Judges 2024
10th May 2024 2024-07-15 10:58Judges 2024
E v e r y b o d y M e d i a
Meet our judges
Judge Bios
Alex is an award-winning executive producer, specialising in narrative and long-form scripted audio content. She has a significant track record of championing and launching original ideas across multiple genres, including docs, factual entertainment and comedy. Credits include ‘Witch’ and ‘28(ish) Days Later’ along with hit comedy series such as ‘French and Saunders: Titting About’, ‘Bridget Christie Minds the Gap’ and ‘Mae Martin’s Guide to 21st Century Sexuality’.
Originally from the UK, Ali Aitken is a passionate storyteller and an award-winning podcast producer based in Australia.
Ali has worked on a wide range of podcasts from interview to documentaries to lifestyle and long-form news, and is currently creating podcasts for charities and businesses as well as working as a consultant to help others find their voice and tell their story.
Ali’s recent corporate experience includes heading up Paramount’s podcast operations in Australia.
Ali Sirois is a podcast producer and editor at editaudio, a full-suite podcast production company working in the US, UK and Canada. She’s worked on shows such as Ozarks True Crime, Anatomy of Murder, Cosmo Confessions, In/Tension, A Place to Belong and many more. She studied journalism at Concordia University and began her audio journey at CKUT, a community radio station at McGill. She is currently based in Montreal, Canada.
Amanda Cupido is an award-winning podcast producer, TEDx speaker, author and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Lead Podcasting, a Toronto-based production company that specializes in developing podcasts for thought leaders and organizations. Amanda is the author of the Amazon bestseller, Let’s Talk Podcasting: The Essential Guide to Doing it Right. She is also a part-time university professor and has helped to redefine the radio courses at both Seneca College and Toronto Metropolitan University. Amanda’s expertise in strategic communications has led her to train executives across the globe, supporting numerous renowned organizations including World Vision International, Cisco and CIBC. Previously she worked as a radio reporter, news anchor and program director.
Amanda has a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Master of Professional Studies in the Psychology of Leadership from Penn State University. In 2024, she completed her certification in Artificial Intelligence for Business from the University of Oxford.
Amanda is a writer, lawyer, and co-host of the book podcast Stacked (which you can find wherever you get your podcasts!) The theme that runs through all the things she does is a curiosity to make sense of the world around her, challenge the things she understands to be unfair and the opportunity to explore self-actualisation. Podcasts provide an avenue to tap into all of these and some of her favourites include ‘The Read’ and ‘Where Should We Begin?’ She can’t wait to find more podcasts to add to her list as a judge for this year’s awards!
Ami has established herself as one of the UK’s leading independent podcast producers, specializing in entertainment and music, earning two ARIAS and three British Podcast Awards over the past two years. She has worked with everyone from Spotify to the BBC and led on major TV show companion podcasts for Love Island for ITV and Married At First Sight UK for Channel 4. Ami’s background began in local news at the BBC, before moving into producing music shows at BBC Radio 1Xtra and Radio 1.
Ana’s superpower is the ability to help clients identify a podcast idea that accelerates their business or professional goals, establishes trust with their ideal customer, and generates clarity.
Originally from Portugal, Ana created her first podcast back in 2008 while completing her Bachelor’s of Science Of Communications and Journalism from the University of OPorto. After almost a decade of experience in podcasting, broadcasting and digital marketing in Portugal, and London, UK, Ana moved to Dallas, Texas in 2016. As a skilled podcast producer and strategist, Ana saw the opportunity to help entrepreneurs get their message across, but also to create a more meaningful impact in the world. In January 2020 she founded The Podcast Space, an online podcast consulting agency where she works with female, minority and multilingual businesses who support the betterment of others and their common communities. Along the way, she mentors them to make a greater positive impact on their audience, as well as to become more confident hosts. Ana has helped professionals and entrepreneurs all over the world improve their podcasts, double their listenership, and stand out like a true leader in their industry. Her weekly show, The Podcast Space, is a 5% Top Global Reach podcast*.
*According to Listen Notes.
Ann Marie Awad is an independent journalist and podcast creator based in Denver, Colorado. Host of On Something, a podcast all about life after cannabis legalization, Ann is also a journalism fellow with the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. Ann’s reporting work has appeared on NPR, and they’ve produced podcasts with partners such as Audible, Sonos & the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Ann is also a mentor and instructor with the Association of Independents in Radio.
Anna Bühler lives in Munich and founded the podcast production company “Kugel und Niere” in 2018. Before that, she worked for many years as a radio journalist and podcast developer at the public broadcasting network (ARD). In 2023, she and her team were nominated for the International Women’s Podcast Award with “Verdammt Berühmt,” a Wondery co-production.
Anne is a recovering actor, creative powerhouse, and devoted sports fan raised in picturesque Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout her non-linear career, she has honed her skills in digital marketing, creative direction, and account management, earning a reputation as a results-driven and highly effective strategist. Her dual passions in life are sports and creativity, and she’s spent countless hours pursuing both with equal fervor.
As part of the Evergreen Podcast team, she’s able to share her passion for storytelling, with a “creator first” mentality.
Arielle Nissenblatt has been working in the podcast space since early 2017 when she started a podcast recommendation newsletter called EarBuds Podcast Collective. Since then, she’s managed podcast studios in Los Angeles, worked as an in-app curator at Castbox.fm, completed a certificate in audio documentary studies from the Salt Institute, produced several podcasts, run successful marketing and PR campaigns, has organized podcast communities on Twitter, Discord, and Slack, and much more. She is the community marketing manager Descript, serves on the board of governors for The Podcast Academy, and is one of the founders of The Podcast Taxonomy.
Ashleigh King is a creative entrepreneur with an unwavering passion for communication and media. Born and raised in South Africa, Ashleigh now resides in the North East of England, in the vibrant and creative city of Newcastle upon Tyne. She is the founder of Flamingo Heights Podcast Studio, which provides a welcoming and creative space for all podcasters, whether seasoned or newcomers, to bring their stories to life.
Ashleigh previously worked in corporate communications for 15 years before eventually discovering her voice through podcasting, sparking a mission to help others share their narratives with the world. She is also the host of the acclaimed podcast, #NurtureYourZest, a podcast for the creative and curious, which has reached audiences in over 70 countries!
As well as her entrepreneurial pursuits, Ashleigh is also a passionate advocate for talking openly about mental health, neurodiversity, and surviving trauma, using her own journey to promote understanding and empowerment. Ashleigh is deeply passionate about podcasting and believes in the power of storytelling to inspire and connect communities.
Head of Marketing at This Is Distorted, award winning independent audio agency.
I’m Becky Lamb-Pritchard and I’m bringing two of my favourite things together on a daily basis, people and podcasts. And I love it! I want to uplift the stories of every creator I work with and make sure they are experiencing the podcast magic to maximum effect. I work closely with brands and individuals on their podcast journey and help them not only tell their story but make sure people hear it.
I bring with me over 20 years of experience working in the entertainment industry for some of the major players like Global & Bauer. In that time I’ve worked on many audio brands and campaigns – from some of the UK’s biggest entertainment brands to local stations, charities and grassroots organisations. I empower creators to unlock their full potential and not only gain the tools to effectively share their unique stories but discover the joy that podcasting can bring.
I am passionate about audio as a force for good and am committed to making sure this is reflected in the work I do, not only the work that is put out into the world but the work behind the scenes. I want to challenge the norms, uplift diverse voices and bring great stories to the front and I want to work with passionate people who share this ambition.
Bhrikuti Rai
Bhrikuti Rai is an award-winning Nepali journalist and co-founder of Boju Bajai podcast, which she started with Itisha Giri in 2016. Boju Bajai began as a passion project to address the void that exists in the discourse around gender and the politics of gender in Nepal and South Asia.
Boju Bajai’s podcasts, videos and events address and highlight the lived experiences of Nepali women. Their work has successfully sparked critical conversations around issues of sexual harassment, online abuse and women’s citizenship rights in Nepal. Bhrikuti’s work has appeared in Nepali Times, Los Angeles Times, Radiolab, BBC, Reportagen, among other places. In 2023, Bhrikuti received a South Asia Laadli Media Award for Boju Bajai’s two-part series on abortion rights in Nepal.
Carolina Murriel is a writer, ceramic artist, audio journalist, educator and death doula in New Orleans. Her reporting on immigration and carceral systems led her to study with the Trauma Research Foundation, and her 10+ years in local and international radio, print and digital newsrooms inform her healing work with clay and personal storytelling. She is the lead story editor for Pizza Shark, her podcast studio working toward radical inclusivity in media through trauma-informed storytelling. Their work has won Webbys, Shortys, iHeartRadio Podcast Awards, and nominations for Peabody Awards, Ambies, People’s Choice Podcast Awards and more.
Caroline is a science radio presenter and she performs science shows on stage. She has a background in physics but an interest in anything she doesn’t know much about. Caroline presents CrowdScience and Unexpected Elements on the BBC World Service. Before presenting she worked as a producer making series like The Infinite Monkey Cage on Radio 4 and Bad People on BBC Sounds. She was runner-up in the IWPA last year in the storytelling category for a documentary she presented for BBC Radio 4 about searching for cosmic dust.
Catherine Vidal
Based in Montreal, Canada, Catherine Vidal is currently Director of Independent Productions and External Relations at Radio-Canada OHdio, where she oversees the slate of independent podcasts produced for the public broadcaster. She has worked in the media industry for more than 20 years, in television, cinema, digital media and distribution. First as a documentary filmmaker (National Film Board of Canada), she carried her love of good storytelling into her work in fiction, youth content and entertainment as a producer (Locomotion, Baroque) and later as an executive for several broadcasters (Corus Media, Groupe V Media, Bell Media). She loves her job selecting and creating great podcasts every day.
Christabel Nsiah-Buadi is a visionary podcasting development strategist who works at the intersection of media strategy and education. She is also the CEO of My Lens Media, Inc. This consultancy helps podcast companies find their audiences in a sea of content through editorial development, media strategy, and education. Her show, AudioDiaspora, amplifies Black creators who are reshaping narratives about our world.
Before this, she developed and led teams that supported emerging and historically under-recognized creators at Spotify. She was the driving force behind the company’s scaled ‘Rising Creators’ program. She also developed that company’s groundbreaking podcast production fellowship, Sound Up: Behind the Mic, and the mentorship initiative Narrative Shift.
Before podcasting, Christabel was an award-winning radio journalist and executive who led shows for NPR, American Public Media, and Public Media International. She has written about the intersection of parenting, podcasting, and politics, and her work has appeared in The Independent and British Vogue.
Claire Murigande
Claire Murigande is an inspiring personality with the vision to amplify social impact through audio storytelling. She is a captivating speaker and outstanding moderator. Claire is the creator and host of Narratives of Purpose®, a podcast that was shortlisted for several awards since 2021 including for the International Women’s Podcasts Awards and the Sonic Bloom Awards. Narratives of Purpose® showcases unique stories of global changemakers who reveal their successes, lessons learned, but also their perspectives on the future in thought-provoking conversations around meaningful and complex topics.
In her career within the life sciences industry, Claire has been recognised as a thoughtful and effective leader. She is also a passionate advocate for gender parity, diversity, and inclusion.
Clare Wiley is an audio journalist with work in NPR, The Guardian, PRX, Vice, Cosmopolitan, Al Jazeera and many others. From field reporting through to sound design, she covers social issues, health and gender, and has reported from across the world. Clare has a background in the nonprofit space, having worked for health and education charities. She also produces The Audio Storyteller newsletter, examining how to tell nuanced stories through sound.
Courtney Kocak is a writer, podcaster, and comedian based in Los Angeles. She wrote for Amazon’s Emmy-winning animated series Danger & Eggs and Netflix’s Know It All podcast. She’s produced a slew of highly-ranked podcasts—including The Bellas Podcast, which debuted at #1 on Apple Podcasts, PayPal’s Never Stand Still, and Girlboss Radio—and currently hosts three of her own with over two million downloads to date: Private Parts Unknown, about love and sexuality around the world, The Bleeders, about book writing and publishing, and Podcast Bestie, a best friend to podcasters trying to grow and monetize their shows (and a popular Substack). Check out her website for more: courtneykocak.com.
Devin Andrade is a podcast marketing specialist at Tink Media and creator of Podstack, a podcast recommendation newsletter for celebrating great audio. She has worked on the production side creating podcasts herself and for organizations, and currently works with podcasts every day to support their growth and marketing. As an avid listener, she is always looking for new podcasts to check out, share with others, and collaborate with to grow their audience. She has a background in digital content production and loves pairing a good podcast with a delicious recipe or crafty project.
Doris Onyango is a vibrant and dynamic authority in the podcasting space. With over 5 years experience in the industry, she has a wealth of knowledge, skills and good-natured humour. Doris who has made her bones in the entertainment space, works directly with hundreds of creators to provide the technical support needed to fuel a story. She is the project lead for Dada Podcast Incubator – the world’s first incubator for women and non-binary folks as well as the team lead at SemaBOX – Kenya’s first specialist podcasting studio. For Doris, the most important thing is to tell a story only YOU can tell.
Elaine Appleton Grant is the CEO of Podcast Allies, LLC, a podcast production and training company helping media companies, higher ed, and mission-driven organizations make beautifully crafted shows. Following a 15-year career as a magazine writer and editor, Elaine moved into the audio world, serving as an award-winning producer, reporter and showrunner at WBUR, NHPR, and Colorado Public Radio. Her work has aired nationally on NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and on major podcast platforms, including Wondery. Her print journalism has appeared in Inc., Business Week, The Boston Globe, AARP The Magazine, Fast Company, and hundreds of other publications. Her podcast, Sound Judgment, explores the creative processes of today’s best audio storytellers.
Eli Chen is a Taiwanese American audio journalist, currently working as a digital news producer and reporter who covers Asian American communities at WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio. She has spent more than a decade in radio and podcasting, covering environmental issues and the latest advances in science at NPR member stations, as well as working as an editor and producer on the award-winning National Geographic’s Overheard podcast. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and finds her community through roller skating and drawing comics.
Emilia Brock (she/her) is senior producer with the talented and creative team at School of Humans, and she also gladly writes, edits, directs, scores and does whatever else needs doing in production. Emilia is a passionate and versatile storyteller, covering anything from sex clubs to coups, plant crimes to dictatorships – on podcasts like Sanctum Unmasked, Let’s Start a Coup!, Bad Seeds, Big Brother: North Korea’s Forgotten Prince, and others.
Before making the leap into podcasting, Emilia honed her skills as a producer at local NPR stations in Atlanta, GA. Prior to that, she had a wide-ranging career: she’s been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king. (Translation: everything from music supervision for VICE to communications at Delta Air Lines to literally writing as a street poet in Helsinki, Finland.) Emilia is from Los Angeles and spent nearly a decade in New York, but has happily transitioned into life as a Southerner in her Atlanta home.
Emily Y. Wu is founder and editor-in-chief of Ghost Island Media, a multilingual independent media network based in Taiwan. She is the producer and presenter of “Game Changers with Emily Y. Wu”, a 30-episode TV series on emerging leaders, as well as “Metalhead Politics” and “The Taiwan Take” podcasts. She’s a Asia 21 Next Generation Fellow at Asia Society and a cultural exchange alumni at the US Department of State.
Emma is a podcast producer at Message Heard. She’s produced radio and podcast content across for the BBC, The United Nations, Magic Radio and The Telegraph. Her proudest work to date is producing ‘The F-Word’, a radio campaign challenging the taboos around fertility problems, and ‘What Makes Us Stronger’ a podcast that tells the stories of courageous women survivors of conflict. But her career highlight has to be speaking to Miriam Margolyes on the phone.
Erin Allen is an artist and communicator, driven by her curiosity about the stories of people. She is currently the host of The Rundown podcast at WBEZ, and she has a dynamic background in audio. Erin has voiced, hosted and produced multimedia projects at Chicago Public Media, Michigan Public, WDET, Pizza Shark Productions and Homemade Media, to name a few. She has also produced audio-based events, including the Detroit Podcast Festival and Radio Campfire. Her passion for social justice and art have led her to spaces like Allied Media Projects and Stone Soup Housing Cooperative. With spare time, Erin dances her heart out at DJ sets and binges science fiction media of the Octavia Butler persuasion. You can learn more about her work at www.ErinAllen.show.
Felicia Alberding is a podcast maker and journalist. As an executive producer at Dag en Nacht Media in Amsterdam, she guides creators in crafting and developing multi-part narrative podcast series. Previously, she worked as a podcast producer at Dutch newspaper NRC, created a podcast exploring the culinary aspects of multicultural society at Dutch public broadcasting company VPRO, and served as editor-in-chief of the VICE platform Munchies.
Florence Barrau-Adams is an award winning audio/video producer, editor, sound designer, and educator who boasts decades of professional experience. Currently Florence is the Senior Producer of Citations Needed, with over 20,000,000 downloads Citations Needed was a 2020 Webby Honoree. Past podcasts include Justice in America a 2020 Webby Nominee, and Culturati: Conversations With Kierna Mayo, produced in partnership with PRX, a 2022 Signal Awards Bronze Winner: Most Innovative Audio Experience, 2022 Winner BPA: Best Black Culture Podcast 2022, and a 2022 Winner at the IWPAs.Florence is an Assistant Arts Professor and Area Head of Sound at NYU Kanbar Institute of Film & Television, sharing her deep love of media and all things post production with her students every semester.
Florencia Flores Iborra is a podcaster and radio producer with a postgraduate degree in Communication from the University of Buenos Aires Department of Social Sciences. She has managed the audio project Tristana producciones since 2014.
As a member of Graves y agudas show, won the Lola Mora radio award in 2015. She produced Off script, an acting podcast, winner of the Argentores 2019 award in the podcast category.
In 2015, the Gabriel García Márquez Foundation selected Florencia to attend Radio Ambulante’s audio workshop conducted by Daniel Alarcón and Martina Castro, and in 2017 WNYC Studios tapped she to attend the Werk It Festival in California.
Hannah Marshall is Development Exec at independent audio production company Storyglass. She has worked across radio and podcast genres, on everything from live current affairs shows and celebrity-hosted chat, to carefully crafted true crime series and historical deep-dives. She has won awards for both podcast and video production.
Haylee Gaffin is a podcast producer, strategist, and owner at Gaffin Creative, where she helps podcast hosts plan their podcast launch and create strategic content that serves their brand and audience. As the founder of Mic Check Society, a community for podcasters, and host of Clocking In Podcast, a podcast for professionals making their way in the working world, Haylee is on a mission to help hopeful podcast hosts grow their brand.
Isis Madrid is a first generation Colombian-American writer, editor, journalist, documentarian, EP, showrunner, educator and artist. She is the co-founder of Pizza Shark, a Latina-owned podcast and multimedia production house and consulting firm that works with clients worldwide to bring authentic stories to life. Born and raised in New England, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two pugs. In addition to reporting and producing stories about public health, national elections and gender equality, Isis can talk your ear off about the latest episode of reality trash garbage and find a way to bring it all full circle. In another life, she spent some time off the grid as a permaculture farmer.
Jelena is a freelance producer, and arts and culture writer and researcher. They bring their extensive experience in audio production to their role, including their ongoing podcasts, Empire Lines and Historicity. When they aren’t out walking, you’ll find them in a museum with a zoom mic, planning travels, or endlessly talking about Yugoslavia.
I am the Content Director for We Edit Podcasts and a die-hard lover of the audio medium in all its forms, from hearing stories read and told, to cassettes (yes, cassettes!) to audiobooks and now podcasts. I’m passionate about storytelling and nothing moves me more than a story – whatever that story may be – told well. I’m happiest getting lost in a story – and I’m surrounded by them every day! And one of the best things about podcasts is the access to amazing stories from diverse voices!
My background in teaching High School showed me the value of connecting with others at their point of reference, and then presenting information in a way that is accessible, digestible, and enjoyable.
And it’s a lesson I’ve carried with me ever since. In my main role at We Edit Podcasts, my mission is to always offer valuable content, without fluff. I also have work history in textbook editing, and I love putting that skill to work with some of our clients on content edits for their shows. I love seeing that golden thread weaving all past experiences into what I’m doing now.
And I just love being a part of the podcast industry. It’s full of incredible creators, and amazing supporters, and I’m so privileged to have found a space in this sphere.
Jess Schmidt (she/her) is a podcast producer / consultant and accessibility advocate based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Jess has been creating and producing branded and independent podcasts in Canada and beyond since 2019, including her own show Rooked: The Cheaters’ Gambit. She holds a BA in English and an MA in Media Production.
Jessie Graham is an editor, producer, writer and podcast consultant who specializes in reporting on human rights and the law. For 14 years, Jessie helped develop and run a multimedia production team at Human Rights Watch. She produced hundreds of videos, trained staff to become storytellers, created podcasts and shaped the organization’s editorial direction and voice. Jessie has reported on war and its aftermath, human rights and international development in the Middle East, Africa and Asia for NPR, BBC and CBC programs. She was a news and feature reporter for PRX’s The World, WNYC Radio and the New York Post. From 2005-2006 Jessie taught radio journalism at The Institute for War and Peace Reporting in Iraq. Jessie has received fellowships from the International Reporting Project and the Tow Center and a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Kacie is a creator and arts advocate based out of Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her BS in Music Recording Technology from Hampton University and MFA in Sound Design from Savannah College of Art and Design. After participating in the 2019 Spotify Sound Up accelerator program she formed the production company Could Be Pretty Cool whose mission is to produce unique creative experiences to inspire community building through the arts. She is the creator and host of the Spotify Original podcast You Heard Me Write and has been named one of the ’40 Under 40 in Podcasting’ by Podcast Magazine. Kacie has also served as a theatrical sound designer, arts administrator and speaker for local and national arts and cultural organizations.
Karen is a senior podcast producer at AudioBoom, producing the award winning official Formula One podcast F1: Beyond The Grid, the world’s biggest motorsport podcast. From cracking jokes to cracking cases, Karen has lent her talents to an eclectic array of podcasts, spanning comedy to true crime, sports, psychology and tech. Her career in audio began working on popular daytime strands at BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4, where she honed her craft and fell in love with the art of storytelling through sound, making compelling documentaries for BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra.
Karen Given is a podcast story editor, showrunner and host. A veteran of public radio, Karen is the former Executive Producer and interim host of NPR’s Only A Game. She has won the national Edward R. Murrow award twice, in 2007 and 2017. Her most recent projects are Dear Media’s Believable: the Coco Berthmann Story and The Afghan Impasse from Doha Debates and Foreign Policy. She also writes Narrative Beat, a free newsletter for journalists and podcast makers who want to tell better stories.
Kathleen Speckert is a producer and production manager at editaudio. She’s helped bring dozens of in-house and client shows to life — including the award winning original series Ozarks True Crime, Rebound Revolution, Cosmo Confessions and many others. She is the former Operations Manager of the Canadian Association of Journalists and has worked previously as a journalist for K1037 Radio.
Katie Tully is Head of Curation for BBC Sounds. She leads a team of curators and designers, showcasing the best of BBC audio – live and on-demand – on BBC Sounds. Her focus is on amplifying British talent and delivering on the BBC’s public purposes to audiences across the UK. Katie previously worked TV, first in a variety of roles for commercial stations before joining the BBC to work on the Childrens’ portfolio on linear TV and iPlayer.
Kattie Laur is a Canadian freelance podcast producer and consultant who creates award-winning podcasts and collaborates with top podcasting names in Canada like CBC Podcasts, Canadaland, and Vocal Fry Studios. Kattie is known for her newsletter, Pod the North, where she writes and reports on the Canadian podcasting ecosystem.
Kit Callin is a senior audio producer at Reduced Listening. They make music radio for the BBC, and arts podcasts for organizations like Serpentine and Factory International. They are the founder of MOOAR Residency, and run a variety of workshops and audio open mic nights to support others getting into audio. Kit won Best Music Producer at the Audio Production Awards 2023.
Laura Joyce Davis teaches podcasting at Stanford University, where she helps students turn climate change research into planet-saving stories, and manages production for the award-winning State of the Human. She is the CEO and cofounder of Narrative Podcasts, the Executive Producer of Shelter in Place, and a Podcast Magazine Top Influencer in Podcasting. Her work has been recognized with a Social Impact Award for Mentoring and DEI initiatives, a Fulbright scholarship, a Poet & Writers Exchange Award, and the International Women’s Podcasting Award for “Changing the World One Moment at a Time.”
Lauren Passell is the founder of Tink Media, a podcast growth company. She is the editor of Podcast the Newsletter and Podcast Marketing Magic, is the co-host of Feed the Queue, and writes about podcasts for Lifehacker. She has spoken about podcast marketing for Radio Bootcamp, SXSW, Podcast Movement, Podfest, London Podcast Festival and more. She is a judge for Signal Awards and the Webbys. Follow her on Twitter @laurenpassell.
La’Vista Jones is a certified coach, six-time author, host of the BOSS™ Talk podcast and professional speaker with a message that challenges others to shift the way they engage with their work and care for themselves in the process. Her latest book, The BOSS™ Shift is a literary blueprint for implementing her signature framework that fuses systemization and self-care into practical self-preserving strategies to balance success and wellbeing.
As a corporate dropout and burnout survivor turned entrepreneur La’Vista is the founder and CEO of 31 Marketplace, an agency passionate about providing solutions for ambitious visionaries to amplify their impact, without sacrificing themselves to do it. Through her company’s initiative, The Amplify Effect, La’Vista and her team are on a mission to help these change agents bridge the gap between innovation and influence through sustainable podcasting.
Although she is a proud native of Ohio, La’Vista currently resides in Arizona with her husband Stewart, their son publicly known as ‘The Cub’ and bull mastiff puppy, Atlas.
Liz is an award-winning entertainment executive with over 20 years of experience in the industry across IP licensing, brand strategy, live events and podcasts. Liz co-created and exec produced the hit true crime podcast Chasing Charlie and Flex’s Semi-Factual History Lessons, one of Spotify Australia’s first commissioned originals in the territory. She was also responsible for Wentworth: The Fall Girl and Family Feud: The Podcast, both adaptations of existing IP from the Fremantle television catalogue. Storyglass Australia’s latest releases include two Audible Original commissioned series – Sex Therapy: Sessions with Chantelle Otten, an intimate look under the covers at the fascinating world of sex therapy, which is currently in production for it’s second season, and Sleep Sound – an immersive soundscape series narrated by Aussie superstars Cody Simpson, Natalie Imbruglia and Pallavi Sharda.
Louisa is a journalist and audio producer based in the UK. She began her career producing live radio and podcasts for BBC Radio 4 and BBC News, before joining the Prison Radio Association. There she worked alongside women in HMP Styal and produced the award-winning podcast The Secret Life of Prisons. Louisa now works for Crowd Network, an independent podcast production company, where she makes audio for the BBC, commercial clients and big audio brands.
Louisa Wells is Head of Podcasts at The Telegraph, leading the team behind the publication’s award-winning audio. Together they make blockbuster narrative documentary series such as Bed of Lies and Call Bethel, daily news such as Ukraine: The Latest, which is the only UK podcast on the invasion still running daily, and seasonal specialist shows about Sport, Money and many other topics.
Outside of audio, she was part of the team who broke the story on Professor Neil Ferguson breaking lockdown. Before The Telegraph, Louisa produced local and network radio for the BBC for 8 years.
Lucia Scazzocchio is an award winning audio producer/sound artist and founder of Social Broadcasts – where audio making meets community engagement and participatory art practice, weaving conversations and personal stories to reveal broader social themes. Driven by creating engaging audio that is ‘soundscaped’ into imaginative on and off-line productions
Visit: www.socialbroadcasts.co.uk
Lucia is also the founder and curator of xmtr.fm a sonic storytelling platform for independent audio makers.
Mae Mariyam Thomas is a presenter, podcast producer, journalist, entrepreneur and voice over artist, with over a decade of experience in the radio industry and 5 years in the podcasting space. She started her career as a News Editor/Journalist for a community radio station in Wales, UK. When she moved back to India in 2010, she continued working in radio as a presenter, producer and creative manager at Chennai Live 104.8FM and then moved to Mumbai hosting their afternoon request show, ‘Mumbai On Demand’ on 94.3 Radio One. Eventually from radio, she began exploring the growing medium of podcasting and now runs her own podcast production company. She’s most well-known for being the host of India’s first indie music podcast Maed in India which was selected by Apple as one of the Best Podcasts of 2018 in India. The show has been running for over 9 years and is a platform to showcase some of the best independent music coming out of India. With over 350 episodes out so far, it features interviews, new/unreleased music and live recording sessions with indie musicians. In 2019, she was chosen by GQ magazine for their 50 Most Influential Young Indians. Also, Maed in India is a 2021 Webby Award Honoree in the category of Limited Series & Specials – Diversity & Inclusion. And this year 2024, she won Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Podcaster of the Year (Editor’s Choice). Currently, she works as a podcast consultant to develop audio ideas, design shows, handle production and distribution of podcasts. Her ideal is to be creatively bold, nurture ideas and help people find their voice.
Manuela Bedoya is Sounds Profitable’s Head of Operations. She also co-hosts The Download’s Friday edition, a weekly look at the most important news in the business podcasting. At Sounds Profitable, she leads day-to-day operations and strategic planning alongside her team, with a focus on educating and empowering the podcasting industry. Manuela also oversees processes, client relations, and event management, all contributing to Sounds Profitable’s commitment to industry growth and community empowerment through insightful content and impactful events.
Maria Passingham is a Podcast Producer & Editor, inspired and driven by human stories. Having pivoted from a background in music radio, she now works at indie podcast production company editaudio, and recently wrapped her solo project Equal Parts. Based in the UK’s beautiful Peak District, Maria spends her free time attempting to climb hills, usually with a library book in her bag, and one eye on the pub in the distance.
Marisa Ewing (she/they) is a dialogue editor, sound designer, and mixing/mastering engineer based in Chicago, IL specializing in editing audio for podcasts, film, and video games. In January 2020, Marisa founded Hemlock Creek Productions, a production company focused on audio editing needs for productions that record and edit remotely. Since then, Hemlock Creek has worked on dozens of projects, and is now branching out into creating original productions, including the supernatural horror audio drama “Liars & Leeches.” Some of her past projects include “The Last of Us Part 1” and “The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered,” “Maxine Miles,” and “Dark Dice.
Meet Mark – a musician, producer, creator, and thought leader. His podcasting journey is shaped by diverse experiences in economics, math, dance, music production, and voice production. Mark excels at capturing the rhythm of the human voice with an approach to production centered around creating an immersive experience for the listener and focusing on what lies in the subtleties. When not immersed in audio production, you can normally find him exploring the flows and rhymes of his favorite underground hip-hop artists and producers.
Mark’s background in audio production includes music production, song composition, creation of binaural and bilateral beats, podcast production, and production of multiple bestselling audiobooks. His contributions to the realm of audio earned him consecutive nominations as Podcast Hero of the Year at the Publisher Podcast Awards, alongside creators from Marvel, Amazon, and Penguin Random House.
As the Director of Number Three Productions, Mark aims to transcend the traditional distribution models of podcasts, audiobooks, and music as we move into a new creator Economy.
Martina Castro is a podcast producer, host, and entrepreneur, with 20 years of experience telling stories in audio. She’s currently the founder & CEO of Adonde Media, a multilingual audio storytelling company that she founded at a startup incubator for female founders in Santiago, Chile in 2017. Since then, she has led international teams making podcasts with clients such as Duolingo, TED, and Spotify. Named PodWoman of the Year in 2022, Martina is also a leading voice in the Spanish language and international podcast industry, and has given numerous talks and workshops on the art of audio storytelling. Martina’s family is originally from Uruguay and she now lives in Oxnard, California.
Meg Wilcox teaches in Journalism and Digital Media at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada, and is co-director of the school’s Community Podcast Initiative. An award-winning podcaster, she has been making podcasts for more than a decade, and loves collaborating with community members, students and organizations to tell audio stories.
Before joining MRU, Meg travelled the country as a reporter, producer, and host (CBC, iPolitics, CTV, Banff Centre Radio, CKUA). Her first book, The New Journalist’s Guide to Freelancing, is out now through Broadview Press.
Molly Jensen is the Chief Executive Officer of Afripods, a free pan-African podcast hosting platform building the largest library of African audio stories on the planet, based in Nairobi, Kenya. With the ability to categorize in over 50 languages and with content from over 30 countries including that from individual podcasters, radio stations and media houses, Afripods is the home for African podcasting across the continent and within the Diaspora. As a Ghanaian-American born in New York, Molly is extremely excited to help digitize African stories and wants to see African creators take up as much space as possible while creating avenues to help them get paid for their work. She has over ten years of experience across people management, sales, marketing and technology. She has spoken at Podcast Movement, Africa Podcast Day, Africa Media Festival, BBC Media Leaders conferences, Deutsche Welle, WAN-IFRA Digital Media Africa conference both the inaugural Advertising Week Africa and inaugural Trace Music Awards. She most recently was featured in Forbes, The Guardian, Reuters, JamLab Africa, Podcast Sessions, The Verge and Apple Podcasts. Additionally, she served as an EQ Ambassador for Six Seconds, a global non-profit focused on the awareness of emotional intelligence, and enjoys traveling.
Nic Redman has recorded and spoken for a living for nearly 20 years and coaches people to feel vocally free and at home on the mic, every day. She has been featured multiple times on BBC and Times Radio as well as in The Guardian, Irish Times and the Metro. Nic offers 1-2-1 coaching for VOs, narrators, podcasters and speakers with clients including Sarah Millican and Channel 4. She runs online courses and in-person masterclasses and offers on-mic direction for clients such as Peloton and Mercedes Petronas.
Nic is a regular guest on podcasts, speaker at conferences and panel expert offering insights into spoken voice training and recording for voiceover, podcasting, business and public speaking. Nic is the co-creator of the award-winning Voiceover Social Podcast and host of the 5* Voice Coach Podcast. Her best-selling book, On The Mic, is available now.
Norma Jean empowers and educates both podcasters and companies to tell their story to succeed with their podcasting initiatives. Serving as Podbean’s Head of Events, Norma Jean produces Podbean’s virtual events and hosts, produces Podbean’s official podcast, Podcasting Smarter and supports Podbean’s enterprise and internal podcast customers in APAC and within the EU. Podbean has been providing innovative podcasting services as an industry leader since 2007. Along with their popular podcast app and hosting services, Podbean offers monetization, and private podcasting services for businesses and organizations.
Nuria Net is the Founder of Shake It Easy Media, a content studio that champions Latine voices and experiences through nonfiction storytelling in English and Spanish. A graduate of Columbia Journalism School, Nuria has worked across print, TV and digital in New York City and Miami before moving to Spain and expanding to audio and unscripted content.
Olivia Swift is an award winning producer & Podcast Manager at non-profit radio station and production company, Reform Radio. She has produced a number of shows for BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 6 Music, as well as an array of podcast productions. In 2022 she was featured on the Radio Academy’s 30 under 30 list of audio makers to watch. In 2021 she received the Gold award for Best New Podcast Producer at the Audio Production Awards as well as Gold at the 2021 British Podcast Awards.
Paulina Herrera is the Co-founder and CEO of Dudas Media. She specializes in marketing and growth strategies for podcasts and digital projects with vibrant communities. Paulina’s main focus is on increasing revenue and profitability for production companies and the talented creatives she collaborates with. Her experience includes expanding businesses through strategic advertising sales and pursuing authentic opportunities like global tours, books, and online merchandise. Some of her notable projects with a strong global presence include Se Regalan Dudas, 10 Mujeres Podcast, Despertando Podcast, and Durmiendo Podcast.
Rebecca Gaskell is an Exec and Development Producer and currently heads up the production company side of Reform Radio. Reform is a DAB and online station which also offers courses in radio, music production, creative writing etc. that are all free to attend. She has produced 1000’s of hours of content for BBC 6 Music and Radio 3 across many musical genres as well as independent podcasts in the arts and culture space and documentaries for Radio 4, Virgin Radio and JazzFM.
Rebecca Seidel is a podcast producer, sound designer, and audio engineer based in Queens, New York. She’s currently a Lead Creative Producer at Goat Rodeo. You can hear her recent work on The Sound: Mystery of Havana Syndrome and Radiotopia Presents: Bot Love. Rebecca has also produced and engineered shows for Marvel, PRX, NBC, and TIME, and is a lead producer for the award-winning podcast Other Men Need Help. Between editing sessions, she teaches audio production classes for all skill levels. Learn more at www.rebecca-hope-seidel.com
Ruby Zaman is host and producer of an independent podcast show Story By Story – a show aiming to connect people through their stories.
Ruby is an experienced journalist and has previously worked for Al Jazeera Media Network’s multi-award-winning news and current affairs podcast, The Take. She has also worked on the BBC World Service flagship business show World Business Report and the discussion show Business Matters. Most recently Ruby worked on the What’s News AM podcast for The Wall Street Journal
Her podcast experience goes beyond news and business. She was personally hired by happiness expert Mo Gawdat to produce his top-rated mental health podcast Slo Mo. In her 10 months in this role, she contributed to the biggest growth period since the podcast launched – the number of subscribers more than doubled and she produced the episode with the highest number of views on YouTube to date at the time of writing.
Ruxandra Guidi has been telling stories for more than two decades. Her reporting for public radio, podcasts, magazines, and various other publications has taken her throughout the United States, the Caribbean, South and Central America, as well as Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico border region. Currently, she works independently as an editor and contributor to various podcasts and magazines, and is finishing her first novel. In 2018, she was awarded the Susan Tifft Fellowship for women in documentary and journalism by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, and in 2023, she became a Soros Equality Fellow. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with the BBC World Service, The World, NPR, Marketplace, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Orion, The Walrus, Guernica, High Country News, The New York Times, The Guardian, Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Atlantic, among others. She’s a native of Caracas, Venezuela, and is currently based in Tucson, Arizona.
Samantha is an award-winning multi-media professional with experience in TV & Film, podcasts and technology. She is Production Manager at Flamingo Heights Podcast Studio, helping podcasts big and small take flight and is also the Founder & President of Newcastle Film Club, an award nominated community filmmaking organization.
Having lived in the U.S., Ireland and the U.K. has allowed Samantha to see through an eclectic and creative lens that informs her work. She is most passionate about producing factual and documentary work that breaks molds and shares undiscovered voices.
Samantha loves listening to podcasts nearly as much as she loves making them. Her creative ability to bring to life the surprising behind-the-scenes stories of thought-leaders, celebrities, and influencers from around the world can be heard in her work as co-host of Big On Small – The Official Small Business Podcast on Spotify. Samantha has been described as a ‘podcast prodigy’ for the way she’s brought these stories to life.
Samantha has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal for her work at a tech startup company, created content for Channel 4, Channel 5, the BBC, and has been featured multiple times across various radio and online news outlets for her work in media
Sandra is Head of Production at Message Heard, as well as executive producer and story editor for Message Heard Originals and Co-Productions. Sandra has crafted podcasts and radio content for the Canadian broadcasting corporation, the United Nations and The Guardian, among others.
Sangeeta Pillai is a feminist activist and writer, the creator of the multi-award-winning Masala Podcast as well as the founder of South Asian feminist network Soul Sutras. Sangeeta grew up in a Mumbai slum fighting for her rights – and found her feminism early on. Today, she is recognised as a leading voice for South Asian feminism globally. Sangeeta’s work challenges many cultural taboos: from sex, sexuality, periods, shame, mental health, menopause and more. While celebrating many life-enhancing aspects of her South Asian culture: from Kamasutra, Tantra, Ayurveda, Bollywood and beyond. Sangeeta’s Masala Podcast has won 6 British Podcast Awards, 1 Audio Production Award and the Spotify SoundUp 2018 award.
Most recently, Sangeeta and Masala Podcast have been on giant billboards in New York, London, Dublin, Cardiff and Glasgow. Sangeeta has been featured extensively in the press from BBC Radio, Guardian, Metro, Cosmopolitan , Evening Standard , Stylist , Eastern Eye to Huffington Pos . She is also the creator of the Masala Monologues series of writing workshops and theatre shows in the UK and the US. Sangeeta is a regular speaker at WOW Festival, Shameless Festival, Primadonna Festival well as being a regular speaker on innumerable panels and podcasts.
Simona Costantini is the Founder and CEO of Volt Productions, a leading podcast production agency with 30+ weekly shows, many ranking in the top 30-100 in their niches. Simona is a dynamic speaker and podcast host known for delivering actionable insights and value.
She hosts “Happiness Happens” and “As It Relates to Podcasting” and empowers female entrepreneurs in parenting, wellness, and marketing to launch and grow their podcasts. Her mission is to empower creators to make a meaningful impact with their voices, drawing from her 10+ years of marketing and PR experience. When not working, she enjoys life in wine country with her cockapoo, Gus.
Stacey Book is the CEO of Cerca Travel and Frequency Machine Studios. Cerca is an app for connecting travelers with local concierges and enabling 1:1 conversations between local businesses and tourists. Cerca also produces travel podcasts and podcast travel guides. Frequency Machine is an award-winning studio for immersive narrative storytelling and branded content. Stacey was previously the Head of Content for Detour and a producer and executive for television shows like The Amazing Race and others.
Steph Colbourn is the CEO and Founder of editaudio, a global full-suite podcast production company working in the US, UK and Canada. editaudio is focused on making space for underrepresented voices in audio. The company is queer-owned and operated entirely by women, trans and non-binary people. Their slate of award-winning editaudio Originals have amassed over 3 million downloads, won multiple awards and have been featured by Forbes, Apple, Spotify and iHeart. editaudio also produces podcasts for clients like Vox, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Stack Overflow, Historica Canada, and Google. Steph is the North American Lead of the Equality in Audio Pact, a member of The Podcast Academy’s Outreach and Education Committee, and has taught for PBS’ Student Reporting Labs, The School of Visual Arts NYC and Concordia University. They have a certificate in Trauma Reporting Training, a BFA in Electroacoustics and a BA in Creative Writing.
Stephanie Fuccio started out as an indy podcast creator and now runs Coffeelike Media, a boutique media agency that focuseds on podcast’s cozy nature to connect likeminded people. She’s an American serial expat who currently lives in Denmark. After years of creating interview podcasts she’s now proud to share a new venture, a meditations podcast called Solo Worklife Meditations (worklife is spelt wrong intentionally.)
Tammi is passionate about helping and supporting new voices and talent break into the industry. From her roles in News through to her time at Radio Four and now at BBC Sounds she has years of commissioning experience giving her a finely tuned antennae for a great pitch and a “banger” of an idea.
Tsedon Lhamu Dorji is currently based in Bhutan and serves as the Managing Director at BBS Channel 3, a non-commercial, educational television channel she played a key role in establishing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tsedon has led and initiated various programs spanning communications, public relations, a non-profit organization, administration, and human resources. Notably, she headed Kuzoo FM, Bhutan’s first and only youth-oriented radio station.
During her tenure at Kuzoo FM, Tsedon spearheaded “#GirlTALK Bhutan,” a radio and social media video series exclusively designed for adolescent girls. Crucial topics such as menstrual hygiene, self-esteem, sex education, mental health, and abuse, were discussed in the series. #GirtTALK Bhutan was appreciated for putting the spotlight on the unique challenges faced by young women. Additionally, she produced “STEMulate,” a radio series encouraging the youth to explore and excel in STEM subjects.
Beyond her role as the only female head of a broadcast media organization in Bhutan, Tsedon is also the youngest Director on the Board of Kuensel, the national newspaper. Her diverse contributions reflect her commitment to empowering women and youth, fostering education, and addressing important societal issues in Bhutan.
Vic is the founder of the multiple award-winning podcast production and training agency MIC media. To date, they’ve produced over 50 audio projects and trained almost 2,000 people equipping them with podcasting skills. Their clients include the National Football Museum, where they produced the successful ‘Quite Unsuitable for Females’ women’s podcast that featured as #1 on Apple Podcasts New and Noteworthy, BBC R4, The Guardian and The Times. Their other clients include Oxfam, Co-op, Manchester City Council, and Plan UK.
In 2023 MIC media scooped two awards at the Manchester Publicity Association’s ‘Inspiration Awards’, including Best Podcast and in 2022 MIC media won Silver at the Audio Production Awards and was nominated in the Manchester Culture Awards. In 2023 and 2022, she was named as one of the Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise by Pioneers Post and Natwest. MIC was also nominated for a British Podcast Award in 2020.
Vic was invited to speak at Podnews inaugural conference in 2023, she’s also been a judge for the British Podcast Awards for the past three years, plus The International Women’s Podcast Awards. She has featured in The Guardian and other press as a podcast expert. Vic also founded MIC’s Podcast Club in 2018 which is a community for podcasters that has over 1,400 global members. She’s also the co-founder and Director of Pods Up North, a conference for podcasters.
Vicky is a Podcast Producer working at Crowd Network. She currently works on the Crowd People team, which involves making celebrity and female life shows such as The Sam and Billie Show and Go Love Yourself. As a digital whizz, she also makes all the social media content for Crowd’s People shows and is involved in The Katie Price Show Live Tour happening this Spring.
Wardé Bou Daher is a psychologist and social activist dedicating her career and life to break social and psychological taboos in the language she loves most: Arabic. Through her workshops, social media, and the podcast she hosts “Taboo”, she opens a conversation on various topics including but not limited to relationships, self-development, sexual awareness, child protection, women empowerment, and mental health. She is a graduate of the American University of Beirut and the University of Nottingham. Her main area of expertise is the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
Yael Even Or an award-winning podcast producer. She currently serves as a Senior Producer and Production Lead at Paradiso Media, a global podcast studio. There, she has produced “Free From Desire,” “Seventeen” and “In the Ring with Daisy King” (Paramount). Prior to Paradiso, she produced numerous nonfiction podcasts for Audible, among them “Mandela: The Lost Tapes”, “Meeting Manson”, and “The Debutante” with Jon Ronson. Her reporting and commentary appeared in the Washington Post, BBC World Service, Vice, PRI, WNYC, The Jewish Daily Forward, Tablet Magazine, and Okay Africa. Yael worked at KCRW, NPR’s member station in LA, PRI’s America Abroad, and Israel’s Walla News.
Yasmeen Turayhi is a 3x author, speaker, 3X podcast host, tech executive, and award-winning filmmaker. She is a Board member of the non-profit Techwadi, the leading non-profit organization building bridges between Silicon Valley and the Middle East and North Africa. She is the host of the podcast, Gateways to Awakening, where she interviews leading experts about neuroscience, intuition, consciousness, and more, and is produced by Hakawati. She has a Master Certification in Intuition Medicine and runs an Intuition school called the Inner Knowing School of Personal Mastery (InnerKnowingSchool.com). Her 10-part audio miniseries Hyphenated-Journey was nominated in 2023 at the International Women’s Podcast Awards. Her TEDx talk which launched in March 2022 “How to use your intuition to make better decisions” reached over 13,000 views in just 6 weeks.
Yesenia Bocanegra is a video podcast strategist, founder and CEO of Focus & Bloom Studios, a multilingual podcast production agency. With an extensive background spanning over 15 years behind the camera, Yesenia brings a wealth of experience cultivated from her roles in film production, photography, and graphic design.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Yesenia’s mission is both straightforward and deeply impactful: to empower her clients in crafting content that resonates authentically with their audience while seamlessly aligning with their brand identity and strategic objectives.
Ziporah Banda is a PR executive at the female-founded and female-led R Agency where she focuses on strategy and non-traditional media. She is the co-host of Stacked podcast, which was one of the winners of Acast’s inaugural Amplifier programme, and aimed to platform the next generation of podcast voices. As part of Stacked, Ziporah has continued the mission of highlighting marginalized voices in the literary and publishing communities across three seasons (so far!)
In her free time Ziporah has also worked and volunteered as an editor and curator for a number of African literary magazines and is an avid reader.
Zoë Edwards is an Executive Producer in Podcasts at Listen, with over a decade in audio under her belt. She spent much of her career in music radio as a producer for the likes of Planet Rock, Absolute, Jazz FM and Magic, as well as making shows for BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2. Moving over to focus on podcasts, Zoë has made big shows with the likes of David Tennant, and worked with brands from Conde Nast to Netflix, where she notably led on Netflix’s hit ‘The Crown: The Official Podcast’.
