A budding media start-up producing a culinary docuseries has been stuck in limbo for months. After being approved for USAID funding, the show’s co-founders discovered that the agency’s money never cleared — and now the Trump administration is caught in a legal battle to dismantle USAID.
Styling itself as an heir to Anthony Bourdain’s legacy, “The Envoy Show” aims to spotlight the seven “food wonders” of the world while examining how food is stimulating local economies in its upcoming freshman season. “The Envoy Show” is set to premiere on Amazon’s Prime Video in summer 2025.
But the show has hit a snag before even debuting. The media start-up’s first episode was approved for sponsorship with funds from the US Agency for International Development during the Biden administration, but it still hasn’t seen a dime. “The Envoy Show” has been left to foot the entire bill, straining its start-up coffers without the promised government assistance.
Shortly after entering his second term, President Donald Trump issued an executive order freezing foreign development assistance for 90 days pending assessment, a move bolstered by the State Department’s issuing a stop-work order on existing foreign assistance and new aid.
Already, the courts have challenged Trump’s attempts to dismantle USAID. But he says he intends to appeal the rulings, leaving affected agencies uncertain about the future.
“Wild surprise,” Anne Marie Hagerty, who co-founded the show with Rachael Scott, told CNN. “Now we’re on the hook for paying people that the government was going to pay.”
To make up for the missing funds, Hagerty took out a six-figure personal loan to ensure everyone on the team is compensated on time.
“As founder, I have not paid myself a dime yet to prioritize paying my team,” Hagerty said.
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