PRX Welcomes Enrico Benjamin
Earlier this year, PRX welcomed Enrico Benjamin to our staff, as the Director of Project Catapult. Hear more about Rico, his background and his new position, in his own words.
I love sound. Even before high school, I knew I wanted to work with audio. On my first visit to a recording studio (with my cousin’s band, to record their album) I remember exactly what it felt like watching a record come to life. That, along with a love for synthesizers, led me to the Berklee College of Music, where I studied audio engineering and production.
As a young adult, I worked in studios helping bands and businesses record songs, jingles and voice overs. I even dipped into sales for a while — pro audio gear (a nod back to my high school days when my friends were bagging groceries, I sold band instruments!)
I then segued into local television, where I transferred my creativity and production skills into marketing and branding. Despite the fact that I was focusing more on video production, my love for audio has always prevailed.
In 2015, I had the opportunity to study design thinking at Stanford University with leaders from IDEO. I loved this work because I have always been interested in better problem solving, better communication, and better systems. This allowed me to firmly align my management and branding skills with Stanford’s d.school approach to innovation, collaboration, and user-centric focus.
In the fall of 2016, I attended a Podcasting for Kids event about sound (led by Julie Shapiro, EP of Radiotopia) and fell in love with PRX. When I researched the organization, it turned out they were looking for someone to lead their new Catapult Project…and the rest is history!
So now I get to help people learn the ways of design thinking. I’m surrounded by storytelling that I love. I connect with station directors and seasoned podcast professionals, and help to transform their knowledge of broadcast to the nuanced and mysterious podcasting world.
