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Raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Adriana Teresa Letorney (GSAS '21) grew up with a passion for storytelling rooted in her cultural heritage and community. Her academic path included a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Puerto Rico in 2001 and a B.F.A. in Photography from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in 2007, before she arrived at the prestigious NYU Carter Journalism Institute to earn a master's degree.
Pivot to Purpose
Though initially on track toward law school, Letorney found herself drawn to visual storytelling — a calling she couldn’t ignore. She eventually redirected her life toward photography and media, convinced that inclusive media infrastructure was missing — particularly for underrepresented voices. Her personal journey of vulnerability and reinvention fueled her mission to build something bigger.
Launching Visura
Founded in 2016, Visura emerged as a curated market‑network built to empower freelance visual journalists globally — enabling them to build professional portfolios, share work, and connect directly with publishers, editors, and organizations in need of authentic storytelling.
Visura’s growth was driven by deep community listening — adapting features like robust directories, maps, and tools for freelancers and editors to collaborate in a merit-based, accessible environment.
NYU Roots & Entrepreneurial Growth
Letorney is deeply connected to the NYU entrepreneurial community. In 2021, Visura was selected to participate in our nine-week NYU Summer Launchpad accelerator. The experience in helped Letorney hone Visura’s business model, refine its go-to-market strategy, and connect with an invaluable network of mentors and fellow founders.
She was named a NYU Female Founders Fellow in 2021 and served as a Founder in Residence (FIR) at the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute from 2021 to 2023.
Building Community & Content
Letorney has built Visura not just as a tech product but as a platform to foster diversity, empathy, and media literacy worldwide while examining critical questions about how to empower freelance visual journalists.
Beyond digital infrastructure, she's also the co‑founder and executive producer of Scout Film Festival, a nonprofit supporting filmmakers aged 24 and under worldwide since 2015.
She launched the Visura Salon Series in partnership with powerHouse Arena, spotlighting innovative storytelling methods and creators.
Civic Impact & Recognition
Letorney participated in the Techstars & Comcast NBCUniversal Lift Labs Accelerator in 2022, and continues to give back to early-stage founders by mentoring and speaking at higher ed institutions including NYU, Columbia Journalism School, Missouri School of Journalism, and SVA.
Her writing has appeared in the New York Times Lens Blog and Huffington Post, and her work has been featured in CNN, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, PDN, and Seven Days, among others.
