WERK IT Women's Podcast Festival Announces Full Lineup

Following a successful edition last year in Los Angeles, WERK IT - the audio industry's original women's podcast festival -- is back in New York for its fourth annual gathering, from Monday, November 12-Saturday, November 17.

Founded by WNYC Studios, home to beloved and influential podcasts such as Radiolab, On the Media, and Death, Sex & Money, WERK IT is devoted by day to convening conversations, sharing skills, and fostering a professional network and community among women in the growing podcasting field, and by night to bringing audiences together with their favorite female podcast hosts.

The professional conference (November 13 and 14) features workshops led by women hosts, executives and producers from some of the most influential audio companies - including WNYC Studios, NPR, The New York Times, Gimlet, Night Vale Presents, PRI/PRX, WBUR, Crooked Media, HowStuffWorks, APM, CBC, Pineapple Street Media, and Vox. Workshops range from structuring compelling stories to sessions such as "Land A Sponsor," "Market Your Show," and "Starting from the Bottom Now We're Here: Podcast Tech for Beginners."

For the first time, WERK IT will offer a Podcast Accelerator, which gives daytime conference attendees the opportunity to pitch their big podcast ideas. The prize is the chance to produce a pilot with WNYC Studios. Judges include Emily Botein (Vice President of On-Demand Content, WNYC Studios), Paula Szuchman (Vice President of On-Demand Content, WNYC Studios), and Kathy Tu (Host, Nancy), the winner of WNYC Studios' first Podcast Accelerator held at the Online News Association in 2015.

Other highlights include a presentation by Edison Research giving attendees up-to-the-minute audience insights and their latest findings on podcast listenership among women, and an exclusive invitation to the launch party for No Man's Land, the debut podcast from the women's co-working space, The Wing. Continuing the industry-changing mission of WERK IT, this year's festival will also feature 1:1 mentorship and networking activities, an IRL job board, and the expansion of a year-round online community for alumnae.

In the evenings, WERK IT will present an expanded roster of live performances and podcast tapings at venues across the city in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, including:

• On Being with Krista Tippett and special guest Claudia Rankine at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
• The Read with Crissle and Kid Fury at Knockdown Center in Queens
• WNYC Studios' Nancy with Kathy Tu and Tobin Low at The Bell House in Brooklyn
• NPR's Code Switch with Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby at Harlem's World Famous Apollo Theater
• Harvard Business Review Live: Women At Work at The Jerome L. Greene Space at WNYC
• Don't Tell My Mother! and special guest Alysia Reiner (Orange Is The New Black) at The Bell House in Brooklyn
• Generation Women at Caveat in Manhattan
• Yeah, She Did at Caveat in Manhattan
• This Movie Changed Me at The Jerome L. Greene Space at WNYC
• WQXR's Creative Director and host of the podcast Classical Fix Clemency Burton-Hill in conversation with celebrated opera singer Joyce DiDonato and the Brentano String Quartet at The Jerome L. Greene Space at WNYC and WQXR

Tickets for all of the podcast tapings for the public are on sale now at werkitevents.com. Full details regarding pricing, dates and times, and special guests for each live show are below. Tickets for the industry conference portion of the festival are also available now.

"WERK IT was inspired, in part, by the disparity among male and female hosts in the top podcasts, but equity is about so much more than numbers," said Laura Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio, which includes WNYC Studios. "That women have a voice and have something to say is a given, but finding a mentor, having a platform, building a network and making a living - in short, being heard - takes a village. WERK IT creates a space for women to make connections and deepen their ability to navigate their careers. I'm thrilled to see this growing community of women creators and producers become a year-round source of inspiration and support."

"By day WERK IT convenes the boldest thinkers in our business to provoke and inspire each other to make podcasting a more innovative and inclusive medium for creators and listeners alike," said Jennifer Keeney Sendrow, Executive Producer of WERK IT. "And, by night we have an expanded slate of evening events open to the public at venues across NYC that put brilliant women on the mic, center stage."

Leadership support for WERK IT is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional support is provided by the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.

Signature Sponsors for WERK IT include Capterra, Art19, Stitcher, and the Yale School of Management.