The Story Collider

What The Story Collider does

The Story Collider is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in New York, with a mission to reveal the role of science in everyday life through personal storytelling. It operates a portfolio of programs anchored by a weekly podcast distributed through WNYC Studios, in-person and virtual live shows hosted in at least 10 cities across the US, Canada, and the UK, and science storytelling workshops for scientists and STEM professionals delivered online, in-person, or hybrid. The core product is a curated format in which researchers, doctors, engineers, patients, poets, and comedians tell true personal stories at the intersection of science and lived experience, supported by a 15+ year content archive of 500+ episodes and a story coaching methodology.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue mix: ticket sales for live shows, podcast sponsorships and advertising, fees for workshops and private institutional sessions, custom sponsored shows for universities and research institutions, grants from arts councils and science-focused foundations (including New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Society for Science, and the Richard Lounsbery Foundation), individual donations and Patreon memberships, and merchandise. Customers span three primary segments: scientists and STEM professionals seeking communication training, science institutions and universities seeking custom events, and a general public of podcast listeners and live-show attendees. The organization also operates the Story Collider Network, a free franchise-style program providing independent producers with training, a Slack community, and a Producers Guide to host their own branded shows, plus a sub-brand event series, Proton Prom, for LGBTQ+ science storytelling.

Distribution combines self-serve consumer channels (free podcast, Patreon, online shows, merchandise) with enterprise sales (custom sponsored shows, institutional workshops) and a channel/reseller layer (the Network). The organization partners with WNYC Studios for podcast distribution and with a roster of named institutional partners including Boise State University, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Exploratorium, Springer Nature, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, SACNAS, LAist, and the University of Virginia. Public-facing marketing runs through the podcast, live events, newsletter, story submission portal, and the Network community.

Name

The Story Collider

Legal name

Story Collider Inc.

Website

https://storycollider.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Story Collider is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces a weekly podcast, live shows in 10+ cities, and storytelling workshops that help scientists and STEM professionals communicate personal stories about science to general audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Storytelling Media and Education

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Live Podcast Recordings (MPAGACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Training, Workshops & Masterclasses (Interactive Sessions) (MPAGAOAJ), Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Science storytelling
• Live storytelling events
• Storytelling workshops
• Personal narrative podcast
• Science communication training

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Live Show Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for live shows held in various cities around the world, both in-person and online.
2. Podcast Sponsorships & Distribution: Podcast distribution through WNYC Studios and potential sponsorship revenue from the weekly podcast.
3. Education Programs: Fees from storytelling workshops for scientists and STEM professionals, including public online workshops and private custom sessions.
4. Custom Sponsored Shows: Custom science storytelling events created for organizations, universities, and institutions, tailored to their specific community and culture.
5. Foundation & Government Grants: Funding support from arts councils, cultural affairs departments, and private foundations including New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Society for Science, and multiple private philanthropies.
6. Donations & Membership: Support from listeners through donations and membership programs including Patreon.
7. Merchandise: Sales of merchandise through the online store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Story Collider produces and presents true personal stories about science through a weekly podcast, ticketed live in-person and virtual shows in cities worldwide, and storytelling workshops for scientists and STEM professionals. It also operates a free franchise-style Network enabling community producers to host their own science storytelling shows, and offers custom sponsored storytelling events tailored to organizations and institutions.

Product overview

The Story Collider is a science storytelling organization offering three interconnected products: a weekly podcast featuring true personal stories about science (The Story Collider Podcast), live in-person and virtual shows held in cities worldwide (Live Shows), and science storytelling workshops for scientists and STEM professionals (Workshops/Education Programs). The organization also operates a free franchise network program (Story Collider Network) enabling community producers to host local events, and provides custom sponsored shows for organizations seeking tailored science communication events (Custom Sponsored Shows). Programs are delivered online, in person, or in hybrid formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Story Collider Network: A network of independently hosted science storytelling shows that operate under the Story Collider brand with training and support from the main organization.
• Proton Prom

Products and services

• The Story Collider Podcast A weekly podcast featuring true, personal stories about science told live by researchers, doctors, engineers, patients, poets, comedians, and other storytellers sharing authentic experiences at the intersection of science and humanity. Distributed freely via website, iTunes, and WNYC Studios.
• Live Shows In-person and virtual storytelling events featuring diverse storytellers sharing true personal stories about science. Hosted throughout the year in multiple cities globally and online, with interactive audience engagement.
• Workshops / Education Programs Science storytelling workshops that train scientists and STEM professionals to communicate their work clearly and effectively to general audiences. Programs include public online workshops and private custom sessions for organizations.
• Story Collider Network A free membership program enabling community producers to host their own Story Collider-style science storytelling shows. Network members receive Story Coaching Workshop training, access to a Slack community, a Producers Guide, and the opportunity to submit stories for the podcast ($150 honorariums for selected storytellers and producers).
• Custom Sponsored Shows Custom in-person and virtual science storytelling events created for specific organizations and institutions. Dedicated producers work with clients to build tailored events that foster relationships, develop communication skills, share organizational stories, and deepen team sense of mission. Past clients include Boise State University, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mount Sinai, Springer Nature, and the Exploratorium.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100% audience retention rate even for online events
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• WNYC StudioscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWNYC Studios is the public media podcast studio home to The Story Collider, providing professional distribution and credibility in public media. The partnership enables the podcast to reach diverse audiences through WNYC's established platform.
• Boise State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Boise State University to host science storytelling shows at venues including the Simplot Ballroom D and The Lookout Room, featuring AWESOME Center research teams.
• Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCZI's Rare As One Project featuring stories from rare disease researchers and patient advocates, highlighting communities working on scientific challenges.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TED: TED produces high-profile live talks (including science-themed programming), distributes them as podcasts and videos, and runs community/education initiatives. Comparable live-events-plus-content-distribution model at much larger scale, with broader topic scope.

Emerging players

• Science Vs: Science Vs (Gimlet/Spotify) is a science-focused podcast that combines storytelling with rigorous science communication. Comparable science-as-storytelling positioning but skews more investigative/journalistic rather than personal-narrative.
• Massive Science: Massive Science is a media startup producing science storytelling content for general audiences, with training programs for scientists. Emerging peer in science communication training and content, with overlapping scientist-training customer base.

Direct peers

• StoryCorps: StoryCorps is a nonprofit oral history project producing recorded personal stories distributed via podcast and broadcast. Like The Story Collider, it relies on a mix of foundation funding, donations, and earned revenue, and uses live recording and community-driven storytelling as its core format.
• Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me: Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me records its NPR quiz show in front of live audiences and distributes via podcast. Direct peer in the live-podcast-recording format with comparable city-tour model, though the subject matter is news/humor rather than science.
• Hidden Brain: Hidden Brain (NPR/Shankar Vedantam) is a science-and-psychology storytelling podcast with live show tours. Direct peer in combining behavioral science storytelling with live events and public-media distribution.
• Science Friday: Science Friday is a public-radio science program producing a weekly show, live events, and educational content aimed at making science accessible. Comparable mission, public-media distribution model, and live-plus-podcast programming mix.
• Radiolab: Radiolab is a flagship public-media science storytelling podcast with a comparable weekly format, broad reach via WNYC Studios distribution, and live show tour programming. Direct peer in the science-storytelling podcast category with significantly larger audience scale.
• The Moth: The Moth produces live storytelling events and a flagship podcast in the same format as Story Collider (true personal stories told live, then distributed as a podcast). Direct peer in live storytelling events with global touring, podcast distribution, workshops, and community-based storytelling — but thematic focus is broader, not science-specific.

Regional players

• The Story Prize: The Story Prize is a nonprofit organization that celebrates short story collections and runs storytelling-adjacent live events and programming. Comparable nonprofit storytelling mission and live-events programming, though primarily book-focused rather than live oral storytelling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-story-collider

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Story Collider