KalaLea has built a career on listening closely—to history, to people’s voices, to the stories hidden in plain sight, the stories least likely to be shared. Today, as an audio producer at Pushkin Industries, she spends her days balancing logistics, research and the craft of sound itself.
Her journey into audio began years earlier, during a moment of reflection on a beach in Brazil. After working in advertising, she felt uninspired. She asked herself, “What would it take for me to learn the art of audio storytelling? How can I help others through reporting or sharing their stories?” The questions led her to buy a Zoom recorder. She started interviewing friends and family right away and ultimately enrolled at the Newmark J-School.
From the start, she was hooked. She says the foundation she built at Newmark was critical, even if it wasn’t easy. “The Newmark J-School experience was intense and hands-on. It was, in essence, a bootcamp for journalists, which really challenged me as a midlife woman with varied work experience.” Now, KalaLea’s days include in-depth research, writing and editing to develop narratives or record interviews, and the technical work that comes with putting together an audio podcast.
Freelance projects with Slate Studios and The New Yorker soon followed, opening doors to collaborations with top editors and writers. She went on to spend nearly six years producing for The New Yorker Radio Hour, where she created pieces that resonated deeply with listeners, including hosting the acclaimed “Blindspot: Tulsa Burning” series for the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre.
Looking back, one of the projects she’s most proud of is also one of her earliest: a story about two Black Panthers elders who fled the U.S. and built a life in Tanzania. “It was complex, global and deeply human,” she says. “That story still stays with me and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to document such an incredible moment.” Alongside her professional growth, KalaLea has also given back, teaching audio at Newmark J-School, leading workshops at podcast festivals and mentoring emerging storytellers. Her advice to current students? Start making stories, listen A LOT, get as much feedback as you can, and stay in contact with the people you meet along the way. And remember you are not alone, most great stories are collaborations.
Now, KalaLea is channeling that same curiosity and rigor into a new series on the Reconstruction era, set to launch in the summer of 2026. And through it all, she keeps returning to what drew her in from the start: the power of audio journalism. “The lesson for me was that being a journalist could open doors in the lives of all types of people, from politicians to small business owners, young, old and older,” she says. “And most importantly, never shy away from sharing the facts.”