Lemonada Media
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Podcasting, Media |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founder | Jessica Cordova Kramer, Stephanie Wittels Wachs |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States, Europe (Ireland, Italy) |
Key people | Jessica Cordova Kramer (CEO), Stephanie Wittels Wachs (Chief Creative Officer) |
Number of employees | 43 (2022) |
| Website | lemonadamedia |
Lemonada Media is a U.S.-based podcast network established in 2019 by Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.[1] Its inaugural series, Last Day, offers an intimate look at the opioid epidemic in America, drawing from the founders' personal experiences with losing brothers to accidental overdoses.[2][3]
By 2023, Lemonada had introduced more than 40 podcasts,[4] including the acclaimed Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which earned Apple Podcast’s 2023 Podcast of the Year award,[5] as well as Being Trans/ Being Golden, which pioneered a reality TV-inspired unscripted format and secured three Webby Awards that same year.[6]
History
Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs connected in 2018 upon realizing their shared grief over brothers lost to overdoses.[1] They founded Lemonada Media the following year, launching Last Day, a podcast delving into the final moments of individuals impacted by opioid addiction, suicide, and gun violence.[3] The network’s mission is to make challenging subjects more accessible for audiences. The brand’s name symbolizes both the concept of transforming adversity into opportunity and a subtle homage to Jerry Seinfeld's comedic style.
The debut season of Last Day concentrated on the opioid crisis, featuring the story of Cordova Kramer’s brother. Its second season shifted focus to suicide prevention, supported by The Jed Foundation.
Lemonada expanded its offerings in 2019 with shows like Good Kids and As Me with Sinéad. In April 2020, it premiered In the Bubble hosted by Andy Slavitt. By March 2022, the network's portfolio included over 20 original podcasts such as The Cost of Care, The Untold Story: Policing, and Good Sex.[7]
In the Bubble was recognized as a "Favorite Show" by Apple Podcasts in 2020,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name while Last Day received iHeartRadio's award for Best Wellness and Fitness Podcast.[8] In 2020, Lemonada averaged approximately two million listeners each month.[9]
Toward the end of 2020, Lemonada collaborated with Neighborhood Villages to produce No One Is Coming to Save Us, hosted by former ABC correspondent Gloria Riviera. The podcast addresses challenges within U.S. childcare systems and features guest appearances from Kristen Bell.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
In 2021, Lemonada broadened its catalog by adding ten new podcasts including the chart-topping Believe Her. That year also saw the launch of BEING Studios, focused on Audio Reality—a blend of reality television and podcasting formats.[10] Their first production, BEING Trans, was executive produced by Kasey Barrett, known for her work on reality series such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The follow-up season, titled BEING Golden, centers on experiences of older adults.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
In 2022, the podcast Add to Cart received the iHeartRadio Podcast Award for Best Beauty and Fashion Podcast.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Lemonada has extended its reach internationally with European productions including Ireland’s As Me with Sinéad and Italy’s In Giro Con Fra.[4][11]
Organization
Jessica Cordova Kramer holds the position of CEO; she formerly served as executive producer for Pod Save the People. Stephanie Wittels Wachs acts as chief creative officer and is author of the book Everything is Horrible and Wonderful.
Financially, Lemonada reported $1.5 million in revenue in 2020 and nearly $5 million in 2021. In January 2022, the company secured $8 million through Series A funding and employed a team of 43 full-time staff members.
Podcasts
| Title | Host(s) or Featured | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add to Cart | SuChin Pak and Kulap Vilaysack | Examines consumer culture and product trends | |
| After 1954 | Aimée Eubanks Davis | Analyzes the aftermath of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling | |
| As Me With Sinéad | Sinéad Burke | Centers on themes of self-acceptance, empathy, and confronting biases | |
| BEING Golden | Focuses on senior life; part of BEING Studios Audio Reality® series | ||
| BEING Trans | Explores transgender experiences; inaugural BEING Studios Audio Reality® production | ||
| Believe Her | Justine van der Leun | Investigates domestic and sexual violence through Nikki Addimando's narrative | |
| Blind Plea | Liz Flock | Critiques aspects of the U.S. criminal justice system | |
| Burnout | Connor Franta | Discusses mental health challenges related to burnout | |
| Call Declined | Melissa Beck | Explores themes of resilience, creativity, mental health, and incarceration systems | |
| Call For Help | Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Zak Williams | Addresses mental health issues and promotes awareness about the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline | |
| Choice Words with Samantha Bee | Samantha Bee | Delves into life choices and navigating societal realities | |
| Confessions of a Female Founder | Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | Features interviews with women entrepreneurs and founders | |
| Discarded | Gloria Riviera | Examines environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution | |
| Everything Happens with Kate Bowler | Kate Bowler | Explores themes including success, failure, suffering, happiness, and humor | |
| Fail Better with David Duchovny | David Duchovny | Focuses on failure stories featuring notable entertainment figures | |
| FIRST! with Kareem Rahma | Kareem Rahma | Discusses groundbreaking influences on race relations, society, and culture | |
| Funny Cuz It's True with Elyse Myers | |||
| Good Grief | Explores topics related to grief, coping mechanisms, love, and loss | ||
| Good Kids | Focuses on parenting issues | ||
| Good Sex | Covers topics surrounding sex and relationships | ||
| 'Hard Feelings with Jennette McCurdy' | 'Jennette McCurdy' | 'Addresses challenging life experiences' | |
| 'Here Lies Me' | 'Hillary Frank, Michael Chernus, June Diane Raphael, W. Kamau Bell, Rob Huebel, Stephanie Wittels Wachs' | 'Lemonada's initial scripted podcast; tackles adolescent issues such as harassment, classism, sexism, racism, trauma, consent' | |
| 'I Need To Ask You Something' | 'Dr. Monica P. Band' | 'Focuses on difficult conversations around emotional well-being and relationships' | |
| 'I'm Sorry' | 'Mohanad Elshieky, Kiki Monique, Hoja Lopez' | 'Discusses themes around cancel culture and apologies' | |
| 'In Giro Con Fra' | 'Francesca Lazzarin' | 'Lemonada's first podcast in a language other than English (Italian); explores cultural topics and personal challenges' | |
| 'In Recovery with Dr. Nzinga Harrison' | 'Dr. Nzinga Harrison' | 'Covers psychiatry, mental health care, and addiction medicine' | |
| 'In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt' | 'Andy Slavitt' | 'Focuses on COVID-19 pandemic-related discussions' | |
| 'Last Day' | 'Stephanie Wittels Wachs' | 'Flagship series exploring grief alongside opioid epidemic, suicide, gun violence issues' | |
| 'Let's Tawk with Jaime Primak Sullivan' | 'Jaime Primak Sullivan' | ||
| 'Mouthpeace' | 'Michael Bennett and Pele Bennett' | 'Discusses parenting alongside football perspectives' | |
| 'New Day' | 'Claire Bidwell Smith' | 'Shares strategies for coping with life's challenges' | |
| 'No One Is Coming to Save Us' | 'Gloria Riviera and Kristin Bell' | 'Highlights childcare difficulties in America' | |
| 'Our America with Julián Castro' | 'Julian Castro' | 'Engages political discourse and social issues analysis' | |
| 'Raised by Ricki' | 'Ricki Lake' | 'Explores cultural topics through personal lens' | |
| 'The Letter' | |||
| 'The Cost of Care' | 'David Smith' | "Investigates systemic challenges within U.S. healthcare" | |
| "The Sarah Silverman Podcast" | "Sarah Silverman" | "Discusses contemporary cultural topics" | |
| "The Untold Story" | "Jay Ellis" | "Examines issues related to policing practices" | |
| "Threedom" | "Scott Aukerman, Paul F. Tompkins, Lauren Lapkus" | "Explores comedic interplay among three hosts" | |
| "Uncared For" | "SuChin Pak" | "Covers various social issues" | |
| "V Interesting with V Spehar" | "Vitus Spehar" | "Discusses diverse topics across culture" | |
| "Wiser Than Me" | "Julia Louis-Dreyfus" | "Features conversations with wise women reflecting on life experiences" | |
| "Written Off" | "Walter Thompson-Hernandez" | "Focuses on social justice; highlights voices of formerly incarcerated writers" |
Lemonada aimed to grow its catalog beyond 30 titles during 2022.
After 1954
Following the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Brown v Board of Education that declared school segregation unconstitutional in 1954, the podcast After 1954, hosted by Aimée Eubanks Davis, investigates an overlooked consequence—the termination of roughly 38,000 Black educators across Southern states. Davis emphasizes how crucial Black teachers have been in shaping young Black students’ lives.
Add to Cart
Hosted by journalist SuChin Pak alongside writer-comedian Kulap Vilaysack, Add to Cart centers on consumerism trends. The show evaluates popular products’ worthiness for listeners interested in market behaviors.
As Me with Sinéad
Led by educator and disability advocate Sinéad Burke—known for her TED Talk and World Economic Forum presentations on design accessibility—this series features conversations with prominent guests such as Victoria Beckham and Jamie Lee Curtis. The podcast highlights personal narratives from influential figures.
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Debuted in 2023, this show features Julia Louis-Dreyfus interviewing older women who share wisdom gained through life experience. Notable guests include Jane Fonda, Carol Burnett, Isabel Allende, and Amy Tan. It was honored as Apple's Best Podcast of the Year for 2023.
Reception and awards
Lemonada Media has garnered extensive praise across its portfolio. According to The New York Times, Lemonada is "a podcast network that crafts uplifting stories about difficult subjects (...) Their collection of shows is deeply personal, mission-driven, and oriented toward solutions."
The network has earned over fifteen industry nominations including:
- Apple's Best Podcast of the Year (2023) awarded to Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.'’
- Nine Webby nominations for Last Day, winning three awards including Best Individual Podcast Episode (Documentary) in 2023; it was also recognized in 2020 for Best Health & Wellness Podcast along with Best Individual Episode.
- Three Webby Awards in 2023 for Being Trans/ Being Golden, covering Experimental & Innovation categories plus Diversity Equity & Inclusion honors.
- The Webby Award for Best Lifestyle Podcast (2022) granted to Add to Cart.'’
- A Webby honoree distinction in 2022 for Best Crime & Justice Podcast awarded to Believe Her.'’
- The Webby Award for Best Health/Wellness/Lifestyle Podcast (2022) won by In the Bubble, which also received a nomination for Best Host (Andy Slavitt).
- A Webby honoree nod in Public Service & Activism category (2022) awarded to No One is Coming to Save Us.
External links
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