TRAININGS + WORKSHOPS

Spotify’s Sound Up: Podcasting for All

Since its inauguration in 2018, Pizza Shark’s Carolina Murriel and Isis Madrid have helped shape and foster Spotify’s Sound Up, a podcast accelerator program for underrepresented communities around the world.

Working with program originator Rekha Murthy and a firecracker team at Spotify, Pizza Shark researched and developed podcasting curriculums covering everything from concept pitch to sound design and promotion. For the US and US Latinx markets, Isis and Carolina facilitated year-long programs both in-person in LA and NYC as well as online, all while providing their cohorts with mentorship and one-on-one trainings.

In the spirit of supporting fellow Latines in podcasting, notable guest speakers and judges recruited by Pizza Shark to give their Sound Up Latinx cohort the inside scoop on podcasting included: Sayre Quevedo (VICE, NYT Audible, Latino USA), Ariana Martinez, Marcelino Villalpando, Jazmín Aguilera (LA Times, The Cut, NYT, Pitchfork, Vogue), Sarah Gonzalez, Julia Furlan (indie, Vox, NPR, Buzzfeed) and more.

In addition to shaping the core curriculum and facilitating several programs, Pizza Shark trained future facilitators around the world on the core Sound Up curriculum and their shared radical inclusivity ethos as Spotify expanded the program beyond the US. Isis and Carolina trained leaders in markets like Australia to Mexico, Italy, and Argentina.

In 2022, Pizza Shark’s founders flew to Berlin, Germany to take part in the global Sound Up Facilitator Summit where they exchanged lessons learned and discussed diversity and inclusivity in podcasting with likeminded podcasting leaders from India, Brazil, Sweden, the UK and more.

Many Sound Up grads have gone on to release shows that have ranked high on the Spotify podcast charts and beyond. Dope Labs, Search Engine Sex, You Heard Me Write, FOGO: Fear of Going Outside — all these shows started with Sound Up.

AIR: Trauma-Informed Journalism

For AIR + AIR Sound Path, Pizza Shark founder Carolina Murriel teaches storytellers how to assist subjects to share their stories with care.

When we interview people about the most traumatic events of their lives, we can and often do trigger or retraumatize them, and many of us also absorb their intense emotional charge. Pizza Shark can teach you strategies for managing trauma in the context of journalism.

As an immigrant, Carolina experienced intense vicarious trauma in the field, and learned to recognize signs of trauma in her sources. Now, she’s studying clinical traumatology and bringing those lessons to journalism.

SMASH BOSTON: Smashing the Podtriarchy with The PRX Podcast Garage

From 2017-2019 — a recurring series of skillshares with the legendary Boston podcasting community space to train up participants on podcasting skills, negotiating skills and smash the podcasting patriarchy.

Spotify’s The Opening Act: Build Your Own Production Company

Along with Martina Abrahams Ilunga (You Had Me at Black), Pizza Shark founder Isis Madrid was a panelist at this workshop for Spotify’s Opening Act, meant to encourage young media makers to strike out on their own and start their own company.

The Opening Act; a multifaceted experience for officially recognized Historically Black College & University (HBCU) and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) students with a passion for tech and media!