John Asante is a curious, award-winning independent audio producer, showrunner, and consultant in the audio space. He strives to tell stories of Black and brown people, as well as other folks from marginalized communities that are often overlooked in mainstream media. John has worked on a variety of audio projects — from longform interview programs and daily news magazines, to narrative storytelling shows and documentaries. To borrow a sports term, he’s a utility player in the audio world — competent and skilled in many roles, and can play different positions when need be.

Most recently, John was a Senior Managing Producer at Pineapple Street Studios, overseeing production on companion shows with HBO and Netflix, as well as original programs like Back Issue. Before that, he was the Managing Producer at Neon Hum Media, where he ran shows made in collaboration with WeTransfer, The Advocate, and Sony Music. Prior to Neon Hum, John developed, produced, and launched several podcasts as a Senior Producer at Stitcher, including Sold In America, Just Between Us, and Lost and Found.

Before formally working in the podcast industry, John launched, hosted, and produced his first independent project — Play It Back, a podcast all about stories of how music lovers discovered the songs that have changed their lives. 

John began his professional journey in audio through public radio. He produced and reported pieces for nationally broadcasted radio shows, including WNYC's The Takeaway and There Goes The Neighborhood, as well as NPR's Talk of the Nation, Ask Me Another, Morning Edition, and Tell Me More.

While he earned degrees in journalism and communications at Georgia State University, John honed his production skills at WRAS, the renowned 100,000-watt college radio station. During his tenure, he served as the news director, the host and producer of a public affairs show, a co-host of the station’s blues show (Crossroads), and a regular rotation DJ. Sometimes, he juggled all those jobs in one day in between classes.

During the course of his career, John has spoken at events such as USC’s Wrigley Storymakers Program, Podcast Movement, Outlier Podcast Festival, IDA x Wondery’s Podcast Day, An Extraordinary Evening: For Podcasters of Color, and the Modern Media Conference; served as a judge for the Black Podcasting Awards, KCRW Radio Race, and the International Documentary Awards; and talked with college students about podcasting at Georgia State University, USC, UCLA, the Washington Media Institute, and George Washington University.

When he isn’t creating audio projects, John mentors rising podcast producers, stays active (by cycling, hiking, and golfing), attends concerts, collects vinyl, sings his heart out at karaoke, and practices the ukulele in anticipation for his next backyard party. Forever he loves his hometown of Atlanta, yet he enjoys living in and exploring Los Angeles with his hilarious wife and two rambunctious cats.