Lilly Knoepp

writer, journalist

United States of America

I'm a writer who loves writing about gender, politics and religion.

Proud CUNY-Journalism, UNC-CH and Reese News Lab alum.

Portfolio
Forbes
How Plant Technology Can Save The World

Panelists Michael Barron, senior plant scientist of AeroFarms, Dr. Susan Graham, CTO of BioCarbon Engineering and Diane Wu, cofounder of Trace Genomics each have very different jobs but their advice was similar: you need to get your hands dirty to change the world.

Forbes
The Real Work Of The Women's March Is Happening Now

The Women's March on Washington was the biggest in U.S. history but Tamika Mallory, co-president of The Women's March, says that attending the march was the easiest part. "I think now we are in the period of the real work.

Forbes
Survivors Share Testimonies On New VR Sexual Assault Database

We have all gotten used to the daily deluge of details surrounding the decades of abuse across every industry. The sheer number of new allegations has become a tidal wave pushing systematic issues and rampant abuses of power into the light. The more stories that are shared, the stronger the current.

Forbes
How This Well-Read Black Girl Became An Entrepreneur

You know that feeling when you're reading a really good book? Like the author really gets you and has written down feelings you thought were only in your own head? Glory Edim has bottled that feeling and turned it into an online community, monthly book club and (as of September of this year) a conference called Well-Read Black Girl.

Forbes
These Brands Are Proving Gender-Fluid Is The Future Of Fashion

Wild Feminist. Girl Boss. Nasty Woman. These are the political (and, recently, fashionable) battle cries of women on the left - and now, female entrepreneurs capitalizing on a climate of mobilization and the tendency of millennials to wear their causes on their sleeves.

Forbes
Forget Oculus Rift, Meet The Godmother Of VR

Nonny de la Pena, founder of Embelmatic and the 'Godmother of VR' sits down to talk about how virtual reality has changed in the five years since she produced the VR film, her favorite new technology and what VR means for journalism.

Forbes
Lauren Conrad On Building A Nonprofit With Her Best Friend

It's been 10 years since the world was introduced to Lauren Conrad as the star of MTV reality show The Hills. But Conrad has come a long way since then: "I wish I could give advice," Conrad, tells Women@Forbes. "But I think that the things that I feel the most strongly about are things [...]

Forbes
Read Real Advice For Women Leaders In This Satirical Book

Women in the workplace receive a lot of advice about how to conduct themselves: You need to be helpful - but not in a motherly way. You need to be assertive - but not bitchy. You need to fight for your point - but not in a way that might seem angry or "crazy."

Forbes
How Is Gender Inequality Different In Your Industry?

Gender inequality exists in every industry. This fact is nothing new. Women are paid less than their male counterparts and funded less as entrepreneurs. Sexism also shows itself in more dangerous ways such as in sexual harassment cases from the tech industry to Hollywood.

Forbes
How Muslim Girl Founder Turned Her Blog Into A Business

Muslim Girl founder Amani Al-Khatahtbeh was just 9-years-old when the tragedy of 9/11 happened. Like many Americans, the experience has shaped her life. In high school, she saw Islamaphobia and a lack of Muslim women's voices in media and so - like any good millennial - she turned to the internet for solace.

Forbes
Coolhaus Founders Give The Scoop On Starting A Side Hustle

Natasha Case and Freya Estreller started their business in an old postal truck. (Photo courtesy of Coolhaus) On sweltering summer days, it's hard not to think about how refreshing an icy treat would be. But would you quit your job to start an ice cream sandwich company? Nastasha Case thought that was [...]

Forbes
The 'Pure Heart' Of The First Woman Legally In The Moonshine Business

Troy Ball describes herself as a "Vanderbilt pearl-wearing lady from Texas." She also happens to be the first woman to be granted a legal whiskey distilling license in the U.S. It's Ball's nurturing yet fierce personality and details like these that make her new memoir, Pure Heart: A Tale of Grit, Grace and Whiskey, so interesting.

Forbes
Play For Love On Female-Focused App Coffee Meets Bagel

Millennials are used to having a lot of options, whether that means 4 a.m. takeout on Seamless or the perpetual swipe-ability to find a date on Tinder. However, Dawoon Kang, 33, COO of Coffee Meets Bagel, says that the most important thing to women in on online dating isn't options - it's control.

Forbes
Black Girl Magic: New Digital Series Celebrates Female Friendship

Saturday morning swimming in flowered caps. Chatting about their dreams while knitting in the front yard surrounded by succulents. Laying upside down on a couch screaming with their pet chickens. These are routine activities for best friends Bekka and Lucy in "I Love Bekka & Lucy," the first digital episodic to ever presented at SXSW.

Forbes
How Plant Technology Can Save The World

Panelists Michael Barron, senior plant scientist of AeroFarms, Dr. Susan Graham, CTO of BioCarbon Engineering and Diane Wu, cofounder of Trace Genomics each have very different jobs but their advice was similar: you need to get your hands dirty to change the world.

Forbes
New Podcast For Entrepreneurs Outside 'Silicon Valley Stereotypes'

The format of a makeover show is tried and true: embarrassing before footage, a harsh critique by professionals, a transformation montage and then the big reveal. At their best, makeover shows inspire confidence and give helpful tips while also offering a window into the live of real people.

Forbes
You Can Make An Impact On The World With Your Business

This week, just under half of the population of the United States has been asking,"What can I do post-election?" This desire to help impact social changes extends far beyond November. Here are some tips on how you can make your business impact social change.

Forbes
Venus Williams: Trailblazing On The Court And In The Boardroom

Venus Williams is known as a tennis superstar boasting seven Grand Slam titles. Off the court, Williams is a powerhouse in the boardroom of her clothing company EleVen. Williams, 36, credits the discipline that she learned growing up playing tennis with her parents/coaches and sister, 23-Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, 35, for preparing her for the world of entrepreneurship.

Forbes
Celebrate Mother's Day With Women's History

On Mother's Day, we thank the women that gave us life as well as their mothers but what do you know about the women who came before them. Much of women's history is left out of history books that focus on the achievements and stories of men, who are more often than not white.

Forbes
How To Be An Activist Every Day

From protesting on the Washington Mall to volunteering in your local community, activism can take many forms. Since President Trump's election, Americans have been more active in their communities such as a rise in financial activism and conversations around gender equality.

Forbes
Olympian Aly Raisman Wants You To Be Fiercely Kind

Aly Raisman says that at the first Olympics in 2012 her team didn't realize how many people were watching. Now in 2017, there is no doubt that you know Raisman as the captain for both the "Fierce Five" and "Final Five" U.S.

Wilmingtonfavs
06/16/2013
Fighting the "sin of Sodom" in the North Carolina legislature

After almost two months of protesting the Moral Monday participants have been called many things - radicals, "loony liberals," old hippies - but these terms do not properly describe many of those who have been arrested for the cause. Max Socol is one of those people.

Wilmingtonfavs
06/04/2013
Clergy support Moral Monday physically and spiritually

The N.C. Legislature lawn and building were overflowing yesterday, June 3, with Moral Monday protesters. Although the crowd of about 1,600 gathered together to stand against the majority Republican legislature, each came there for different reason - and some were guided to protest by their faith.

reesenews
Study of recreational drug leads to understanding of a brain structure

Most college students have heard of salvia, a hallucinogenic drug that became illegal in North Carolina in 2009. If they haven't tried it themselves or heard from friends, there are many YouTube videos posted of people smoking salvia and hallucinating or uncontrollably laughing. "My buddy tried it once,"said sophomore Noah Miyazaki.

stemwire
05/16/2013
When Engineering is Elementary, students can build bridges

For most people, engineering seems like a complex and daunting scientific profession which takes years of training and challenging math classes. But for Nancy de Romero, a second grade teacher at Barbieri Elementary School, engineering is a tool for teaching science to her class and to introduce the idea of careers in STEM.

The Daily Tar Heel
03/27/2015
Expectations and funding for schools hinders rural students

Recently, I took my roommate home with me. We drove the five hours across North Carolina, through curvy mountain roads to my hometown in the western part of our state. I spent the weekend driving on back roads, showing her my rural hometown.

WhichWayNC
06/29/2012
Indian culture flourishes in Morrisville | WhichWayNC

Among the sounds of ringing bells, Saoroj Sharma leads the chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa service at The Hindu Society in the town of Morrisville. Sharma, the priest of The Hindu Society temple, explained that when he first moved to Morrisville in 1972 there were only about 30 Indian families in town.

Whichwaync
08/13/2012
Film incentives bring blockbusters, jobs and revenue to NC | WhichWayNC

Ty Church has spent almost 30 years working in the North Carolina film industry. But he worries that if the state stops offering film incentives, he won't have a career. Church began working in the industry in 1980 when Italian film producer Dino De Laurentiis decided to shoot Firestarter, a feature film based on a Steven King novel, in Wilmington.

Whichwaync
06/11/2012
Fracking on the Street | WhichWayNC

WhichWayNC asked residents in Chapel Hill about North Carolina legislation that could legalize fracking, a procedure that uses water and chemicals to harvest natural gas underground. As the bill approaches becoming law are North Carolinians in favor of the industry coming to NC?

Whichwaync
10/17/2012
Why the first lady is more popular than the president | WhichWayNC

Speaking in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, Michelle Obama asked attendants to vote for Barack Obama for president. But it seemed that the students and local residents who filled the Carmichael Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina were not just there to show support for Obama's husband.

Pbs
03/08/2013
Idea Lab

I realized recently that I had become way too attached to looking at social media on my phone and on my computer - basically all the time. This is a phenomenon that we talk about a lot at the Reese News Lab.

Whichwaync
09/24/2012
So you still think Obama is a Muslim? | WhichWayNC

Christianity in American politics When President Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention, he reassured the American people by quoting a famous book, saying: "There is hope for your future." That famous book was the Bible.

Projects I have been a part of

Capitolhound
Capitol Hound

Capitol Hound is a searchable audio archive and email alert system for the North Carolina General Assembly that allows subscribers access to the hours of audio from the legislature.

Audio Files
Home - Audio Files

While millennials love farmers markets and brunch, food justice and food politics are still mostly considered side dishes. Generation Z, on the other hand, are flocking to food studies programs...

Stemwire
STEMwire

Creating conversation on STEM education