks “why?” a lot and loves to get to the bottom of things. Conversations, musings, and stories are her favorite things. Once a film and TV editor, she’s now taking on the world with her vision to transform the entertainment landscape to be more intersectionally gender diverse. After being raised in the US, Brough lives in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Simon Hartley, virtual chief technology officer at Narrative Muse, is an IT expert with over 20 years’ experience in the industry across the financial and health sectors. Simon’s experience includes developing and architecting large scale enterprise systems together with building and growing high performing teams. He’s also head of technology at Mentemia, who are on a mission to improve the daily mental wellbeing of 100,000,000 people and save 100,000 lives. He’s based in Auckland.

Simone is Partnerships & Operations Manager, and a mother of five in a big blended family that spends a lot of time eating good food and watching great movies together. She is super-proud of her Niuean heritage and calls the island of Niue “The Rock of Polynesia” home, even though she was born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand. In addition to her loves of dancing, reading, and events (planning and attending!) Simone channels her creativity through her family’s small business, Spacifically Yours.

Renée is People Manager for Narrative Muse. She's based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (also known as Poneke or Wellington – the capital city of Aotearoa New Zealand). Renée is from Hawke's Bay and comes from Ngāti Kahungunu. Her passions in life include her dogs, her endlessly frustrating challenge to make the perfect bagel, and indulging in comforting entertainment. She is very much an indoor person and would rather be curled up at home with a book and air-con than at the beach reading in the sun.

Courtney is lead Data Scientist at Narrative Muse. Before moving to Aotearoa, she designed algorithms to interpret imagery from satellites and spacecraft, while writing a trilogy of epic fantasy novels on the side. Courtney has always been passionate about helping others discover under-read books and forgotten authors. When not working or writing, she figure skates, climbs mountains, and chases after her insanely active spoodle. Courtney lives with her husband and son in the rural township of Lake Hawea.

Ed is the Product Designer & Marketer for Narrative Muse. After stints as a pilot, flying instructor, entrepreneur and digital marketing expert, he now uses his marketing and technology savvy to coordinate and develop NM's platform, product, and overall look and feel. Working with good people and doing meaningful work is really important to him, as is good food, great friends and time spent outdoors.

Mike is the Content Systems Manager at Narrative Muse and has been in Aotearoa for nearly two decades after moving with his young family from his native Scotland. After working in journalism and online news for a number of years, Mike wanted to channel his efforts towards making the world a better place. He loves writing, reading, technology, watching television and movies and giving his puppy Angus cuddles. Mike lives with his partner in Helensville and enjoys the quiet life.

 

Jessie is Senior Editor at Narrative Muse. She takes care of editorial systems and our contributors – and their excellent contributions. A fun-loving feminist, environmentalist and writer, Jessie grew up without a TV, so books are treasures and watching movies whenever she wants still feels like a treat. You’ll find her in Europe or Aotearoa / NZ.

Debbie is the Communications and Engagement Lead for Narrative Muse and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She loves movies, creativity, advocating for kindness, excellent takeout, yoga, GIFs, getting rush tickets for Broadway shows, reading on the Subway, and working in her community garden.

Amita is Marketing & Communications Manager for Narrative Muse. Based in Aotearoa, Amita is a plant-based feminist that loves all form of digital content - especially ones related to food, diversity, representation and, those that aren't triggering about old patriarchal narratives! In her spare time you'll find her advocating for various non-profits, doing group yoga sessions, helping her friends run political campaigns and making random content to post on Tiktok!

Atyia is an editor at Narrative Muse. She has degrees in French Literature and Health Science, which lend themselves to the fantastical scenarios she cooks up in the screenplays she writes. She’s a lover of films and can be found anticipating adventures at local cinemas. Atyia spends evenings working at the hospital or volunteering. During the day, she's a content developer at an educational publishing house in Toronto, Canada.

Danna is the Database Editor for Narrative Muse. Born in Montreal, Canada, they have an MA in English Literature from McGill University, where their research focused on literature of the sublime and the grotesque. They spend most of their time maniacally reading fiction of all genres, writing short stories, talking loudly about social justice issues, and going on picnics. They now work as an editor at an academic publishing house.

Shelbi is a Narrative Muse editor & copywriter and freelance writer based in North Carolina. Her money mainly goes to books and travel, with some set aside for supporting local musicians. She’s also working on her first book, in between daydreams about the next trip she hopes to take when it's safe – biking between towns in Eastern Europe!

Board

Nagaraj Krishnan is an independent director on the Narrative Muse board and teaches Global Management and Marketing at Victoria University in Wellington. As a member of the senior management team with HarperCollins Publishers and Penguin Random House, he led and contributed to multinational business development strategies, product and marketing campaigns, and implemented many improvements to sales operations and the customer experience. He enjoys face-to-face connections and building relationships, and his leadership and strengths reflect core values of honesty, courage, resiliency, curiosity, self-awareness, inclusivity, and agility.

Rhonda Kite, ONZM is the Narrative Muse board screen sector independent director. She has served on most of the Aotearoa screen industry boards including NZ on Air, SPADA Guild, Te Māngai Paho Funding Agency, Ngā Aho Whakaari Guild, and Māori TV. She’s also the founder and director of Kiwa Digital (the world’s leading production house for experiential digital books). Rhonda has been honoured with the New Zealand Order of Merit for her Services to New Zealand in Technology for Film and Television. Her passion is empowering vocational education through creativity and she believes in the power of storytelling.

Suse Reynolds sits on many boards, including as executive chair at Angel Association New Zealand and investor director at Narrative Muse. She is driven by her enthusiasm to play a key role in the promotion of New Zealand fabulousness, and is currently pursuing this as a passionate believer in the power of angel investment to generate world changing businesses. 

Advisors

Meet Teresa, co-founder of Narrative Muse. When she’s not using her brain cells for Narrative Muse communications and co-foundery things, she’s binge watching TV, screenwriting buddy-comedy movies, and thinking of names for the dog she dreams of having one day. Teresa is among the hordes of Americans who now call Wellington, New Zealand, home.

In addition to being AI advisor at Narrative Muse, Dr Julian Seidenberg is Head of AI at Narrative, which builds AI-assisted software for professional photographers. Julian combines experience as a software architect and software developer with a PhD in artificial intelligence. He is a technical leader in applying AI to real-world business problems, always striving to make the technology practical and understandable for all the stakeholders involved. He is based in Auckland.