Jacob Reed
Creator, Host, Executive Producer
Jacob Reed is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, visual artist, and culture-jammer based in Los Angeles. He is the founder of creative studio All Trades Co. Jacob also known for his directing work at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Funny or Die, and BuzzFeed. Jacob’s comedic short Gum was an official selection at Raindance and Just For Laughs and won the audience choice award at the Women in Comedy Festival presented by HBO. Jacob also directed the award-winning documentary short Full Picture which premiered at Slamdance and qualified for the 95th Annual Academy Awards. His work has been featured by Vulture, The Wall Street Journal, SXSW, New York Magazine, Paste Magazine, Deadline, Variety, Cartoon Brew, The Puck, The Wrap, The AV Club, Boing Boing, Animation Magazine, JoBlo, and all over the Internet. Jacob is a longtime comedy performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and is a contributor to 99% Invisible and the New York Times crossword puzzle.
Danny O'Malley
Executive Producer
Danny O'Malley is an Emmy, Grammy, and James Beard-nominated film director. He is best known for his work on Netflix's Chef's Table, where he serves as Executive Producer and Director. He has been the key driver setting the bar for storytelling and maintaining the voice of the show for over 12 seasons. Danny’s first feature about the pioneering climate scientist Lonnie Thompson, ‘CANARY’ won the prestigious Jackson Wild Media Award for Best Feature. Prior to ‘Chef’s Table’, Danny worked as a story producer on sports content, including ‘Shaun White: Russia Calling’, ‘Back of the Shop’, and ‘Being Mike Tyson’. In addition, Danny has worked filming with bands across the US, including Tegan and Sara, The Rentals, K Flay, The Decemberists, Kraftwerk, and more. His documentary, ‘States’, from Tegan and Sara's release ‘Get Along’, was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Long Form Music Video. His production company, End of the Road Films, pursues an unexpected range of projects with a focus on quality storytelling.
Chris Kelly
Executive Producer
Chris Kelly is an acclaimed, best-in class sound designer, multi-platform creative director, musician, and composer. As one of the top podcast and video directors, his work has been celebrated with multiple awards including an Ambie Award, a Webby, and the Banff World Media Festival’s inaugural Podcast of the Year. His work has topped the charts and made best-of-show lists including Apple, The New Yorker, and Indiewire. With sixteen years of experience producing podcasts (yes, you read that right!), Chris is sought for his technical expertise, deep industry knowledge, and outstanding reputation for directing creative talent. He’s shaped hit podcasts including three seasons of This Sounds Serious, Rainn Wilson’s fiction pod Dark Air, and Al Jazeera’s historical-fiction series Hindsight. Chris has led audio and visual production, editing, and distribution strategy of over 20 projects.
All Trades Co
Creative Studio
All Trades Co is a values-driven, medium-agnostic creative studio. Known for their mischievous spirit and culture jamming ethos, ATC's work has been featured in AdAge, Inc Magazine, Fast Company, Deadline, The Wrap, Puck, BoingBoing, NPR, and on every major news network. Jacob Reed and Me is their first narrative project to be released. More are on their way.
End Of The Road
Production Company
Started by Adam Paul Smith, Alex Rivest, and Danny O'Malley, End of the Road Films is a newly formed production company focused on discovering unexpected stories from all corners of the earth and bringing them to life on the biggest stage possible. By combining classic character-driven storytelling with unexpected concepts, we aim to make loud and entertaining content to grab people's attention, nurture their spirit, and remind them of what's truly important.
The leadership team is comprised of Grammy-nominated director and showrunner of the Netflix hit series CHEF'S TABLE, Danny O'Malley, filmmaker/neuroscientist Alex Rivest Ph.D. and veteran independent film producer, Adam Paul Smith. Their first collaboration, a feature documentary film 'CANARY' premiered in over 150 theaters across the US in September 2023, was the featured event at NYC Climate Week 2023 and COP28, was invited by the National Academy of Sciences to screen at the DC Environmental Film Festival, and won numerous awards, including "Best Feature" at the prestigious 2024 Jackson Wild Media Awards.
Margot Leitman
Co-Executive Producer
Margot Leitman is a bestselling author, award-winning storyteller, and internationally recognized speaker and educator. A trailblazer in the modern storytelling movement, she was the first-ever Moth GrandSLAM Champion to score a perfect 10 and has since become a leading voice in personal narrative performance and instruction.
Her critically acclaimed books include Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You’ll Ever Need, What’s Your Story?, and the comedic memoir Gawky: Tales of an Extra Long Awkward Phase. She worked as the west coast story scout for “This American Life,” and has written for Paramount, NBC, Dreamworks TV, and the Hallmark Channel among others.
Leitman has brought the art of storytelling to global stages, from corporate boardrooms to sold-out theaters, and has worked with clients such as Facebook, the WGA, and on Jennette McCurdy’s sold-out solo show “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” With a background in stand-up and improv comedy (UCB), she brings a signature blend of humor, authenticity, and emotional resonance to every stage, classroom and project. She lives in Los Angeles where she is faculty at the Los Angeles Film School while continuing to write, perform, and teach the transformative power of storytelling.
Daniel Walter
Theme Song + Additional Music
Curious about music, storytelling, and the natural world, Daniel Walter is a distinctive and collaborative composer and pianist who captures story and idea through sound. He has scored over fifty film, TV, and video projects, including Ari Aster’s silent short MUNCHAUSEN, NBC’s THE BLACKLIST, Tom Brady’s RELIGION OF SPORTS, and a 33-foot-wide video installation for Getty’s 2024 PST ART.
Daniel’s solo work explores nature through sound. In 2024, he was artist-in-residence with the Bureau of Land Management, creating WATERFALL from Sierra headwaters to Los Angeles. It will premiere in Bishop and LA, and become a permanent soundwalk in the Alabama Hills. He’s also developed music from Alaskan glaciers and performed garden concerts with international duo OMOYA.
He’s composed for Super Bowl and Olympic ads, major movie trailers, and received honors including ASCAP’s Film & TV Scoring Workshop, a Jerry Goldsmith Award nomination, and residencies in Alaska and California. He’s also lectured at UCLA and LMU. www.DanielWalterMusic.com
Josie Lamzik
Associate Producer
Josie is a 2026 graduate of Boston University, where she earned her degree in Film and Television. While studying abroad, she worked with the MiraBan UK Film Awards, assisting in talent acquisition and social media outreach. In addition to directing and acting in multiple Boston University performances, she worked as a production assistant for the Wheelock Family Theatre. In her free time, she loves to knit, swim, and is an avid reader.
Sophia Lanman
Associate Producer
Sophia Lanman is an audio producer, post production engineer, and composer, based in Brooklyn, NY. She's best known for her work at The New York Times, where she records, mixes, and writes music for The Daily, Modern Love, The Interview, and more. Prior to joining the Times, she worked as a post production engineer and sound designer for award-winning commercial campaigns and narrative series, collaborating with brands such as Spotify, Vox, Audible, General Mills, and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to making stories (and making them sound pretty), she is an avid knitter and a late-in-life jock.
Sofi Pascua
Associate Producer
Sofi is an audio producer and documentary storyteller based in Louisville, Kentucky. She is a recent graduate of Northwestern University where she studied theatre, music, and audio storytelling. She also produced news stories for WNUR radio and served as an executive member of two BIPOC performing arts organizations. Sofi's favorite thing to do is learn about the people she encounters, and she strives to create art and media that helps others learn about them too. Her current passion project is a narrative audio documentary series on Eastern Kentucky's folk musicians and musical communities.
Madison Easton
Associate Producer
Heavily influenced by media, musicians, and art, Madison’s career spans across industries. Madison earned her degree in Music Technology and Film and Media Production from Capital University in May of 2025. During her studies, Madison developed her skills in audio production and mixing, sports broadcasting, television production, photography, and media. After an exciting summer as the broadcast A1 at the Chautauqua Institution (live mixing lecturers such as Morgan Freeman and Christopher Jackson), Madison moved back to her college hometown of Columbus, OH, where she now works as an audio engineer. Occasionally you’ll catch her on television, narrowly avoiding being run over by an Ohio State football player while she captures sound on the field. When she’s not troubleshooting or editing, Madison enjoys making her own music, watching TV, creating art, planning something (anything!) and volunteering at the local rabbit rescue.
Quinn Jennings
Intern
Quinn Jennings is a Cinema and Media Studies major at the University of Southern California. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she is working on bringing Midwest charm to Los Angeles by still calling water fountains “bubblers.” Quinn is particularly interested in television studies and writing for television with an emphasis in comedy. She also enjoys memoirs, cooking shows, and music by Troye Sivan. At USC, she is a writer for The Suspenders Sketch Comedy and Spotlight Journal, DJs for KXSC Radio, and volunteers with USC’s Prison Education Project and Trojan Knights.
And Listeners Like You...
We've been working on this show for years, slowly accumulating a motley crew of incredible storytellers, producers, and craftspeople — the people who make shows like Chef’s Table, This American Life, 99% Invisible, and The Economist’s Best Podcast of 2024, Broomgate. We’re doing this without corporate money, against the odds, just because we want to make something great.
We have some amazing stories to share with you, but we can't do it without your support. Become a founding member of the Jacob Reed & Me podcast and get access to bonus episodes, behind the scenes, and more.