Be Loud Studios

What Be Loud Studios does

Be Loud Studios is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in New Orleans, Louisiana, that runs youth radio and digital media production programs aimed at amplifying the confidence and voices of middle school, high school, and college-aged participants. Founded in 2018 by educators Alex Owens and Diana Turner and incorporated as an independent nonprofit in March 2019, the organization operates a portfolio of free programs anchored by Be Loud Radio — a weekly youth-run FM broadcast airing Saturdays on WHIV 102.3FM and distributed as a podcast through Transistor.fm — alongside Be Loud Summer Camp, Born After the Storm (a Katrina-legacy storytelling program), Junior Producers (a high school leadership track), and the Pass the Mic Teacher Fellowship, which equips New Orleans educators with $500 in recording equipment and $1,000 stipends to run classroom audio projects. The organization also produces standalone podcast series including Know Your Scroll, Rooted in Cash, and Voices of I Am New Orleans, the latter in partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The underlying technology stack is conventional audio production — recording equipment, editing software, FM broadcast via WHIV, and podcast hosting on third-party platforms — with no proprietary software, app, or AI/ML components disclosed. Programs are delivered primarily in person, using the 826 Writing Center as the Saturday program base, with supplemental content distributed digitally.

Be Loud's business model is a donation-dependent nonprofit: all programs are free to participants, and operating revenue is sourced from individual donors and foundation grants. Named institutional funders include W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Aspen Institute, NOLA Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Tides, First Horizon, NOTCF, OpenAI Foundation (2025), and STEM Action Grants (2022). Go-to-market is community-led, relying on partnerships with 50+ local schools and organizations plus cultural institutions to recruit participants, while earned media, social (Instagram), and broadcast/podcast distribution extend awareness. The organization reports cumulative reach of 3,000+ teens and participant-reported outcomes of 98% confidence in production skills, 100% feeling safe in the program, and over 99% family recommendation rates.

Name

Be Loud Studios

Legal name

Be Loud Studios

Website

https://beloudstudios.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Be Loud Studios is a New Orleans-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs free youth radio and digital media production programs, broadcasting student-produced content weekly on WHIV 102.3FM and supporting middle school, high school, and teacher participants across 50+ local schools and organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Media and Audio Production Education

NAICS

Other Sound Recording Industries (512290), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms (MPAIADAC), Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

Keywords

• Youth media production
• Radio storytelling programs
• Nonprofit youth development
• Audio production training
• Youth podcast education

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Revenue received from individual donors supporting the nonprofit mission of youth media education.
2. Foundation Support: Grants and funding from foundations including W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Aspen Institute, and others to support program operations and expansion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Be Loud Studios is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates free radio and digital media production programs for New Orleans youth, training middle and high school students to write, record, edit, and produce audio segments that air on a weekly youth-run FM broadcast on WHIV 102.3FM and as a podcast. Its portfolio includes Be Loud Radio, a summer camp, the Born After the Storm storytelling program, the Junior Producers leadership track, and the Pass the Mic teacher fellowship, supplemented by foundation-supported podcast series.

Product overview

Be Loud Studios is a nonprofit youth development organization that operates a portfolio of audio and media production programs for New Orleans youth. The core offerings include Be Loud Radio (a weekly youth-run FM broadcast and podcast), Be Loud Summer Camp (a one-week immersive summer program), Born After the Storm (a storytelling program exploring Hurricane Katrina's legacy), Junior Producers (a high school leadership program), and the Pass the Mic Teacher Fellowship. These programs are complemented by several podcast series including Know Your Scroll, Rooted in Cash, and Voices of I Am New Orleans. The organization functions as a platform-plus-programs model, where the central Be Loud Radio platform serves as the primary broadcast outlet for content produced by youth across all program areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Born After the Storm: A one-week summer storytelling program for New Orleans teens to explore how Hurricane Katrina has shaped their lives
• Pass the Mic
• Junior Producers
• Golden Mic
• Know Your Scroll Podcast
• Rooted in Cash Podcast
• Voices of I Am New Orleans

Products and services

• Be Loud Radio A free Saturday and summer program where middle schoolers learn to write, record, and edit radio stories and interview leaders and culture-bearers across New Orleans. With coaching from high school mentors, "DJs" create segments that air as a weekly, youth-run FM broadcast on WHIV 102.3FM and as a podcast releasing two episodes per month; intended for New Orleans youth and the local listening audience.
• Be Loud Summer Camp A one-week summer program where campers learn to write, record, edit, and produce their own multimedia segments, becoming radio DJs and learning new equipment; intended for New Orleans youth participants.
• Born After the Storm A one-week summer storytelling program for New Orleans teens to explore how Hurricane Katrina has shaped their lives, reflect on the storm's legacy, and record original audio stories for future generations; intended for New Orleans teens and the listening community.
• Junior Producers A leadership and audio production program for high school students to develop next-level technical skills, lead segments on Be Loud Radio, and shape the creative direction of youth voice content citywide; intended for New Orleans high school students progressing from Be Loud Radio.
• Pass the Mic Teacher Fellowship A yearlong fellowship that supports New Orleans teachers in building youth voice through audio storytelling by providing equipment, training, and financial support to run classroom-based audio projects; intended for New Orleans K-12 teachers and the students they serve.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of kids report higher level of confidence in recording, writing, editing, mixing, and sharing work publicly
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• WHIV 102.3FMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal FM radio station partner providing broadcast platform for youth-produced content. Be Loud Radio airs weekly on Saturdays at 10AM on WHIV.
• WWNOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal public radio station partner providing media ecosystem connection.
• 826 New OrleanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriting nonprofit providing physical space (826 Writing Center) for Saturday morning Be Loud Radio sessions.
• Arts Council of New OrleanssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal arts organization supporting youth media and creative programs.
• PropellersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Orleans nonprofit supporting social impact and entrepreneurship programs.
• Young FuturessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting youth futures and development programs in New Orleans.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• The Moth: Nonprofit storytelling organization with a flagship podcast, education programs for youth, and live events. Comparable as an audio-storytelling nonprofit that combines broadcast/podcast distribution with youth-focused storytelling pedagogy.

Broad incumbents

• WHYY: Philadelphia public radio station with youth journalism and audio storytelling initiatives. Comparable as a regional public-radio incumbent operating youth audio education programs within its broadcast footprint.
• KQED: San Francisco Bay Area public broadcasting station with youth media and education programs producing audio content. Comparable as an established public-media organization that creates educational audio content and youth-focused programming.
• Chicago Public Media (WBEZ): Major public radio station in Chicago with established youth media initiatives and audio storytelling programming. Comparable as a larger public-radio ecosystem that produces and distributes youth-produced audio content.

Direct peers

• 826 National: National youth-writing nonprofit network with a New Orleans chapter that physically hosts Be Loud's Saturday sessions. Comparable as a youth-creative-expression nonprofit with educator-led programs and free participant access; strategic operational partner to Be Loud.
• StoryCorps: National nonprofit whose mission centers on recording and broadcasting audio stories from everyday people, with strong educational programming for youth. Closely comparable to Be Loud in audio-first storytelling, radio/podcast distribution, and mission-driven youth engagement.
• YR Media (formerly Youth Radio): Oakland-based nonprofit that trains young people in media production and distributes their work nationally through NPR, podcasts, and digital channels. Nearly identical model to Be Loud: youth-led content, professional distribution, free programming, and foundation-supported nonprofit structure.
• Radio Rookies (WNYC): WNYC's youth radio training program that teaches NYC teens to produce audio stories aired on public radio. Mirrors Be Loud's youth-radio-production-plus-broadcast-distribution approach within a larger public-radio ecosystem.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/beloudstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/be-loud-studios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Be Loud Studios