Megan Tan

Megan Tan

Out of over 48 million podcast episodes, Megan Tan’s episode “WILD: How Do I Love Someone” was named “Best Podcast Episode of 2021” by Apple Podcasts. Alongside writer Erick Galindo, Megan co-created WILD, named “Best Podcast of 2021” by Spotify and The Atlantic, and served as its senior producer. In 2020, Adweek named Megan Tan “Producer of the Year” for her work on California Love. With a background in photojournalism and documentary film, she started her own audible-visual style while hosting, producing, and managing Radiotopia’s Millennial, which made The Atlantic’s “50 Best Podcast” list for three consecutive years. She has also produced shows and episodes for Gimlet Media’s The Habitat, Pineapple Street Media, TED, WNYC’s Radiolab, NPR’s Planet Money, NPR’s All Things Considered, and KALW’s The Stoop.

#33 No Es Fácil

 

I’ve always romanticized Cuba as a mysterious forbidden island.
But growing up in Cuba is far more complicated than anything I could have expected.
This is the first episode of a four-part series on Cuba.

Featuring:  Yoser Cruz Perez  + Lazaro Guzman Garcia + Hannah Berkeley Cohen + Roberto Jose Lopez
Music: Kent Rockefeller + Danca + Musée Mécanique
Translation: Ernesto Ariel Suárez
Voice-over: Khalil LeSaldo
Visuals: Michael Eastman
Sponsors: Squarespace + Freshbooks + Blue Apron + MailChimp + The Knight Foundation

#34 Pies Secos, Pies Mojados

"Pies Secos, Pies Mojados" or "Wet Foot,Dry Foot." In the U.S., it's the nickname of a piece of legislation, but in Cuba, it's been the key to a dream. To what lengths will Cubans go to make that dream a reality?

This is the second part of our four-part miniseries on coming of age in Cuba.
We suggest you start from the beginning.

Featuring: Hannah Berkeley Cohen + Michael
Music: Markus Huber + Keen Collective + 1, 2, 3 + Faith in Destiny + Helios
Visuals: Michael Eastman
Translation: Ernesto Ariel Suárez
Voiceover: Filipp V. Kotsishevskiy
Sponsors: Blue Apron + Thumbtack + Squarespace
Knight Foundation + MailChimp

Watch footage of a voyage by homemade sailboat from Cuba to Miami on the New York Times.

#35 Alas Para Volar

Can a woman have it all?  It’s an age-old question.
But in Cuba, a country caught between a machismo culture and some of the most progressive policies in the world, the answer isn’t easy.

This is the third part of our four-part series on Cuba.
We suggest you start with the first and second installments. 
 

Featuring: Hannah Berkeley Cohen + Chema Ricardo + Lisset Felipez
Translation: Ernesto Ariel Suárez
Voiceover: Katie Collins + Rene Johnson
Visuals: Michael Eastman
Sponsors: Blue Apron + Talkspace + Squarespace
MailChimp + The Knight Foundation

#36 Patria o Muerte

Is it possible that a country’s policies can change the way people see themselves?
How much of your identity is you—and how much of it is your country?

This is the final part of our four-part series on Cuba.
We suggest you start with the first, second, and third installments. 

Featuring: Luis Clerge + Hannah Berkeley Cohen + Yoandy Rizo Fiallo + Ben Severance
Music: Jupyter + Mree + Markus Huber + Vacancy + Y La Bamba + Mint Julep + Keen Collective
Translation: Ernesto Ariel Suárez
Visuals: Michael Eastman
Sponsors: Warby Parker + Blue Apron + Squarespace 
MailChimp + The Knight Foundation

#37 Your Tax Return, Yourself

Photo: Brook Miller

Photo: Brook Miller

Taxes can be scary and confusing.  
Maybe it’s because all of that paperwork forces us to take responsibility for our choices. But what happens when the IRS sees you differently than you see yourself?

Featuring: Ali Aldamen + Venus DeMars + Peter Reilly
Music: Lullatone + Watching Paper Boats + All the Pretty Horses
Sponsors: Warby Parker + Casper + Squarespace 
MailChimp + The Knight Foundation
Special thanks to Goodwill of Northern New England for their guidance.

For more from Venus DeMars and All the Pretty Horses, visit her website.

#40 One Way Ticket

Photo: sigmama on Flickr

Photo: sigmama on Flickr

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the endless stream of bad news on social media.
But what happens when you stop scrolling and take action?

Featuring: Adam Burk + Brian Eng + Erin Cinelli + Ayesha Sayed + Bananh Alalhanfy
Music: Helios + Beaten By Them
Sponsors: Lyft + Squarespace
The Knight Foundation

Thanks to Nadeem Mazen and Jeff Edelstein for their insights.

Extras:
The original article in the Portland Press Herald
At the airport with the Alalhanfy family

#13 Long Distance Love Story (Rerun)

To celebrate Pride month, we're replaying an episode about two young women,
a 10-year relationship, and 4,500 miles between them.

Featuring: Katie Simpson + Andrea Springer-Ferazin + Mike Ip
Editing:  Alex Acquisto + Ben Severance + Sara Brooks Curtis
Sponsors: Casper + Blue Apron