Spotify NextGen Spelman College Partnership With Podcast Studio Opening

In 2022, Spotify's partnership with Spelman College took flightas part of our NextGen audio program that aims to infuse, activate, and grow podcast culture around historically black colleges and universities. Part of our larger Creator Equity Fund program, NextGen has helped develop curricula, awarded scholarships to promising Spelman undergraduates, supported the development and production of student podcasts, and hosted a creator day on campus.

This successful partnership recently concluded with the official opening of Spelman's on-campus podcast studio, which was fully refurbished by the Spotify Creator Equity Fund. To celebrate, we hosted a special event that brought aspiring student podcasters and industry pros together for an evening of networking and discussion.

In the highlight of the evening, we hosted a dynamic panel conversation titled, "Spotify NextGen: Pass the Mic," hosted by Therapy for Black Girlsfounder and popular podcaster, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford. The conversationbrought together two Spelman alums-Lynae Vanee(C'2016) and Jaz Turner(C'2019)-as well as Clarke Peoplesto discuss their experiences as creators and the impact of using their voices in the audio media industry.