Who Got Inducted Into the Podcast Hall of Fame This Year?
The 2025 Podcast Hall of Fame inducted 11 new members, bringing the total to 54. Katie Kremitsos honored her husband Chris Kromitzos and Podfest's growth from grassroots event to global reach, including its pivot during COVID. Inductees included Maria Thomas from NPR, Twyla Deng of Matriarch Digital Media, and others recognized for changing lives through podcasting.
Chapters
I am so happy to be here. Isn't our life similar to the game of pinball? And with the distractions that we have now with social media, with all the digital universe that's around us, I feel we are living life like we're pinballs. It's a state of unintentionality. We have lost our very focus on pursuing the life we have always wanted to pursue because we are so distracted that we're not calming our minds down enough to do the self-reflection, the introspection, the time and solitude that we need to learn how to play the game of pinball so we're not letting the ball play us, but we're playing the ball. Hey, I'm so excited to to introduce to you someone that has become a friend over the years just being in this space, John R. Miles. And he is the founder of a movement— I'll call it a movement— called Passion Struck. So he is an authority on behavioral change. He's just a really inspiring guy. He has a podcast that is an award-winning podcast. It's called Passion Struck with John R. Miles, because it's been really impressive to see what has happened with his show. I am the CEO of Passion Struck But I like to use the name CIO for Chief Impact Officer because my goal is to impact each and every one of your lives by helping you see that you matter and that your life holds significance. Title of this book, Passion Struck, that John Miles has written. Your book is, I think, the kind of book that you put other books aside and you invest probably a couple of weeks reading your book and working through it, because it is a collection of decades of wisdom. Are you going to live inauthentically, or are you going to pursue your ideal self. Tonight marks the 7th induction ceremony of the Podcast Hall of Fame, which started in 2015. There were a couple gap years in there because of COVID so we are very happy to be getting this back in. And today we celebrate 11 new pioneering and visionary individuals like Tom Webster of Sounds Profitable, Maria Thomas, the first digital media GM at NPR, and many, many more. You will meet them all personally today and share a celebration with each of these phenomenal inductees. And tonight's ceremony brings us up to 54 inductees now in the Podcast Hall of Fame. And you can learn more about them by going to podcasthall.com. And all of these inductees have helped pioneer this incredible medium. And to put what tonight means in perspective, my friend Emily Morse, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame a couple years ago, told me that it was one of the most profound moments of her entire career, not only to be recognized in a room like this in front of her peers, but really to show the resilience, the courage, the purpose, and the intentionality that it took to really make a difference. And when I hear Emily's words, that's why tonight is such an important night because what we are really doing tonight is honoring the resilience and the vision of these inductees who have elevated this medium and have inspired so many others to join the conversation. So let's celebrate the impact and creativity of these amazing inductees and remember that podcasting, like in life, is all about the stories we tell and the connections we make, and that's what really matters. So what we're going to be doing tonight is each inductee will be introduced, then we will welcome each inductee either physically up on the stage or they'll be beamed in through video to share their thoughts on being inducted and give a glimpse of why we are celebrating their incredible accomplishments. I want to thank Lipson, the Podcast Hall of Fame board and inductee committee, Podcast Expo, Gordon Firemark, the podcast lawyer— thank you for the voice behind me— CASA Media Productions, and PodNewsNet for sponsoring tonight's episode. To our inductees, congratulations on this incredibly well-deserved honor. The stage awaits your esteemed presence. Please welcome to the stage two Hall of Fame inductees, Rob Greenlee, 2017 inductee into the Hall of Fame and the chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame, and Rob Walsh, VP of Lipson, 2016 inductee, to share more about the mission and the process behind inducting people into the Hall of Fame. Well, first of all, I want to say thank you so much, everybody, for being here tonight. This is a great honor for me to work on this project, the Hall of Fame, and to really reach out and expose the efforts and the vision of some of the early podcasters, the ones that really had a pioneering impact on this medium and what we've seen today. And what the goal that I'm pursuing here is to make this event much more significant and also have an impact globally. So that's going to be— that's an ambitious effort this coming year, but John did a terrific job of kind of explaining what the Hall of Fame was really all about, and that's impact, community, and perseverance, and the power of this medium to inspire others and to share the opportunity of podcasting. So I think building upon that is, is an opportunity that's before us that includes the rest of the world. And the rest of the world is catching up to the United States and North America very rapidly. And creators need to be recognized and influential people that had an impact in the early days of podcasting outside of the US as well. So that's my goal for this next year as we kind of evolve this platform, I guess, is what it could turn into. So I have big ideas about what the Hall of Fame could be and what its potential is. And so I want to hand it off to Rob Walsh here and share a little bit about Lipson and why they're a sponsor of the Hall of Fame. Thank you, Rob. You know, one thing to notice in all these 11 people They were podcasting for the most part back closer to the 20-year start of podcasting than the 10 years that the Hall of Fame has been around. They were podcasting back when someone asked what you did, you would say, have you ever heard of this thing called podcasting? Now when someone asks you that question, what do you do? You say, which podcast do you listen to? They have helped take this medium from No, something nobody ever heard of except for total geeks, to a medium that now has television shows about it. It's ongoing skits on Saturday Night Live. They have made it ubiquitous. Every music platform has a podcasting section in it, except the ones in China. We don't count them, right? But it really has become ubiquitous, and that's what these people did when, when people thought they were crazy for being podcasters. These 11 people stuck through it and are still in podcasting today. So you need to thank these folks if you're in podcasting, because they have really helped make this a viable medium. And that's putting Libsyn— so I have to spin this now a little pitchy here, but first of all, I do want to thank Cory at Libsyn for helping with the Podcast Hall of Fame. Give Cory a round. I want to thank Chuck, our CFO, and Brendan, our new CEO, for writing— agreeing to write the check to help support the Hall of Fame. I'm supposed to get pitchy, and I'll just say email me rob@lidsen.com if you're interested in advertising on a podcast, getting advertising, or hosting. There, that's it, that's done. Sorry, Corey, that's all you're getting. But I do want to say the one reason why Libsyn keeps supporting the hall is the people in the hall have the exact same goal as Libsyn, which has always been make podcasting easy, make it viable, make it ubiquitous. So thank you for the 11 people that are here or virtually. Thank you for all the work you've done, and thank you for friendship for many of those of you that are here. And thank you for the folks that work host our guests on Podcast 411. So for those 5 of you, thank you. All right. I also want to thank the, the new board of governors for the Podcast Hall of Fame and their early contributions to helping pull this together. And hopefully that board will expand, and I can also expand the, the pool of voters that vote on who is inducted into the Hall of Fame, as well as gather more nominees for induction too from all over the world. So that's, that's my bigger goal as well. Rob, thank you. And thank you to all of you for being here. Thanks. To introduce our first inductee is podcast host and founder of the Women's Meditation Network, Katie Kremitsos. Hello and good evening. There are a lot of challenges that come along with being married to a genius. The sleepless nights, as their ideas are just swimming in their brain. The very creative and careful cash flow management as they charge ahead with all of those ideas and dreams. The unending but very open-minded listening as they talk about their ideas over and over and over again. And of course, the unwavering loyalty and support and belief in them and in all their ideas and dreams. Did I get that right, Chris? Is that what it's like being married to me? Right? All joking aside, my husband Chris Kromitzos is a genius. Because over 11 years ago, he brought his beautiful, magical gifts of community building to the podcast community in a way that has truly impacted thousands of podcasters and honestly millions of people if we're including all of the, the listeners of those with podcasts who have either started podcasts because of Podcastfest or their podcasts have grown because of Podcasts. Now, Chris has no problem being on stage, but he always seems to naturally sidestep the spotlight so that he could give that light to anyone else that he believes deserves it. And the thing about Chris is he believes everyone deserves the spotlight. I know I am not alone in this room when I tell you that Chris is our own personal hype man. Our biggest cheerleader, and oftentimes, very oftentimes, our own personal connection relationship concierge, right? So I am just overflowing with love and with gratitude that tonight Chris gets to be in the spotlight and he gets to be recognized for the massive waves that he has been a part of rippling through the podcasting community. All started with one single drop that is his magic sauce: love. So tonight, Chris Kermitsos, Agape Mu, on behalf of the entire podcasting community, we thank you and congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you so much. Um, I just have a couple of, um notes from my journey in podcasting. So the first time I, I knew about podcasting, but the first time the bug bit me, I was doing a meetup at a Mimi's Cafe. I spent all month promoting it. We had 11 people there. I was so excited that they showed up. And my friend Steve Cherubino, he had a show called Android App Addicts. And he was teaching about podcasting. He also had a course that he sold about podcasting. I think, John, you bought that course. He actually retired the course because he was teaching it too early and no one was buying it back then. But I remember he offered at a steep discount, and of 11 people, 13 people bought. So people's spouses also bought the course that weren't there. It was incredible. I've never seen anything like it. And after the meeting, I said to Steve, how many people listen to your podcast? Because he talked, he goes, I talk about Android apps. He goes, 4,000. I go, like 4,000 what? He goes, 4,000 people. I go, how often do you do it? He goes, once a week. And I go, what else do you talk about? He goes, nothing, Android apps. That's what we talk about. And I was like stunned. So I was just like, I'm calculating numbers? Because like I just spent all month, 11 people show up here at the meet-meets. This guy goes home, he's got 4,000 people. And he goes, I know, I know, I'm trying to get my numbers up. And I'm like, what are you talking about? Because he saw me like just trying to— I said, what you're doing is amazing. I go, and you're helping us. So I said to him, do you mind if I take you around so we could teach podcasting? So what I would do at the time, because I didn't know much, I just knew I love— if I love something, I just, I'm off to the races. So I would pick up Steve, have him bring in his microphone, his speaker, you know, his computer, and I said, we're gonna go for a ride. He's like, all right. And then I'd take him, there'd be like 100 people waiting for him to explain what podcasting is. It's really funny. He'd be like, where'd you get these people? I go, don't worry about it, just tell them about podcasts, it's the greatest thing. So then what happened was we helped so many people get started, my phone would ring off the hook with like technical support, which I'm not the best guy for technical support. And I said, well, why don't we get a meeting together so once a month we could all get together? And my good friend Lee Silverstein, who has the We Have Cancer podcast, says, I'd like to host your first meeting. At the time he was teaching at the International Academy of Design. And he gave us our first place to meet. That's where in the meeting he was inspired to start the We Have Cancer podcast. As Podfest grew from 100 people, we were in Tampa, to 181 people, my friend Neil Gillarte, who's here in the first row, said, "Chris, we have to take this." By the way, I love Tampa. He goes, "We got to take it to another city." I go, "Why?" He goes, "Because this could bring a lot of people, and if you take it to Orlando or Vegas, they're convention towns." It's easier for people to come to the event because there's other things for them to do. People have spouses, families, and it'll grow. And I said, Neil, I can't afford a convention center hotel. I don't know if you know how much it costs to do these events. And Neil said, my sister manages a hotel, a Carey Royale. They're going to set up a meeting and they want to, they want to help you. I had a friend who was a lawyer that always said, you don't have to say yes. But it's always good to take every meeting and have the decision to say yes or no. So I took the meeting, and the salesperson said to me, "What are you paying in Tampa?" And I was embarrassed to say because it was like nothing. But I said what we paid, and she said, "We could do that." I'm like, "Excuse me?" She goes, "We could do that." And I sat there stunned, and as I'm thinking, she dropped the price. And I said, "What'd you say?" She goes, "We'll do less. We'll go less." So then I was thinking about it. I was like, this is crazy, and she dropped the price again. So I said, I said, okay, let me think about it. And I called Neil on the way home. I go, dude, they kept dropping the price. What the hell did your sister say to the salesperson? He goes, well, my sister's been there 20 years. She services all the banquets. She told the salesperson she'll never service another one of her banquets if she doesn't get me a thing at the hotel. To which I said, "Neal, why would your sister do that for me?" And Neal said, "Well, when I moved to Tampa and I didn't know anybody, you helped me build my video business. My family owes you one, and this is how we're paying you back." Which was very profound. Having an event has been challenging. It's not an easy business to be in, and we've had lots of ups and downs. In 2020, we had our event 7 days before the lockdowns, so it was an amazing high, but then we all went home and we didn't know what to do, right? We were like, when are we going to get back out? Our community— I was talking to my friend Gabe Aloisi of the Let's Play Through YouTube channel, And I said, I don't know what to do. Like, I was paralyzed by fear. And he said, well, you do events. I said, I know, but we just finished this big hotel. What do I do next? He goes, just do it virtually. I go, but how do we do it as well as we do it in person? It's very difficult. He goes, um, you'll figure it out. You always do. And I said, okay. So I did a small virtual event. It was fun. And then he said to me, why don't you think bigger? You always think bigger. And he challenged me to think bigger. And what we did was we, we told the community our vision to bring the world together through a Podfest Global. And we crowdfunded that and we raised 200 or 300% of goal. It was amazing. And we did the first ever PodGlobal and we had thousands of people from all over the world. And because we were crowdfunding, we were able to give tickets away to people in different countries all over the world. We had 8 languages taught via Zoom through the Whova app. It was incredible. That gave us our first Guinness World Record, and then we did it again and broke the first one the second year. And it was an amazing journey. Coming out of COVID though was very difficult, and it was difficult to manage with hotels and the different things. And I just want to tell you that this has been a crazy journey. I'm very fortunate to have a very supportive wife that has been my rock through the whole ups and downs of Bill and Todd. Thank you. And I'm grateful to my in-laws and my daughters Sedona and Savannah for being here. I love them dearly. Since then, we've been able to expand to Asia. Last year, we did the first ever PodFest Asia. Thank you, Aya and Jim and Ron for Pod Machine. And we were in Colombia earlier, so We've added some amazing partners in Nick Pavlidis and Glen Voe, and the vision for us is to make this community— it's already global, but to meet everybody where they're at and put our arms around them. So all I could tell you is podcasting for me has given me the ride of a lifetime. Thank you for always supporting me. Thank you for the closest friends that were there for me in the hardest of times, keeping me positive. To focus on what was important. And thank you for the most amazing memories. And we're going to make more. And Podfest is going to obviously grow much bigger. But thank you, guys. Thank you for this honor. I appreciate it. Thank you. Presenting our second 2025 inductee via video, Managing Director of ACAST, Tiffany— Hello everyone. I'm here to introduce media maven, entrepreneur, and now Podcast Hall of Famer, Twyla Deng. It is an absolute honor and pleasure and a lot of pressure to introduce someone as legendary and dynamic as Twyla. For those of you who don't know her, after tonight, you'll wish you knew her sooner. Twyla is one of those rare forces will always leave you thinking, leave you wondering, why didn't I think of that? Or how can we work together? Or in my case, thank you for being a friend. Since starting her career in the media industry more than 15 years ago, Twyla has been laser-focused on amplifying voices and creating platforms for women and girls. Now, in any industry, that would be outstanding, but in one as male-dominated as media, Having an ally like Twyla in your corner is phenomenal. Since founding Matriarch Digital Media, Twyla's been on a mission to shake up storytelling, making it smarter and funnier and more empowering with women in the space. She started in talk radio in Minnesota, but has since graced national platforms, including ABC News. Her strategic mind, creative vision, her relentless energy, make it look so easy, but Twyla puts in that work. Seriously though, Twyla, when do you sleep? Anyway, she just doesn't talk about creating spaces, she does it. Whether founding Matriarch Digital Media, developing the Women in Podcasts community to educate the next generation of storytellers, spreading mentorship through Podcasternord, or collaborating with podcast stakeholders to spotlight opportunities for diverse creators through the BIPOC Podcast Industry Survey, Twyla is constantly opening doors and pulling up chairs for the rest of us. Twyla's superpower is making sure that podcasting isn't just a medium, but a movement. Tonight, we get to celebrate her excellence and her incredible impact. So please join me in welcoming my friend and my inspiration, Twyla Dang to the Podcast Hall of Fame. Congratulations. Hi, I'm Twyla Dang, and I am the founder and CEO of Matriarch Digital Media. And as of today, I am a 2025 inductee into the Podcast Hall of Fame. First, let me say thank you to everyone associated with the Hall of Fame. This was a lovely honor and a lovely surprise. Thank you so much. Uh, for all of my fellow inductees, congratulations. It is wonderful to walk in alongside you. Uh, now in podcasting, I know I do a lot of my work alone a lot of the time, but to be honest, I am never alone in this industry because I have been able to, um, be welcomed into such a strong sense of community. And that has infused every single part of my work. And to that end, I need to thank some people in particular for all that they have done to support, um, the work that I've been able to do in this industry. First, um, to Tiffany, thank you so much. For your kind words on my behalf. Um, I appreciate you so much. You know I love you. Um, to Alexis, who honestly, um, helped give me a media career. If it wasn't for you seeing something that I didn't see myself, none of this would have happened. Um, you know how much I love and appreciate you. Um, I will never stop singing your praises. Um, to Eric, my co-founder at Matriarch, thank you for taking something that was an image in my head and helping to make it manifest. Uh, you were the first person to see it and support it tangibly. And I will always be grateful for that. Um, there have been a wondrous community of Black women who have not only supported me, helped me, answered questions, and been generous with their time, energy, and support. Um, and I would not have gotten nearly as far without all of their help. Uh, so to Barry and Renee and TK and Anna and Ashley and Adele and Anna Deshawn, thank you so much for everything that you've done to support me. I cannot wait to see all of us thrive in the future in this industry. Um, to my family and friends, I love you. Thank you so much for honestly rocking with me from the very beginning when I was walking around just saying, I think I have an idea, um, to what it is now, which is a thriving organization. That continues to grow. Thank you for supporting it, being cheerleaders of it, encouraging me, not letting me quit. I appreciate you so much. And last but absolutely not least, to my children. I have 3 amazing humans that I was able to bring to this world, and they have grown up to be the finest humans. But even more so, they have been wondrous inspirations for everything I do. I strive every single day to make them proud, and they show me every single day that the The possibilities are endless. So to my 3 babies, I love you so much. Thank you so much for all that you do. And remember, the coolest job I'm ever going to have is being your mom. All the rest of this is just cherry on top of the cake. So thank you. And thank you again to everybody at the Podcast Hall of Fame. You have a great night. He is a 2017 inductee and chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame. Please welcome back to the stage Rob Greenlee. It's a very heavy Hall of Fame trophy. So good evening, everyone, again. Today I'm here to celebrate a great inductee, Lou Mongiello. He's a remarkable creator, a visionary, a community leader, and whose passion for storytelling and Disney magic has left an indelible mark on podcasting. As the founder and host of WDW Radio, that's Walt Disney World Radio. Lou turned his love for Disney into an award-winning platform and podcast and has brought joy and inspiration and connection to millions of listeners worldwide. And over that span of two decades, a very early podcaster. So Lou is a symbol and reminds us the success is not achieved alone. So he is here to be recognized for his longstanding achievement in lots of areas. But beyond his contributions to the Disney community, Lou empowers others to turn their passions into professions through his Momentum series, his motivational speaking that he does as well, his impact stretches far beyond podcasting and inspires creators to dream big and to take bold steps towards their goals. So Lou, your work has elevated podcasting and has brought people together in extraordinary ways. Congratulations to you, um, and in this well-deserved induction into the Podcast Hall of Fame. Thank you very much. And he's here to accept his award, so come on up to the stage, Lou. We'd love to accept you. 20 years ago, I fired up my Pentium 2 computer and I asked Jeeves, what is a podcast? It's a true story. And it was so long ago that when I decided to create a show, I had to put the word radio in the name so people would know what I was doing, that it was a spoken word medium, never thinking it would take me on this journey and get me here today. But this is not— phew. This is not about me. This is about you. My fellow podcasters, the community, which, you know, community has become sort of this marketing buzzword over time, but it means so much more to me. Back in 2004, I took said Pentium II computer and I fired up my VBulletin discussion forum because I wanted to create a welcoming place for people with a shared interest, because the word social and medium literally had not come together yet And that grew into a family, but we never lost the focus of our foundation. And it's gotten larger, but stronger than ever. But it's not about the size of your community, it's what you do with it. And it's never been about the numbers for me. Like, I don't care about the numbers of downloads, likes, follows, hearts, or comments. It's always been about the one person who was on the other side, who was listening, the one person who's giving you the most valuable commodity, which is their time. And the one thing I want and hope that you take away tonight and from this conference is that you never know who's listening. And that's less of a warning that is meant to be more of an inspiration, because it's not just about who can help you, but who you can help. And I'm sure we all have the emails and messages and the interactions and the stories. But for me, the things that matter most is when somebody reaches out to you and says, because of your show, you got me through a bad day, you got me through my divorce, you got me through cancer. I have to share a story just because because, you know, we're so fortunate to get to do what I do. Years ago, not long after Disney acquired Marvel, I met Kevin Feige, and he came over, and he's like, "I want you to know that your show got me through the making of Iron Man." I'm like, "Can you hold on a second and just say that one more time so I can record it?" He's like, "Fine," and he said it, and I have it recorded. But I've been doing monthly meetups in the parks since 2008, and it wasn't too long ago that I met someone, and I do these not so that they can come and meet me, it's so that I can meet you, so I can look you in the face and hear your story and say thank you to you for this. But when I meet somebody and they say, "Your show got me through contemplating suicide, and I was alone in the hospital, and the only other person there was you," you have the opportunity in what you do to reach out and hold the hand of a stranger. Take that and understand that. And that's what I mean when I say that you never know who is listening and just the impact that you might have on them, because we all have such a great opportunity. And this microphone and this medium imbues us with that power. And as a very wise man once said, with great power With great power must also come great responsibility. It was Uncle Ben. It was Spider-Man's uncle. It's fine. It doesn't matter. But take that responsibility seriously, no matter what it is that you're talking about. You know, I talk about Mickey Mouse for a living. And think about the one person who is listening, because you never know how what you say may impact them in a way that might be meaningful. Don't think about the impact on you. Don't think about, because of my podcast, these things happen to me. What you want to be thinking about is other people saying, because of your podcast, this is what it did for me. So let every impact that you have be a positive one, because positivity, I promise you, is contagious. For every person along the way who believed in my dream, even as I was trying to figure it out and form it all along the way, for my family, whose patience and understanding knows no bounds, my immediate and extended family, to my parents who understood when I was leaving the practice of law. They paid for my legal education to pursue this thing. They allowed me to do it. To the members and the committee of the Hall of Fame, whoever you are that even considered me to be among these incredible people and incredible legends, Thank you. And to every person who has, who has listened, commented, shared, hugged, and helped other people with that ripple effect of positivity and a little bit of Disney magic every day, thank you. Everything I have and I get to do in my life right now is because of you. This life, this incredibly humbling recognition, this podcast is a gift because of you. So This is not mine, this is yours, but I'll keep it for safekeeping. Thank you. To introduce our next honoree, we have 2016 inductee and Vice President at Lipfin, Rob Walsh. Hello everyone, I have the honor to introduce our next inductee, Tim Street. Some are saying video is the next new thing in podcasting, and I have to imagine for Tim, who was doing video podcasts almost 20 years ago. That is an interesting prediction, at least for the new part. Tim via French Made TV brought a professional level of production 19 years ago that most getting into video today would be really wise to learn from, which is ironic given that idea around French Made TV was you would need to learn— you'd learn something new. And I know, I watched almost every one of those episodes, 50 times at least. I have known Tim almost 20 years, and seeing the handlebar mustaches when I, when I, at a conference, it ensured me I had someone I could sit and talk with and learn from. Tim also had a blog called One Tim Street that was, quote, on viral videos, social media, and how to make money from video, unquote, back in 2007. Thank you, Tim, for sharing all that knowledge. I mean, I learned a lot from it. For the past 10 years plus, Tim has been a VP with Podtrack and Authentic, and he has worked to make sure podcasting could be a medium those with an audience had an opportunity to monetize. For almost 20 years, Tim has been saying, If you want to make a business out of podcasting, here's how. Let's do this. Thank you, Tim, for your contributions, influence, and desire to make podcasting a viable medium for all. Folks, please join me in welcoming Tim Street to the Podcast Hall of Fame. Wow, thanks Rob. Thanks to the, uh, the Hall of Fame, the Podcast Hall of Fame. Thanks for all of you being here. Um, it's been a long journey. There's been a lot of stuff that has gone on in podcasting. I'd like to say thanks again to the Podcast Hall of Fame, to the inductees, and to Podfest for making this open and available to us all. You know, I'd also like to say thanks to my understanding wife, Sonya, who let me shoot women dressed as French maids. It was PG-13, okay? So don't get too excited. I'd also like to thank my kids, Ethan and Riley. They're not here tonight, but my nieces, Sandy and Rihanna, and my nephew, Matt, are here. So thank you very much for joining. As a little kid, I wanted to be a writer. And I was repeatedly told that I couldn't be a writer because I couldn't spell. And in 10th grade, in computer math class, when my teacher Jim Vitter at Evans High School in Orlando, Florida, said to me, "Tim, there's a new program. It's called spell check," I cried. Teachers do make a difference, so keep that in mind. Writing a podcast changed my life. It really did. It opened up opportunities that are still available today. Um, it's really for anyone who wants it. There's nothing stopping you. And to borrow from a friend of mine, Chris Hansen,, who does a podcast called Investing from the Beach. Chris says, gay, straight, black, white, short, tall, fat, skinny, it doesn't matter. Well, he's talking about the stock market, but the same thing applies to podcasting. It doesn't matter. You can go make a podcast. Nobody's stopping you from making a podcast. No one is stopping you from monetizing a podcast. You have that opportunity. Many of you here in the room know what I'm talking about, and those of you who don't, you need to get smart and you need to go chase your dreams. It's important. The thing about podcasting is that you need to print out your speech like Lou Mongeles so that your phone doesn't shut down on you. The, the first podcast I ever came across was a podcast called Tiki Bar TV. It was done by a guy named Jeff McPherson, really creative guy, and I wanted to partner with him, but it didn't work out. And so I did what anyone would do when things aren't going your way. I went to a podcast convention. That one was in Ontario, California in 2005. Shout out to the Berkman Brothers. They're awesome for putting that together. And when I went there, I saw a guy named Leo Laporte. Anyone know that name? So Leo had a podcast called This Week in Tech, and he was up on stage and he was talking about this company called PodTrak that had brought him his first sponsor. I was like, wow, that's cool. Well, I want to say thanks to Mark McCrary and Beth Washway at PodTrac who brought me my first sponsor, which was GoDaddy. That was a long time ago. They also asked me to come on as their vice president of development and production, and I got to head that up. So I wanna say thanks to them. And thanks to a guy named Willard Tressel who really helped me focus on the benefit of your podcast. And when you think about a benefit of your podcast, Think about the iPod. When we first had that, it was 1,000 songs in our pocket, and for all of us who had CDs and notebooks in the backseat of our car, that was a big benefit. So Tim Napoleon at Akamai, he gave us some free bandwidth. And someone who's helped many people in podcasting, she's an unsung hero, Dr. Jennifer Selke. She was my unpaid intern. She, she, she did talent wrangling. She helped us out so much, so thank you, Jen. I also want to thank the guys at Ask a Ninja. They were an early pioneer in video podcasting as well. Alex Albrecht, Kevin Rose, they had a podcast called Dig Nation, and they were awesome because they did collabs with us. Collabs are so important today, they were really important back then. Shout out to JD Fanari, Jason Gottlieb, Alex O'Connor. And the team at Spark Factory. Thank you to Pete Alcorn, Scott Simpson, and James Bogues from Apple Podcasts, and Felicia Williams from YouTube. Those were people who really helped us out in the early days of podcasting. Steven Starr and Angela Gebent at Revver. Revver was another big podcasting, web video kind of place that was super helpful. Thank you to Mark Summers from Nickelodeon who inspired me and really helped me, gave me the encouragement to go make my own content. And a special thanks and shout out to Emma Cucucci, Ed Begley Jr., Kathy Heller, and the author Michael Connelly. I also want to say thanks to my mom for always pushing me to be creative. She, she was just always encouraging me to do that. And last but not least, futurist, and my best friend, Ted Schillowitz. Ted, Ted convinced me to quit my day job as a steam train engineer in the Magic Kingdom and go freelance and start producing. So thanks, Ted. The door's still open in podcasting, and it allows you to chase your dreams, and you'll be happiest if you chase your dreams. Take it from me. So allow yourself to chase your dreams. Go chase your dreams. Thank you. He is a 2017 inductee and chairperson of the Podcast Hall of Fame. Please welcome back to the stage Rob Greenlee. All right, back again. Thank you for your patience. But yeah, this is an inductee that really takes me back to the very early days of podcasting when I got started and what the impact that this person had on on the media landscape really is really profound, and a lot of people don't, I don't know, know about her, but I'm really lucky to induct Maria Thomas. She's a true pioneer in digital media and a podcasting kind of leader. She was the first NPR digital GM, and so she was the one that was instrumental in forming NPR, which at the time and continues to be mostly a radio platform, into a multimedia digital powerhouse. In 2005, she and her team launched podcasting on NPR. Working with the development team from Lipson at the time, and launched podcasting. And that really, I think, transformed public radio at that point into really moving into the digital realm and podcasting. And really as a way to transform and really kind of grow into a new medium, the stories that they tell. And, you know, her impact really was in an era that was really limited in broadband. Smartphones didn't exist yet, and iPods were just a niche at that time. And so she had the foresight to see the opportunity of podcasting, and every time she would fly out to Seattle to spend time at Microsoft, or at the time, Real Networks, she would stop off and have coffee with me before she went over there. So I've done many, many panels with her at public radio events around the country in the very early days of podcasting. And she really had a significant impact on NPR's entry into podcasting. And they launched about 32 podcasts in 2000, I believe it was 2005, and they secured a national sponsor that achieved, those 32 podcasts achieved over a million downloads in just 6 weeks. And it was a groundbreaking kind of shift for NPR at the time. And so her significant contributions, really, you know, she's probably one of the most deserving inductees into the Hall of Fame of anybody. Not to, you know, kind of downplay her follow-up things that she did, but she was also the co-founder of NPR Music, as well as Etsy's very first non-founder CEO. So if Any of the ladies out here, or men that like to go to Etsy to buy things, she really was an innovator on that platform. And she's currently now the CEO of a platform called Sunday Health, which is really focusing on leadership in the health space with people with cognitive challenges. So Maria's story is really a story of vision, determination and collaboration, and she really reminds us all about the power of creativity and the importance of adaptability and being in touch with trends in the market. So on behalf of Maria and everyone here, I would like to congratulate Maria, who couldn't be here with us tonight, but she created a really terrific video acceptance speech for her. For herself. So welcome, Maria, to the Podcast Hall of Fame. Thank you, Rob, and thank you, Podcasting Hall of Fame, for this incredible honor. I'm sorry I can't be there with you today, but I want to accept this recognition on behalf of the NPR 2005 Online Team, as we were called back then, and on behalf of our public radio collaborators. It's hard to believe that it's been nearly two decades since we launched the NPR podcasting platform. In that time, podcasting has become such a defining medium for journalism and storytelling and education. It wasn't all like that back in 2005. Broadband was in about half of all U.S. households, and of course, the smartphone had not yet been introduced. It was estimated that about 6 million iPods were in use in the US at that point. And even though podcasting was new and largely unknown, my team and I always felt like NPR was so perfectly positioned for the new world of on-demand and portable audio, and that podcasting would allow the magic of radio to no longer be bound by both time and geography. In fact, I used to joke with my team, if we can't be successful in podcasting, we should probably be ashamed of ourselves. And of course, that's not to in any way underestimate the incredible efforts that went into launching the NPR Podcasting Network. It actually began in 2004 when we introduced RSS feeds as a means for distributing content across the public radio system. And then in early 2005, we were in partnership discussions with audio when we got a call from Mr. Steve Jobs. And I went out to Cupertino with the NPR CEO at the time, and Steve Jobs told us about Apple's plans to bring podcasting mainstream by introducing it directly into iTunes. And we knew that that was just going to be transformational in terms of the user experience. We launched NPR's podcasting efforts in August 2005 with an initial directory of 32 podcasts. We did have a national sponsor, which was Acura, and probably one of the bigger ad buys of the time. And within 6 weeks, we reached just an unimaginable milestone of 1 million downloads. A few months later, we tried to keep the momentum going. We introduced a little brand extension, which we called alt.npr. And really with alt.npr, we were trying to encourage experimentation with original content. And we wanted to see, you know, how niche we could get with the audiences. So we introduced podcasts like On Gambling with Mike Pesca and YouthCast from PRX. It wasn't all smooth sailing though. There were some NPR member stations who had serious concerns about the impact that NPR podcasting might have on traditional radio distribution and radio audiences. So that led to some restrictions on what my team was able to do. We weren't able to introduce full NPR Show podcasts, and we weren't able to do any on-air promotion, which seems kind of charming now, given how much on-air promotion there is of NPR podcasts. But even as I was leaving NPR in early 2008, it was already becoming clear with productions like Planet Money how this medium could be used for in-depth and timely storytelling, and how it was going to transform really the future of radio. And so it's just been so thrilling to watch the developments at NPR and across podcasting more broadly, and especially proud of how podcasting has allowed NPR to reach new audiences and younger audiences and even expand its footprint globally. So this honor again celebrates the 2005 NPR Online team, and it also celebrates the power of innovation. And I just can't wait to see where podcasting goes next. Thank you again so much to the Podcasting Hall of Fame and all who make it possible. Now, here to introduce the next inductee is the host of Everything Everywhere Daily, please do welcome Gary Arndt. 2007, I sold my home to travel around the world, a journey that took me 13 years of living out of a smelly bag. And while you're on the road like that, you have a lot of free time, and I started listening to podcasts. And the first podcast I found was the biggest travel podcast in the world, and in 2007, the only travel podcast in the world, The Amateur Traveler. And I devoured every episode of that podcast, listening to some twice. And eventually, I worked up the gumption to email the host and see if I could be a guest on his show. So in 2008, I was sitting in an internet café in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, I was a guest on The Amateur Traveler, achieving my dream, talking about the nation of Micronesia. And since then, I've been a guest on the show almost 20 times. I consider myself the caulking of The Amateur Traveler podcast, talking about little places like Liechtenstein, the island of St. Helena. But since Chris has started the show, he's done a little under 1,000 episodes. And he has not only given travel advice, but has inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the world to travel, and has led his own travels and tours with his listeners to places all around the world. In 2009, I got to meet Chris for the first time in person. We were at an event called TBEX, which was the very first travel blogger conference, and I pitched him an idea. Is like, how would you like to start a podcast with me called This Week in Travel, loosely based on This Week in Tech? Uh, we talk about travel every week. So me, Chris, and our other co-host Jen Leo, who was writing for the Los Angeles Times at the time, we began doing this show. And for 11 years, until this thing called the pandemic killed it, uh, we did This Week in Travel. And I got to tell you, if we had a dime for every dime we made, we would have zero dimes. But that show introduced a new world to us, because we had people like Samantha Brown, Pauline Frommer, Josh Gates, big people in that industry who were willing to come on the show. We keynoted conferences together. And even though we didn't make any money, it's the example I always use to people that a podcast doesn't have to make money. It can do a lot for you. And during that time, Chris was always doing The Amateur Traveler, growing his audience. And I have to say, even though Chris has impeccable Hall of Fame credentials, he is not a perfect podcaster. In 2013, we were doing an episode of This Week in Travel that I couldn't be on, and you know what I'm talking about. I was going to be visiting the Wachowska salt mine outside Kraków, Poland, so I couldn't be on the show. But I go down to the mine, and at the gift shop, a mile beneath the surface of the earth, I see they have Wi-Fi. So I pull out my iPod Touch, which gives you an idea of how old it is, and I call into the show as they're recording it, creating podcasting history, I think, recording a podcast a mile underneath the earth. And I would like to tell you where you could listen to this podcast, except Chris did not hit record. I have had the pleasure of recording podcasts with Chris in 9 different countries on 3 different continents. Chris has keynoted or spoken, I don't even know how many travel conferences he's been to. He's received pretty much every award there is for podcasting that can be done in travel. He has literally become the voice of the travel industry. And so it is my sincere pleasure to induct into the Podcasting Hall of Fame the man so nice they named him twice, Mr. Chris Christensen. I would like to say that's the last time I failed to hit record. It's happened this year. First of all, special thanks to the video audio crew for the extra promotional time for Amateur Traveler. I appreciate that. It was the best $20 I've spent so far. So far on promotion. I'm Chris, and I'm a podcaster. And I say that because I assumed that this was an intervention. But before I get to serious— actually, I do want to thank some people. Mostly I want to thank my very patient wife, who's had to deal with me disappearing, not just upstairs into my podcast studio ever since July of 2005, but also at various places around the world at times. And then special thanks to our listeners to the show and the patrons of the show who help support it. When I started podcasting, I chose the name Amateur Traveler, and I chose it for two reasons. One is that I didn't spend enough time looking for a good domain. And the other is that I like the word amateur, which means to do something for the love of it. And people say, are you still an amateur? And it's when I stop being an amateur, I will stop doing this. This is quite possibly the most elaborate practical joke that I've ever heard, Rob Greenlee, or at least that's what I thought when Rob called me. I'm honored. I am pleased. Thank you to all the other inductees into the Hall of Fame. It is not the weirdest thing that has happened to me because of podcasting, though. Probably the top 3: I got invited to the Obama White House by the National Security Agency. Didn't see that coming. I got a chance to be paparazzi for the Pope for the day in Jordan as the Pope and the royal family visited the baptism site of Jesus. And just to clarify, this is not the same Pope who made peace in the travel podcasting community by splitting the world between Lou and I, where Lou got Disney and I got everybody else, everything else. This is a later Pope than that. There was a time that if you went to get a job with the Thailand Foreign Ministry, you were required to listen to 2 episodes of Amateur Traveler as part of their English comprehension exam. Might still be the case for all I know. It's been used to teach English in Oxford University, the German and the Canadian school system also. And right now if you fly home, if you're on one of 7 or 8 different airlines, you'll see it on the seatback entertainment system. So there's been some, some cool stuff that has happened, but not every day. Anybody who's been doing this for this long knows that there are the other days. There are days that you're doing a travel podcast and there's a global pandemic. But there are also the days where you get that 1-star review from the person who says, "I have listened to this show for 3 years, and I can't stand it anymore." 1 star and goodbye. The people who suggest that I should get a different host, I'm not sure who they think they're writing to, but what I hear in there is, "I love what you do, I just hate you." And there are days like that. When I go on from this show, I'm actually flying to New York State, to New York City, and I'm going to the International Media Marketplace Conference, and I will be pitching amateur traveler to a lot of destinations around the world why they should have me come and do a podcast about their destination. And I am not meeting with most of the people I wanted to meet with because they would rather talk to somebody from Travel and Leisure magazine or somebody who is basically writing on dead trees. Even though, if you look at the stats, the number of subscribers over the last 5 years for, for for print magazines has dropped in half in the last 5 years, while podcasting, as we know, is doing okay. So my struggles in the travel industry with trying to convince people that podcasting is a thing are not over yet. But my joys in the travel industry with podcasting are also not over yet. This is a wonderful milestone, tremendous honor, but also just a milestone as I continue to do what I love to do. Thanks so much. To introduce our next inductee from the School of Podcasting and Podpage, 2018 honoree Dave Jackson. Howdy! The Geologic Radio Hour aired back on June 13th, 2006. Now that broadcast was transmitted from Lehigh University station WLVR 91.3 FM. And that later would turn into the geologic podcast in 2007, a long time ago. So I'm here to explain— well, first I could say, because I know you're thinking it maybe, "Who the hell is George Rob?" It's better to explain what is George Rob. If you were to Frankenstein him together and take Spike Jonze, not the cool record producer, the guy from the '30s, Spike Jonze, mix him with Charlie Callas from the '70s, who was this comedian that did a lot of mouth noises, so you're going to get a lot of like, "Gah-gah-gah," kind of stuff. Mix that with the weirdness of Frank Zappa and the absolute silliness of Monty Python, then throw it into a vat of like science stuff, just tons of it, and sprinkle in a little pop culture, And of course, if you listen to the show, George loves the band Yes, and you will hear lots about Yes. And I know, sure, David Letterman had his mom on his show, but did she ever read Jay-Z lyrics? No, but George's did. And that's just one of the segments that you might find on the Geologic Podcast. Things like interesting fauna. Again, science. Rubert McClanahan's Indestructible Bastards. Not the Bible. Now this is important because George is a skeptic. So what are you not going to hear, or what are you going to hear on George's show? Not the Bible. One of my favorites, Dr. Damien Hanzey's— we have kids in here— Facts That'll Fuck You Up. I love that one. Why do I listen to the geologic podcast? Because I'm not a skeptic. Because one of the segments is the religious moron of the week, and I want to make sure it's not me. So far I'm okay. And the beauty of this is, as he continued to grow his show, every opportunity that came to George, he took absolute— just mastered it and over-delivered. And this led to him being asked to be the emcee of TAM, which is short for the Amazing meeting, and if you're a skeptic, this is like the Super Bowl of skeptics. And here again, Geo just blew them out of his socks, or out of their socks in this case. And he was asked back and back and back. So he's going all over the world emceeing the amazing meeting. But what about audience engagement? Well, have you ever had your audience make an episode for you? George did. They surprised him for his 100th episode. Think about that. And my favorite is, when is it time to monetize? When your audience goes, "George, look, you're a brilliant musician. We've bought every CD. We even bought the weird coloring book thing you did. But for the love of God, put up a PayPal button." That's audience engagement. That is value for value. And look, I know we're all about AI these days. I don't care how many quantum computers you make, there's no way that you can make another George Rob. He is the only one. He's funny, he's educational, he's compassionate, and he is a 100% original entertainer. And that is why it is my absolute honor to induct George Rob into the Podcast Hall of Fame. Thank you, David. Let's give it up for the band. So I've got, I've got a bone to pick with with the Hall of Fame, it's nice to be inducified, but what about Jethro Tull? What about Joy Division? You know, it's nice to be— I mean, me, sure, great, but what about Iron Maiden? You know, it's not fair, I don't think. Oh, Podcast Hall of Fame. That makes much more sense, doesn't it? Okay, enough of that bit. Oh no, please, you'll only encourage him. Honestly, thank you, Dave, I really appreciate it. Back in 2005, my good friend Slough Halliton said he had one word for me. And while that one word did start with a P, no, it wasn't plastics, it was podcasting. I had no idea what that was, and he soon explained the medium to me. I have to eternally thank him for that. It was soon thereafter that the lovely Derek and Swoopy from Skepticality played my music on their podcast, and we were off to the races. I subsequently started my own show with the thought that maybe a few friends might tune in, and maybe I'd do like a year's worth, around 50 or something like that. Well, it's 18 years later, and this week I posted show 899. Thank you. So I have to thank Misinformation, the wonderful Donna McGavro, who was there from show number 0, taking care of all the RSS feeds, the websites, the upload complexities, all that technical stuff that I to this day have no idea how it works. I'd not be standing here without her expertise, her loyalty, and friendship. Thank you. Finally, there's Kira Wilhelm, who's always provided me with an unequal perspective on what's really important, and that the ideas of change, improvement, kindness, and awareness are never destinations, but a challenging and beautiful ongoing journey. Now Shakespeare famously said, "Words are but wind." But George R.R. Martin said, "Words are wind, but wind can fan a fire." I am unimaginably humbled by this completely unexpected honor, and I ask that all of us in the podcasting sphere remember that our words can fan the fires of creativity, amazement, originality, education, entertainment, and happiness. From the deepest recesses of my heart, thank you. Please welcome back to the stage Libsyn Vice President Rob Greenlee. All right, thank you. I have the honor to introduce our next inductee, Dave Mansueto. Early in the fall of 2004, Dave wanted to get a podcast going. When he looked around, he realized there was no low-cost or easy way to do that. But rather than focus on just his own needs, Dave realized others would need this type of a solution. So he reached out to his friend Dave Chican, and then with the help of Matt Hoops and Marty Mulligan, they created a service that would allow anyone to become a podcaster, a service that was very affordable, it was easy to use, and thus Lipson was born. Folks, in your time on this planet, You will meet a handful of strangers that cause a true inflection point in your life. A little over 20 years ago, I met one of those people for my life, and it was on a podcasting email list. Dave reached out to me, and then a few months later, with the prospect of a monster bandwidth bill, I became a Lipson customer. I talked about Lipson so much over the next 2 years In 2007, Dave said, "I should come work for Libsyn." Thanks, Dave. You definitely changed my life. And by creating Libsyn, Dave also unknowingly became an inflection point for many other podcasters and many, many audience members of those podcasters whose lives they changed. If Libsyn was the heart and soul of indie podcasters, Dave Mansueto was definitely the heart and soul of Libsyn. After Libsyn, Dave could not stay away from podcasting, and with Hoops, they started iOS podcast studio app Boss Jock, again with the goal of making it easy for anyone to become a podcaster. Dave, I want to thank you for all your contribution and influence in the space and for your friendship over the past 20 years plus. Folks, please join me in welcoming Dave Mansueto to the Podcast Hall of Fame. Oh, thank you. You're not kidding. Oh my God. Oh, that makes it so much harder. This is— you get the call that you're going to get something, that people are going to acknowledge you for something. And it's a blessing and it's a curse because you've got to stop whatever you're doing and you've got to look around and say, what does my life mean? And what can I say about it? And do I deserve any of this? And I definitely don't deserve any of this. I love it all. And I want to say that Libsyn was absolutely a group effort, and we had a team of the coolest guys and girls and people in the world, and it transcends just Libsyn the service. We all were in college together, and all of us— people played in bands, people were poets, people were artists, performers, And we love technology, and it really was always about, can we find technology that helps us out selfishly, of course, but can we help out our friends? Can we lift everybody up with tech? And we worked together on compilations and poetry books and websites that nobody ever read and all sorts of things. And this was David Chican, Matt Hoops, Marty Mulligan, myself, a million other people that if I could read this list in Pittsburgh around the time of the 2000s, It was just such a wonderful place to be because the magic was there. I wrote a bunch of notes. Screw the notes. Here's what's important. No, the people that I want to thank because first and foremost, let me say this story. Former Hall of Famer, still Hall of Famer, may not even remember me, but I remember him, Jesse Thorn. We were at the Podcast Expo and he came up to us.— and this was the first, you know, 2005 or '04, whatever, really at the beginning, which were tumultuous times. Things were rocky for Libsyn because we were just kind of trying to keep the engine room running, etc., etc. And Jesse Fillmore came up and he said, he looked at us and he said, "All right, guys. You going to get your shit together?" Because "Listen, it's really messed up, but I'm not leaving, so get your shit together." And that was everybody. That was all of our customers, the sweetest people in the world that supported us, that were paying us to build tools for them. It felt completely reciprocal, and they cared, and they forgave us for so many shortcomings. And it really was the thing Sometimes when you don't know what you're doing, it's just dangerous and you just tread water the whole time. And that was the magic of podcasting. And it was because it mattered. Because at that time, and now, it felt like one of the most important things that ever happened. It felt like the absolute miracle that the internet could birth, that you could have something so special to break down all the walls. And it was Dave that named Libsyn. Liberated Syndication, and I think it's beautiful because it's about the free media. And what do we have left? What's great on the internet? What's still cool? What's still wild and out there and free and open and unlimited and not standing in anybody's way and no gatekeepers control it? What is but podcasting, right? That is And at this time every year, there's something, right? But there's always threats just in life. There are threats, the abyss beyond, the dark void, stare into the void. There are dangerous things out there. But the thing we could say about podcasting, the spirit that we love to create, that that's the magic. For me, that's the religion, the inception, the creation, the magical stuff, and the freedom The freedom, the true freedom for content to go everywhere, wherever it wants to go, people can get it wherever they want it, whenever they want it, all that good stuff. No goddamn gatekeepers. So that's the threat, that's all I would say. Keep it as open and as wild as possible. Because it benefits us. And when does that happen? It's a miracle, it's a unicorn. And when you have a unicorn, You fight for that unicorn. You let that unicorn fly. You clear the airspace for the unicorn. Because when the inevitable comes, it's going to be that unicorn that takes you to the glorious land of the podcast hereafter. But if you let that unicorn die, it's on you. So here are my thanks. Like I said, Look, I couldn't— I can't do— I'm the bloviating idiot of the group, all right? And I can grovel really well. Dave Chican is the better orator. Marty Mulligan was the first guy on PHP I ever knew in the world, and a poet and writer, and he cooked best for us every night, gourmet meals. Matt Hoopes, for me, absolute— a warrior, a warrior for something awesome, and the best-looking guy in the group. And I love him, and I'm working with him today. We're on the boss jock journey together, and I hope to be in all sorts of messes with these guys forevermore. But let's talk about some of the other wonderful people. Mom and Dad, they supported me no matter how crazy the ideas were, and they were all crazy. Nico and Mark Bolas, the guys that were some of our first— they taught us how to be a startup. We didn't know what we were doing. We went— we were from the University of Pittsburgh. All right, it was great. Anybody from there? No diss, but, you know, I studied theater. It's not— whatever. My loving partner, Sarah, thank you for keeping me inspired. She's got the best taste in the world. Oh, it's so important. The people here. Dave Jackson, you've been a sage. You've kept me floating when things weren't floating for me. Magic. Todd Cochran, don't take this the wrong way, you were always podcast Popeye for me, never pulling your punches. Boom! Always bringing it right to the nose, and I love you for it every time. Kept us on our toes. Gary Leland, the podcast pickle. Damn it, again, a guy that would just check up on me and say, like, how are you doing? What's happening? What's— it means so much. I miss him here. Rob Greenlee, the white knight of podcasting. Stoic, powerful. Wise. Elsie Escobar, namaste. Thank you for dinner, Corey and Brian and Emilio and Rob. Thanks for letting me get the crazies out. Rob Walsh, you are Clarence from— what's that movie? It's a Wonderful Life. Thank you very much. The originals. Adam Curry, you were my first. And Dave Weiner, you make me want to be a better geek. Thank you all very much. I'm going to use this, hopefully, to hold the door open for some other amazing people. There are all so many more out there that deserve to be here, probably more than me, definitely more than me, but I appreciate it. Thank you all so very much. Here now to introduce our next honoree via video is Libsyn community manager, a 2017 inductee, Elsie Escobar. Good evening, everyone. What an honor it is for me to be here tonight and celebrate my friend, the incredible Jessica Kupferman. Now, if you've ever met Jess, you know she's not your typical Hall of Famer. She's probably already cracked 3 jokes, made you laugh until you cried, and left you wondering why you're there, why your notes don't make sense, and wait, what are we even talking about? She's the only woman who's ever made me laugh so hard while recording that I fell to the ground, was unable to speak, and was wondering whether or not I needed medical attention. More than once. Jess often jokes about having 40 jobs in 40 years. She's even thought about writing a book about it. And if you'd like a copy, you need to ask her for it so she can get on it. But through every twist and turn, one thing has always been clear. Jess was destined to lead, to innovate, and to create something remarkable. Jess co-founded She Podcasts, transforming a Facebook group into a movement that empowers thousands of women podcasters to thrive unapologetically and boldly. And let's not forget She Podcasts Live. The first large-scale podcasting conference in the US centered entirely on women. It broke new ground, creating space where women could connect and thrive in podcasting. Jess's journey has not been without challenges. The loss of her daughter, Emily, shaped her in ways that revealed her grace, love, and courage. Emily's memory lives on in the care that Jessica brings to this community, her dedication to others, and her ability to find laughter even in the hardest moments. Now, as Jess takes the time to heal and focus on her own heart after all these years, she inspires us anew not just through her work, but by showing the strength that it takes to prioritize herself after years of lifting up others. Jess, tonight we celebrate your journey. We honor what you've done, your contributions, and your heart. You've changed the game for so many of us. Please join me in welcoming the inimitable Jessica Kupferman into the Podcasters Hall of Fame. Hello everyone, thank you so much for this honor. I am flabbergasted that I was selected to be in the Podcasting Hall of Fame and so, so flattered. Thank you so much to everyone. Um, um, I do have a confession to make though. I'm a complete imposter. I am not a podcasting professional. I am a terrible podcaster. I get distracted. I go off topic often. When Elsie was discussing a very important podcasting issue, I would realize in 5 minutes that I had no idea what we were talking about anymore. So I know I'm not here as a result of my award-winning podcast. It's because of you. I started She Podcast desperately needing a place where I could ask questions without being chastised for not having a robust studio. This happened because I wanted something that didn't exist, so I created it. My first podcast, I wanted to be on entrepreneurial shows and I couldn't find any that weren't just men interviewing other men, so I created Lady Business Radio. The Facebook group I created because the other Facebook groups were so full of noise that I couldn't get to an answer I actually wanted. So I started a Facebook group with the women that I knew, hoping that I could just have a little powwow where I could ask people the stuff that, you know, could relate to me. And the conference too. I wanted a conference where the t-shirts were not male sizes. It's all I asked for in the world. Maybe some flowers. That's it. I created all that stuff because of things that I needed. As a podcaster, I'm damn proud of the work that I've created, that body of work that I've created with Elsie. You can hear our friendship blossom from the very first episode. You can hear me prepare for a new baby. You can hear Elsie wiping toddler tushies. Many of you had written us and been very vocal that you'd love it, our show, even more if we stopped talking about those things. But it was our show. We did it how we wanted, when we wanted, and about what we wanted. Our podcast was for us, but She Podcast has been for you. You deserve to speak and be heard, even if you think there's already 100 people doing what I want to do. That doesn't matter. So what? None of them are you. You're the only person who can tell stories the way you can, or can present stories with your flair, or produce art with the education and experience that only you have. I need to thank Elsie for taking this trip with me through birth, death, global pandemic, societal uprising, me turning 40, her turning 50. And actually yesterday on the 16th, I, I actually turned 50. I've been blessed over and over again because she's my friend and my partner. I could have never survived all of it without her. I want to thank our editor, John, who hated listening to our show so much that he volunteered to edit it for free. And since then has always taken extra care to make me sound as smart as Elsie. I'm very grateful. And to Chris Kramitsos, who took my first conference on as a project and taught me everything I needed to know about how to create an event where everyone felt welcome and everyone felt like family. We traveled together and worked like dogs together and helped each other and dragged each other through the worst. While toasting to the best, to the women I've met, the most amazing, passionate, helpful, supportive, smart, funny women. I've always been here for you and I will continue to do so. I may not fit in as a podcasting guru, but I've learned over this year to nurture and appreciate what I can bring to the table, which I can do as long as I take care of myself. So please keep telling your stories, keep asking questions, keep trying. Never, ever, ever shut up. Thank you so much to everyone. I love you. And now, via video, from the Radio Adventures of Dr. Mr. Floyd Grant Baciocco. When I was inducted into the Podcast Hall of Fame in 2018, the first people I thanked were my parents. The second person I thanked was the guy I co-created my first podcast with, and the third person I thanked was Lance Anderson. I'd like to read to you what I wrote then. I'd like to thank Lance Anderson, who founded the LA Podcasters in 2005 and showed us early adopters that we were not alone. He gave us a place to meet and talk with other people about podcasting and not have to explain what a podcast was. It's all true, and Lance's contributions did not stop there. He was the heart and soul of the LA Podcasters. He not only made sure that the LA Podcasters had a booth at the very first Podcast Expo, he booked a revolving slate of podcasters who recorded live from the expo floor the entire weekend. Something that had never been done but is very commonplace now. He set up what I believe is the very first dedicated podcast studio in Los Angeles and quite possibly the world at the Brewery Artist Lofts complex in late 2005. Throughout all this and to today, Lance has produced his own podcast, Verge of the Fringe, a raw, gritty, and brace yourselves, podcasters, largely unedited storytelling show where Lance lays bare his past, present, and future. I always get excited when I see a new episode come into my feed because I know what I'm about to listen to is 100% Lance Anderson. He's also dedicated to preserving the history of podcasting so people don't think that it all started in 2007. More news on that soon. Lance could not make it tonight because of the many things going on in Southern California right now. He would like me to add thanks to Marisol and fellow Hall of Famer Ivo Tara for their love and support he forgot to thank them in his video. Hopefully they don't get too mad at him, just like my wife didn't get too mad at me for thanking Lance way before her in my speech. It is an absolute honor to induct Lance Anderson into the 2025 Podcast Hall of Fame. First off, let me say it's a true honor to be inducted into the Podcast Hall of Fame. It really is, and I'm— I feel really grateful about it. I wasn't really sure how I would feel. And I know my dad is thrilled about it, which is cool. But it has been a rocky road to get here. And it does kind of start with Rocky, the original Rocky, the movie, the movie. I saw that in the theaters when I was a kid. And I saw the people jump out of their seat during the fight. And I thought, I want to do— I want to do storytelling. And I didn't know how to get there. Another important person for me on that process was Spalding Gray, after seeing his Swimming to Cambodia. I thought, okay, that's what I want to do. Still didn't know exactly how to get there, so I did stand-up for a while, but eventually really got involved with storytelling. And, um, I got to thank some people. Um, a buddy of mine back from when we had the Dream of the '90s, my buddy, uh, Hiram, who, uh, told me I was an artist and really approach it that way. And I did. Um, my late friend Stan, who helped me work with music and all sorts, build these beautiful websites for me. We put real audio, sort of precursor to, to, uh, podcasting for me back in the late '90s, early 2000s. Um, Beverly of Story Salon, got to thank her. That was a home base for me to doing storytelling. Uh, even Ira Glass, who I, I had to send him this demo CD, and, uh, he didn't put me on a show, but he did send me a very nice handwritten note. And, um, and I think he's an important part of the whole podcasting thing. Uh, but regarding podcasting, I really have to say The one person I— if I could only thank one person, it's Dan Klass. He told me about podcasting, he helped me start a podcast, and, um, he's, he's just a huge part of what this whole process is, and I really would not be here without him. Uh, I want to thank John in the UK for helping to create the artwork and kind of give a certain style and, and, uh, look to what I was doing. Um, and even though I'm a solo podcaster, it does take a village, so to speak. And the village that I created was the LA Podcasters, which was just, you know, cutting-edge group that I think there's 4 or 5 of us now in the Hall of Fame, including Tim Street, who's being inducted this year. But there's Grant, who's helping with this, Elsie, and Dan. So I also want to thank or acknowledge really, because they, they need to be Kush and Tim, who are fellow storytellers, and were amazing. And Joseph Doherty, who I worked with on some stuff, including his handwritten theater. I want to thank a couple of the guys from X, DJ Bone Break, who created some music for me, and John Doe for being John Doe. Wrote for Podcast User Magazine early on, and that was a big thing that I was doing and got me thinking about how to preserve podcasting. And also, one of the things is it was about not just promoting my podcast, and it's part of the reason I'm here is because it was promoting the idea of podcasting, which I also have to thank the BBC and NPR for early on for embracing podcasting. Uh, I did this thing called the Lance Anderson Podcast Experiment back in 2006 where I did this little tour. I got to thank Nigel for putting that together. We got to do something at Cambridge, which was amazing. And, um, so that— all of that. But now I'm at this point where I'm trying to help preserve the history of these early days of podcasting. I'm working with a guy named Dean Whitbread in the UK, and we're trying to really share the stories of, of podcasting in those early days and, and also acknowledge all the international podcasters that have, um, that have really contributed to podcasting. And so I'm committed to doing more of that as time goes on here. So once again, thank you very much. And especially thanks for the Academy of Podcasters. Thank you. And now to introduce our next honoree, please welcome back 2018 inductee Dave Jackson. It's been mentioned now, I will mention again, 3 times about the magic metropolis of Ontario, California. And there was a lot of magic there, but I wouldn't call it glamorous because I remember being in this poorly lit hotel in the ballroom. There's an open bar, which is not really a good idea around podcasters. And there's about 80 podcasters, and there's poor Todd Cochran trying to hold their attention through the built-in PA system, which is in the ceiling, which has the clarity of a broken McDonald's drive-through speaker. And Todd introduces this guy who's going to deliver a report, and that report was the first time I almost heard Tom Webster. And I've been listening ever since. See, Tom is the guy who really understands the true power of podcasting. And through his work at Edison Research and now Sounds Profitable, he's given us the good news and sometimes the not so good news And he'd already been helping radio forever. He helped Howard Stern understand his audience, and now it was time to help podcasters understand theirs. And sure, when it comes to presentations, if somebody asked me, "Hey, do you want to go listen to a 40-minute presentation about stats and numbers?" we're all like, "Yay!" Right? But here's the thing. Presentations are made up of content and delivery. You gotta, gotta have both. And if you think about it, that could have been horribly boring, right? Hey, look, Facebook is up 2.3%. Woo. But it's Tom's delivery, his delivery that made these reports memorable. Yes, the research was solid, but the charts and graphs, were interspersed with stories, with insights filled with wit and humor that kept your attention. I don't know anybody. I do not know anyone who's ever walked out of a Tom Webster presentation. It just doesn't happen. Tom has helped literally so many things, and it was Sounds Profitable that organized the first full-day session devoted to podcasts at South by Southwest. Not an easy feat to pull off. All the while, like your favorite kind of college professor, wise, you know, all you need is like the padded shoulders on the jacket. That would be perfect. But he kind of gave us homework. Master your craft. Be recommendable. And of course, murder your thirst with Liquid Death. And when people talk about quantity over quality, Tom said, look, in podcasting, there is only quality. And if you can't maintain quality at the quantity you're doing, you need to slow your pace. No ifs, ands, ors, or buts. In 2024, you released pretty much my favorite book on podcasting. The book is called "The Audience Is Listening," and I realize this is the last presentation, so let's do a little crowd participation, shall we? Wake ourselves up. Put your phone down. Forget "the." The address is audienceislisteningbook.com. Repeat. Audience is listening book. One more time like you mean it. Audience is listening book. And no, that is not my affiliate link. So Tom, for telling us the good news, and the bad news occasionally, with the goal of making podcasting bigger, better, faster, and stronger, it really is my honor to induct Tom Webster into the Podcast Hall of Fame. I've got about 60, 65 slides to run through, so I'm going to go ahead and start. Someone got my clicker. Thank you for this. You know, I got into this whole podcasting business because I've always had a love for spoken word audio. I don't much cotton to video, so I don't do a lot of video podcast consumption myself. I know I have to write and talk about it a lot, but it's really been the magic of the spoken word that has propelled me through my entire career. I, you know, I grew up in, in, in Downeast Maine. I was an only child, grew up in the '70s there, and, you know, we didn't have a lot of entertainment options. I think we had 3 TV channels, and 2 of them were Canadian. One of them only showed the beachcombers, and the other one showed information about the beachcombers. And I think the 2 radio stations we had, one of them was Maine Public Radio, and the other one I think just broadcast tidal information, tidal charts for the high tides and low tides and things like that, which is riveting. But at night, I could put an AM radio, if the clouds were right, under my pillow, And I could get, at night, I could get WBZ Boston. I could listen to the Larry King overnight show, which when Larry King was on the radio doing overnight radio, that was a truly magical show. This is long before he started to mail it in on TV. But his craft with telling a story really nurtured my interest in spoken word audio. And I went to college, I went to college at Tufts University.. And I got the chance to hear a lot of amazing poets and artists and authors and writers. I got to hear Seamus Heaney, who won the Nobel Prize in 1995. And remember, at Seamus's Nobel Prize induction, he said, "If you have the words, you will almost always find the way." Not the will, but the words, because the words had the real power there. I got a chance to go hear Seamus Heaney when I was a student there. And poets like Yvonne Boland read their work and bring it alive the way that it did not when I necessarily read it on the page. Spalding Gray, I got a chance to see Spalding Gray, Lance just mentioned him, who was such a great monologist that they made an entire movie of him sitting behind a desk drinking a glass of water with a map behind him that was done by Jonathan Demme, who did Silence of the Lambs. That's the whole movie. Of him doing a monologue, and it's absolutely magical. I remember going to see Eric Bogosian. Eric Bogosian, you may know now, is an actor on one of the Law Order, Law Order: SUV or whatever, and he's also on Succession. But when I saw him, he was a playwright, and he was performing some of his own works. And he wrote and starred in Talk Radio, which is a wonderful Oliver Stone movie about Again, the power that talk has to motivate us into action. I got a chance in my career working in radio to meet people like Jay Thomas. Jay Thomas told the greatest story on television you've ever heard, The Lone Ranger Story, it's called. You can Alta Vista that or Ask Jeeves it. And it was a story told so well, and I got to know him in radio when he did radio in Los Angeles, that David Letterman asked him on his show once a year, every year, to tell the same story. Nobody else did that, right? But it was really the power of the spoken word that motivated me. And when I encountered podcasting, I met all of these wonderful people and started to hear all of these wonderful shows that I'd never heard before. And I myself at the time was not a podcaster. I've certainly done my share of podcasts since then, but when I heard those incredible early pieces of work, and I listened to tons of them. Todd, I was one of your first listeners, I guarantee it. I was one of the ohana very, very early on, right? I wanted to do what I could in the role that I had to try to preserve that bubble, to try to help it to grow, to try to help it to nurture in any way that I could. And the best way that I knew I could do that was to do my job, which was to count things. And I knew if I could count things well, and tell those stories well, that the world would see the value of what it is that you do. And that has been my 20-year mission. It's still my 20-year mission. Maybe not for the next 20 years when I get that podcast yacht and I sail off into podcast bay or whatever, but it has certainly been my mission up until now. But it's really been driven by a love for the work that you do. And, you know, everybody in this room, all of the inductees this year, I listened to your shows way back then. And I wanted to do whatever I could to try to help this industry become what I knew it could be, to really propel the power of the spoken word. I want to read you something really quick, and I'm going to read this because it's not something that I want to get wrong. Another person I got to see speak when I was an undergrad, the poet-in-residence at Tufts at the time was an amazing poet. He became the poet laureate a couple of years after that. Named Philip Levine. And Philip Levine worked in the Ford auto factory in Detroit while he was honing his craft to become a poet. And he wrote this poem called "What Work Is." And I want to read that to you, if you don't mind a little poetry tonight. We stand in the rain in a long line waiting at Ford Highland Park for work. You know what work is. If you're old enough to read this, You know what work is, although you may not do it. Forget you. This is about waiting, shifting from one foot to another, feeling the light rain falling like mist into your hair, blurring your vision until you think you see your own brother ahead of you, maybe 10 places. You rub your glasses with your fingers, and of course it's someone else's brother, narrower across the shoulders than yours, but with the same sad slouch, the grin that does not hide the stubbornness, The sad refusal to give in to the rain, to the hours of wasted waiting, to the knowledge that somewhere ahead, a man is waiting who will say, "No, we're not hiring today," for any reason he wants. You love your brother, and now suddenly you can hardly stand the love flooding you for your brother, who's not beside you or behind or ahead, because he's home, trying to sleep off a miserable night shift at Cadillac so he can get up before noon to study his German. Works 8 hours a night so he can sing Wagner, the opera you hate the most, the worst music ever invented. How long has it been since you told him you loved him, held his wide shoulders, opened your eyes wide and said those words, maybe kissed his cheek? You've never done something so simple, so obvious. Not because you're too young or too dumb, not because you're jealous or even mean or incapable of crying in the presence of another man. No, just because you don't know what work is. Tonight, I celebrate your work. I celebrate the work that you have done, the work of your words, because it's meant so much to me. And I want to thank Brian and Gavin from Sounds Profitable for making the trip down here to support me. I want to thank my brilliant wife, Tamsen, my constant beam, for always supporting me every step of the way. And I want to thank you for the work of your words. Thank you. To close our show for the night, here once again is John Miles. So first off, I want I wanted to congratulate all 11 of the inductees. Congratulations, such a phenomenal group of people. And I wanted to give a special thank you to Chris. I remember a mutual friend of ours, Joe Hamilton, introduced us a few years ago, and Joe said, you have got to meet Chris. What he's doing with this festival is just incredible. As I've been here for the past 2 days, one of the things that has made me so proud about being a podcaster and being part of this amazing community is how much podcasters give back to one another. And when I think about this conference, and I've seen so many of the inductees on stage, giving back the secrets of the craft, to the newbies who are wanting to get in. And to me, it's so special, and that's what makes, since I've been here, this conference different from the rest, is the education it provides and the connection it provides. So I'm going to ad-lib here a bit. So I was thinking for the inductees today, you know, how do I make it real of how precious an award this is. And I am a military veteran, and a couple of my friends just made general in the Marine Corps, brigadier general. But to put this into perspective, if you're in the Marine Corps, they're on active duty now, about 175,000 Marines, and only 4 Marines are 4-star generals. So your chances of becoming a 4-star general are 0.002%. When I was doing the math behind the curtain, I started to think about— we in the podcast space love numbers, and one of the numbers I've heard quoted a couple times this week is that there have been 4.7 million podcasts that have been started. If you extrapolate that beyond that and how many people are behind the scenes working on them, it's a lot more. But let's just take 4.7 million. There have been 54 inductees into the Hall of Fame, which is 0.001% of that 4.7 million people, which is so much less of a chance than you would have at becoming a general in the Marine Corps. So I just wanted to use that to put it in perspective. And I kind of— before I say the final remarks, I kind of wanted to end on this. Lou, something that you said really touched me, and that is that you don't know what a listener is going through when they're listening to your podcast. It could be someone who's on the verge of suicide. It could be someone who's going through a terrible sickness, and we have the opportunity to touch people in such unique ways. And I just wanted to share this story. 2024 was a really tough year for me. We had 3 feet of water in our house after Hurricane Helene, which was pouring gasoline on an already bad, bad year. I lost my sister to cancer in May last year. And I think back about like, why, why did I have this opportunity to start Passion Struck? And I remember my sister asking me if she could come on the show, and we were interviewing this Dr. Michael Pischvin, who's a Johns Hopkins doctor who specializes in clinical trials, because she had pancreatic cancer. She had gotten the Whipple surgery, and she had just learned that she had stage 4 cancer. And she wanted to do this interview with me as a service to other pancreatic cancer patients, hoping that by having this discussion, she could give them hope about their own journeys. And as I thought about, Lou, what you were saying, what other medium do you have where you can bring people like that to touch different humans and to make their lives better. And I just wanted to put it out there because that's one of the biggest reasons I'm so proud to be part of this community is that we have those opportunities. And so with that, I wanted to thank you again, and the teleprompter isn't on here, so I'm going to do this from memory. I wanted to thank the Podcast Hall of Fame, Rob Greenlee, thank you so much for inviting me to do this. It is such a profound honor. I wanted to thank Podfest again for hosting this, for everyone who has been here, and mostly again, I just want to congratulate all these inductees. I mean, it is such a profound honor to be here as the host amongst you because As I was starting this, many of your shows were the ones I studied, trying to learn how do I do this craft, something that I didn't know how to do myself. So I feel that I am here in many ways because of you. So thank you so much for your contributions and for making me a better podcaster myself. And with that, thank you so much for coming tonight. Thanks again, ladies and gentlemen, for joining us tonight for the 2025 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, celebrating the individuals who've made a significant impact on— you did such a good job— the opportunities in the podcasting medium. Visit podcasthall.com to learn more about our eligibility requirements to be added to the nomination list for consideration in 2026. Thanks again and have a great evening.
More from Rob
Future-proofing with Delphi AI/Human clones: your podcast as a personal LLM | New Media Show
How sports reveal what AI spectacle gets wrong #Technology #Sports #Commentary
