I’m Asher Umerie, Senior Editor and Writing Contest Manager at HackerNoon by day, Novelist, and Filmmaker by night.

Over the past 4+ years, I’ve donned many hats—Writer, Editor, Creative Director, Marketing Associate, and (in the early days) Customer Success Agent—each role offering a unique perspective on how storytelling can either elevate or undermine a business.

With GoMoney—a financial technology company—I whetted my beak as Marketing Associate-cum-Customer Success Agent. In the early days, caught in the crossfires of dissatisfied customers, I learned two important things: 1) The customer isn’t ALWAYS right, but they ALWAYS have valuable lessons to teach you about how your brand is perceived, and 2) Perception trumps reality, every time.

Next came Ripe, a production company, and advertising agency, where I joined during a major transition. As the company was reimagining its service offerings and business model, I had the rare opportunity to help build the brand from the ground up. I worked across everything from boilerplates and website copy to email templates, partnership proposals, ad scripts, creative direction, and multi-channel marketing strategies. It was chaotic—but in the best way.

HackerNoon, an online technology publishing company, came next, honing my editorial and SEO skills. My first year, for the most part, was spent editing—reviewing over 2,000 tech blogs (7,000+ to date)—and later expanded into Web analytics, Tech news reporting, Product guides, Newsletter campaigns, Blogging fellowships, and most recently, managing Writing Contests. In 2024 alone, I managed eight contests, handling everything from client relations and communications to a slew of editorial and administrative projects—landing pages, press releases, newsletters, social media campaigns, and performance reports.

Every hat I’ve worn, to this point, has added a new dimension to my approach—blending solid narrative, strategic insight, and execution to tell stories that resonate. Along the way, I’ve polished my ability to guide cross-functional teams, ensuring every piece fits together to deliver the best results for all stakeholders.

Welcome to my hat collection!