JCU Welcomes Jessica Cordova Kramer (CEO of Lemonada Media) for a Lecture on Podcasts

The JCU Institute for Entrepreneurship invited Jessica Cordova Kramer, CEO and Co-Founder of Lemonada Media, to an online lecture called “Podcasting 101: How to Build a Business Out of It” on October 12, 2021. Cordova Kramer worked as a pro-bono Wall Street lawyer who later became a teacher for Teach for America and Teach for All. After losing her brother to addiction, she joined forces with Stephanie Wittels Wachs, who had also lost her brother to an overdose, to launch their project in 2019. Lemonada Media is a women-run podcast network that talks about “real human experiences in order to make people feel connected with stories that happen around the world,” Cordova Kramer said. It was originally created as a way to discuss the opioid epidemic in America; however, the podcasting network currently addresses a wide variety of topics since listeners are interested in first-person stories coming from real people.

Jessica Cordova Kramer

Cordova Kramer explained how the podcast network is constantly increasing its content and members, and will soon launch its 20th series, hoping to reach 35 different series by the end of next year. The lecture was aimed at teaching students in the Introduction to Entrepreneurship class (BUS 305) about the world of podcasting, and how it can lead to a successful business. Cordova Kramer talked about her experience in the field as well as her role as Lemonada Media’s CEO, which entails quick thinking and flexibility on the job.

As Cordova Kramer put it, Lemonada Media does not shy away from any topic, and its aim is to go beyond news headlines to find stories that will build a community that shares the unfiltered version of people’s experiences. The lecture covered points such as the costs of podcast production, finding the right person for a show, advertising revenues and paywall companies, and the roles of CEOs.

Cordova Kramer concluded by explaining how podcasts are a thriving business outside the U.S. since there is not much competition within international markets. Lemonada Media launched “In Giro con Fra” in September 2021, their first podcast in Italian for their Italian audience. The series became the #1 podcast in Italy shortly after coming out. Cordova Kramer went on to say that anyone can start a podcast since it is not as expensive as other platforms. She inspired students to think about creating their own podcasts because it is a big business that is not as popular as other media forms, and leaves room for creativity and originality. As Lemonada Media’s catchphrase states: “Turning lemons into lemonade, one podcast at a time.”