According to data published by Pew Research, in 2023 64% of Americans 12 or older have listened to a podcast at some point in their lives. It has been a rapid ascension for the broadcast medium over the last decade when, by comparison, that number stood at 27% in 2013.
So many sets of ears tuning in presents an extraordinary opportunity to build an audience that is invested in a particular topic. With millions of podcasts available for download, though, it takes no small amount of skill and determination to stand out among the crowd. A handful of Scholar alumni, experts and leaders in their fields, have stepped behind the mic to take on the challenge of hosting and producing podcasts that draw listeners in with compelling content.
Farnoosh Torabi is a leading personal finance expert and an award-winning journalist whose work has been published in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and more. She graduated in 2002 from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business with bachelor of science degrees in finance and international business. The Scholar alumna then went on to earn a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia. When Smeal looked to start a business-focused podcast, Torabi was a natural fit as host.
“Better Business” launched in February 2023 and is the newest of the podcasts hosted by Scholar alumni. The show features Torabi and guests discussing topics that help financial and business professionals navigate the tumultuous modern business climate. The 10-episode season features conversations on supply chain disruption, raising the minimum wage, international trade relations, and more.
Along with Torabi, Ryan Newman is a Scholar alumnus who is lending their expertise to podcast audiences. A managing director at Goldman Sachs, Newman hosts “Dare to Disrupt,” a show from Invent Penn State that debuted in fall 2021. With new episodes publishing monthly, “Dare to Disrupt” showcases the stories of Penn State alumni whose entrepreneurial spirits sparked changes in their industries.
Newman, who was named an alumni fellow in 2023, graduated in 2001 with a bachelor of science degree in economics. In his current position he oversees more than $12 billion in assets on behalf of Fortune 500 executives, entrepreneurs, endowments, and more.
Meanwhile, a pair of Scholar alumni, Jenna Spinelle and Sean Goheen, have stayed at Penn State in a professional capacity and are using their podcasts to explore important issues.
Jenna Spinelle, a 2008 graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, works as a communications specialist at Penn State’s McCourtney Institute for Democracy. There she hosts a pair of podcasts, “Democracy Works” and “When the People Decide.” The former helps listeners understand the idea of what democracy means and how it works while the latter explores how ballot initiatives have influenced American politics and political reform.
“Democracy Works” is the longest running Scholar alumni-hosted podcast, having been in production since 2018.
Goheen, the Honors College’s coordinator of constituent relations and annual giving, uses his podcast, “Following the Gong” to provide a type of ‘mentoring on demand’ to his audience of current Scholars. Since fall 2021, the show has featured conversations with prominent Scholar alumni that delve into crucial lessons and skills that impacted their journeys as students and professionals. Noteworthy guests have included National Football League champion Stefen Wisniewski, Kathy Hilt, a division vice president with Macy’s, cosmetics entrepreneur Asia Grant, and more.
With new episodes delivered on a bi-weekly basis, “Following the Gong” released its milestone 50th episode in August.
Each these Scholar-alumni hosted podcasts are available for download on all major podcast platforms.
