Jenna Weiss-Berman

Jenna Weiss-Berman (born 1983) is a podcast producer who is the Head of Audio & Podcasts at Paper Kite Productions. She co-founded Pineapple Street Studios (formerly Pineapple Street Media)[1] and was previously director of audio for BuzzFeed.[2]

Early life

Weiss-Berman is a native of Massachusetts and graduated from Oberlin College in 2005.[3]

Career

Public Radio

In 2012, Weiss-Berman completed the Transom Story Workshop, a nine-week, radio storytelling intensive.[4] Following a stint at The Moth, where she served as Head of Production, she joined NPR, co-creating and producing Hidden Brain.[5][6]

BuzzFeed

After almost a decade working in public radios like The Moth, WNYC's Death, Sex and Money, and The Longform Podcast,[7] Weiss-Berman started the podcast department at BuzzFeed where she was responsible for the ground-up development of the successful company’s audio arm,"[8] creating shows like Another Round[9] and Women of the Hour with Lena Dunham.[10] While there, she was responsible for every aspect of the podcast department from legal contracts, finding sponsorships and the content itself as a producer.[11]

Pineapple Street Studios

In 2016, she left BuzzFeed to launch Pineapple Street Media, a Brooklyn-based full-service podcast production company, with her friend, Longform co-founder, Max Linsky.[12] Weiss-Berman has said that the goal was to be able to make podcasts for non-audio companies and the decision to launch Pineapple Street came after both she and Linksy turned down many such requests.[11]

Pineapple Street's early clients included The New York Times,[13][14] Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter and ad agency Wieden+Kennedy.[15] In the summer of 2016, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign hired Pineapple Street to produce a podcast (the first ever for a presidential candidate).[11][16] Clinton and Linsky co-hosted the show, called With Her.[17]

Pineapple Street Media has partnered with brands like Coach, Nike, Morgan Stanley, Mailchimp, Mastercard and Google, and produced critically-acclaimed original series like Missing Richard Simmons, Running From COPS, The Clearing, The Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow, Wind of Change, Back Issue and Welcome to Your Fantasy.[18]

In 2017, she was named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business.[19]

In 2019, Pineapple Street Media was sold to Audacy (formerly Entercom) and rebranded as Pineapple Street Studios. [20][21] She remained with Audacy, and in 2023 was elevated to Executive Vice President of Podcasts, where she oversaw Audacy’s podcast network and studios, including Pineapple Street Studios and Cadence13, along with strategy and development of new podcast content and distribution partnerships.[22]

Paper Kite Productions

In 2025, Weiss-Berman left Audacy to join Amy Poehler's Paper Kite Productions as Head of Audio & Podcasts.[23] She and Poehler co-created and launched Good Hang with Amy Poehler, which won the first Golden Globe Award for Best Podcast.[24]

Other

Weiss-Berman currently sits on the advisory board of The Moth.[25] In 2025, she was appointed as a member of New York Public Radio’s Board of Trustees.[26]

Weiss-Berman partnered with celebrity chef Ina Garten to create Happy Hour with Ina Garten, a forthcoming video podcast set to launch in September 2026. The project sparked a bidding war, with Vox Media securing the show in a reported seven-figure deal.[27]

Awards

Weiss-Berman was a winner of the Gracie Award Grand Award for Podcast in 2016,[28] for her collaboration with Lena Dunham on podcast Woman of the Hour, initially produced at BuzzFeed, then later at Pineapple Street.[29]

In 2020, Pineapple Street Studios led all podcast companies with two Peabody Award nominations for The Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow and Running From COPS.[30] That year, The Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Podcast.[31]

Pineapple Street’s Wind of Change received three awards at the 2021 Ambies, including Best Reporting.[32] Additionally, it won Webby People’s Voice Awards for Best Documentary (Limited-Series & Specials) and Best Limited Series (Features).[33]

In 2022, Pineapple Street Studios won a National Magazine Award for two episodes of The 11th,” hosted by Hanif Abdurraqib: “Time Machine: The Score (Side A),” and “Time Machine: The Score (Side B).[34]

Weiss-Berman has executive produced more than twenty podcasts that have reached #1 on the Apple charts,[35] including Hysterical, a 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalist,[36] Ambie award winner,[37] and Apple’s 2024 Podcast of the Year.[38]

The Alliance for Women in Media recognized Weiss-Berman as one of the recipients of its 2025 Gracies Leadership Awards.[39]

In 2026, Weiss-Berman was named to Cultured Magazine’s “CULT 100” list of the 100 people who define culture.[40]

Personal life

Weiss-Berman is married to writer Kira Garcia.[41]

References

  1. ↑ Dale, Brady (18 May 2016). "Table Stakes for Podcasts Rising: Edit Shows or Don't Bother". New York Observer. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Benton, Joshua (August 26, 2015). "Press Publish 14: Jenna Weiss-Berman on BuzzFeed's podcast strategy and moves into audio news". Neiman Lab. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Tune In to Pineapple Street's Podcasting Revolution". The Village Voice. 2017-02-15. Archived from the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  4. ↑ "In Conversation: Jenna Weiss-Berman and Laura Walker". Transom. November 8, 2016.
  5. ↑ "AWM To Celebrate Podcasters Jenna Weiss-Berman, Katie Couric At Gracies Ceremony". Podcast News Daily. September 18, 2025.
  6. ↑ White, Peter (February 5, 2025). "Amy Poehler's Paper Kite Productions Hires Jenna Weiss-Berman To Run Audio Division". Deadline.
  7. ↑ Rose, Leah (January 12, 2016). "EARFUL: 'Another Round' Producer On Why Diversity in Workplace is Essential". KQED Arts. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  8. ↑ Iversen, Kristin (January 25, 2016). "People in Your Neighborhood: Jenna Weiss-Berman". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  9. ↑ Dale, Brady (2015-12-06). "Why Buzzfeed and the Financial Times Chose Acast to Host Their Podcasts". Observer. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  10. ↑ "About". Pineapple Street Studios. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  11. 1 2 3 Dodson, P. Claire (2016-09-09). "Jenna Weiss-Berman: "I'm Proud Of Making Stuff Not Just For White Guys"". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  12. ↑ Dodson, P. Claire (2016-09-09). "Jenna Weiss-Berman: "I'm Proud Of Making Stuff Not Just For White Guys"". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  13. ↑ Dodson, P. Claire (9 September 2016). "Jenna Weiss-Berman: "I'm Proud Of Making Stuff Not Just For White Guys"". Fast Company. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  14. ↑ Doctor, Ken (September 6, 2016). "The New York Times gets serious about podcasting". Politico. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  15. ↑ Perlberg, Steven (23 May 2016). "Podcasts Experiment With Paid Subscriptions". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  16. ↑ Grinapol, Corinne (August 12, 2016). "Hillary Clinton Has a Podcast". FishbowlDC. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  17. ↑ Carpentier, Megan (12 August 2016). "Clinton becomes first presidential candidate to launch campaign podcast". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  18. ↑ "Our Shows". Pineapple Street Studios. Archived from the original on 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  19. ↑ "Meet Jenna Weiss-Berman, one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People 2017". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  20. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2019-08-07). "Entercom Buys Podcast Companies Cadence13, Pineapple Street Media". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  21. ↑ Quah, Nicholas (August 7, 2019). "Radio giant Entercom buys podcasters Pineapple Street Media and Cadence13". Nieman Lab.
  22. ↑ "Audacy Names Jenna Weiss-Berman Executive Vice President of Podcasts". Audacy Inc. March 29, 2023.
  23. ↑ White, Peter (February 5, 2025). "Amy Poehler's Paper Kite Productions Hires Jenna Weiss-Berman To Run Audio Division". Deadline.
  24. ↑ Huston, Caitlin (January 11, 2026). "Amy Poehler's 'Good Hang' Wins First Golden Globe for Best Podcast". The Hollywood Reporter.
  25. ↑ "The Moth | Board & Committees". The Moth. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  26. ↑ "New York Public Radio Welcomes Three New Board Members and New Board Leadership". New York Public Radio. July 2, 2025.
  27. ↑ Maheshwari, Sapna (June 21, 2026). "In Her New Podcast, Ina Garten Is Hoping to Get Messy". The New York Times.
  28. ↑ Cablefax Staff (25 May 2016). "PHOTOS: Gracie Awards 2016". Cablefax. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  29. ↑ Quah, Nicholas (May 31, 2016). "Hot Pod: A podcast ranking that misses a lot, new listenership data, and funny Australians". Neiman Lab. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  30. ↑ "Peabody Awards Short-Lists A Dozen Podcasts For 2020 Awards". Insideradio.com. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  31. ↑ Spangler, Todd (January 8, 2025). "Ronan Farrow Inks Multi-Project Deal With Audible". Variety.
  32. ↑ Nordyke, Kimberly (May 16, 2021). "Podcast Academy Honors 'Dying for Sex,' 'Wind of Change,' Marc Maron at Inaugural Ambie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter.
  33. ↑ "The 2021 Webby Podcast Industry Index". The Webby Awards. November 16, 2021.
  34. ↑ "National Magazine Awards 2022". American Society of Magazine Editors.
  35. ↑ "The Gracies Leadership Awards". Alliance for Women in Media.
  36. ↑ "Finalist: Dan Taberski, Henry Molofsky, Morgan Jones, Marshall Lewy and Staffs of Wondery and Audacy's Pineapple Street Studios". The Pulitzer Prizes. July 1, 2024.
  37. ↑ ""Hysterical" Wins Podcast of the Year and Best Reporting at the Podcast Academy's Fifth Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio". Ambies.
  38. ↑ "Apple Podcasts names Hysterical the 2024 Show of the Year". Apple. December 3, 2024.
  39. ↑ "AWM To Celebrate Podcasters Jenna Weiss-Berman, Katie Couric At Gracies Ceremony". Podcast News Daily. September 18, 2025.
  40. ↑ "How Jenna Weiss-Berman Made Amy Poehler's 'Good Hang' the Year's Best Podcast". Cultured Magazine. April 23, 2026.
  41. ↑ Cheung, Alexis (7 April 2016). "Brides Say Yes to the Pants". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
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