Jason Zada and Eric Shamlin lead the team at Secret Level, an AI-native entertainment studio that’s exploring new frontiers in visual storytelling production. They made waves this past winter when they created a TV commercial for Coca-Cola with generative AI, which sparked many conversations about AI’s role in the future of creativity. Today, Jason and Eric pull back the curtain on how this new technology is transforming the production pipeline and helping artists dream bigger, move faster, and build personalized worlds. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Jason Zada, Eric Shamlin, David Gray, Bonnie Eldon, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Yerba Madre (formerly Guayakí) is a certified B-corp that aspires to create more than just profits with their yerba maté teas. CMO Emily Kortlang and her team are doubling down on what makes the brand unique: their commitment to regenerating the planet and to creating dialogues, rather than just increasing sales. On today's episode of the FoST Podcast, Emily shares her fascinating insights on using a story-first approach to build relationships that go beyond product. To learn more, visit our website at https://futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/emily-kortlang-from-conversations-to-change-with-yerba-madre/ -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Emily Kortlang, David Gray, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Today's guest is Eric Spring in 't Veld, founder and creative director of Dutch escape room company Mama Bazooka. Eric and his team created the Netherlands' first-ever escape room in 2013, as well as the award-winning Girlsroom experience. Their third project, The Dome, has been on TERPECA’s list of top ten escape rooms worldwide since 2019, and was ranked #1 in the world twice in a row in 2019 and 2020. In this episode, Eric goes in depth into the development, design, and evolution of this leading example of the genre. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2025 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Eric Spring in 't Veld, David Gray, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

On today's episode, we revisit a conversation with Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of Charity: Water. Scott and his team recently opened The Experience Lab by Charity: Water just outside of Nashville, where they utilize experiential storytelling to help visitors foster empathy for people struggling to access clean water. To celebrate this new endeavor, please enjoy this conversation from 2020. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Scott Harrison, David Gray, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

The Black List is a platform that helps writers get feedback on their work and connect with professionals who can bring their project to life. After twenty years of successfully uplifting writing for film, TV, and theater, they’ve now turned their attention to a new industry: publishing. Today, The Black List Founder and CEO Franklin Leonard and Creative Director of Fiction Randy Winston talk about the platform’s expansion and what they’ve learned from supporting great, fresh voices. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Franklin Leonard, Randy Winston, David Gray, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Today’s guest is Robert Brunner, founder and creative director of Ammunition. Robert is one of the world’s foremost industrial designers, having worked on popular products from the iconic Beats headphones to the omnipresent Square terminal to the Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader. In this episode, Robert shares his insights about the role that design plays in connecting people to brands and how he helps companies tell stories through their products. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. For more information on Charlie's SXSW session, visit https://bit.ly/4gYWiRG -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Robert Brunner, David Gray, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Sissel Tolaas is an expert on the art and science of smell. Her endeavor to help people rediscover this essential sense and understand its importance has led her to collaborate with some of the world’s top research institutions, cultural organizations, and brands. Today on the FoST Podcast, she shares her learnings from thirty years of research on smell and how she imagines it could shape the future. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Sissel Tolaas, David Gray, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

On today’s episode of the FoST Podcast, we revisit a conversation with Victor van Doorn, co-founder and creative director of escape room company Sherlocked. He and other escape room creators like him aren’t just making timed puzzle rooms— they’re creating embodied, social story experiences that players love. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Victor van Doorn, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Rohit Bhargava is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur whose specialty is identifying the trends and innovations of the future that others tend to overlook. In this episode, he discusses his predictions for the next generation of stories, from immersive entertainment to generative AI to history itself. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Rohit Bhargava, Lynnette McCurdy, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

For the last episode of 2024, we return to the very first conversation on the FoST Podcast with Angela Ahrendts. Angela has had an incredible career in business--she's been the CEO of Burberry, SVP of Apple Retail, and more--and in this discussion shares invaluable insights on her approach to brand storytelling. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Angela Ahrendts, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Today on the FoST Podcast, we revisit a conversation with Joe Pine, co-author of the seminal 1999 book The Experience Economy: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money. In it, Joe predicted that creating memorable experiences would become a key aspect of business in the future— a prediction we’ve seen borne out with the rise of immersive and experiential in entertainment, marketing, retail, and beyond. Joe is now working on his next book, a follow-up to The Experience Economy about transformation, which you can follow on his Substack at transformationsbook.substack.com. To learn more, visit our website at https://futureofstorytelling.org/fost-originals/podcasts/ -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Joseph Pine, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, Eitan Wolf, and Megan Worman.

Today, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Vivienne Ming, theoretical neuroscientist, author, and serial entrepreneur. Dr. Ming has worked in AI and machine learning for 25 years, inventing multiple systems to improve health outcomes and address social issues. She uses data to help foreground more just and diverse stories—a talent and commitment that now is more important than ever. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Vivienne Ming, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, and Megan Worman.

Earlier this year, celebrated magazine editor Adam Moss authored his first book, The Work Of Art: How Something Comes From Nothing. Inspired by his experience as a painter, Adam interviewed dozens of the best creatives of our time, from Stephen Sondheim to Sofia Coppola to Ira Glass. The result is a detailed study of the process of artmaking in many different disciplines— and a rich resource for any creative person. He shares his learnings on today’s episode of the FoST Podcast. To learn more, visit our website at https://futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/adam-moss-the-story-of-the-work-of-art/ -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Adam Moss, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, and Megan Worman.

Ben Shewry is a chef, author, and co-owner of Attica Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia. Recognized as one of the top restaurants worldwide, Attica offers guests an experience that immerses them in Australia’s unique cuisine. In his new book, "Uses for Obsession", and on this episode of the FoST Podcast, Ben discusses how that experience came to be, as well as his personal learnings on creativity and culture in and around the kitchen— insights which are incredibly applicable to any storyteller. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Ben Shewry, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, and Megan Worman.

Cosm is a global immersive technology company that aims to democratize access to "shared reality"---highly immersive, highly social experiences---across the globe. Today's guest, Neil Carty, is Head of Cosm Studios and Labs, where he helps encourage and support creatives working in spherical storytelling. He talks about what makes Cosm special and the power of 360° content. To learn more, visit our website at https://futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/neil-carty-spherical-storytelling-and-shared-reality-at-cosm/ -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Neil Carty, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, and Megan Worman.

BRC Imagination Arts has 40 years of experience creating brand experiences that are especially participatory, personalized, and emotionally engaging. One great example is Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh, Scotland, the creation of which was spearheaded by today's guest: Chief Creative Officer Christian Lachel. Christian takes us behind the scenes at Princes Street to reveal how he and his team created one of the most authentic and immersive brand experiences out there today. To learn more, visit our website at https://futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/christian-lachel-authentic-brand-engagement-at-johnnie-walker-princes-street/ -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Christian Lachel, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, and Megan Worman.

Kimbal Musk is the cofounder and CEO of Nova Sky Stories, the company that's pushing the boundaries in the new medium of aerial drone storytelling. Combining light, sound, and physicality to create emotionally resonate experiences, Nova Sky Stories is collaborating with the best artists of our time to tap into the awe of looking up into the night sky. In this episode, Kimbal discusses the latest innovations in drone technology and the future of this nascent art form. To learn more, visit our website at https://futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/kimbal-musk-drone-storytelling-at-new-heights/ -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Kimbal Musk, Courtney Walsh, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, and Megan Worman.

When Fawn Weaver learned that the first master distiller for Jack Daniel Distillery was a formerly enslaved man named Nearest Green, she set out to tell his story in the best way she could think of: by creating a whiskey brand that celebrates his legacy. In her new book, "Love & Whiskey," Fawn shares what she learned of the incredible friendship between Nearest and Jack, the impact of their relationship, and how she turned that story into the fastest growing whiskey brand in American history. To learn more, visit our website at https://futureofstorytelling.org/case-study/fawn-weaver-the-rise-of-uncle-nearest/ -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Fawn Weaver, Rhona Davis, Jessica Davis, Amy Snook, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, and Megan Worman.

Hong Kong-based nonprofit Crossroads Foundation brings together those who are in need with those who can provide help. To raise awareness about global issues and create lasting change, they’ve come up with a unique approach: immersive, experiential programs on world need that allow people to have real emotions and foster genuine empathy. Director and senior spokesman DJ Begbie shares what these programs look like and why they're so effective. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org. -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to DJ Begbie, Lauren Morrow, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, and Megan Worman.

In his new book, Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery, neurosurgeon Dr. Theodore Schwartz delves into the history and practice of neuroscience. What he and his fellow scientists have discovered is that our lives are based on stories that our brains construct, and those stories are not fact, but fiction. Ted is certainly not the first guest on this podcast to talk about the relationship between brain science and storytelling— but as a neurosurgeon, he comes at it from a uniquely hands-on perspective. To learn more, visit our website at fost.org -- © 2024 Future of StoryTelling, Corp. Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp. 124 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Founder and CEO, Charles Melcher Director, Carolyn Merriman Assistant Producer, Madison Brown in collaboration with Charts & Leisure Founder, Jason Oberholtzer Producer, Meghal Janardan Editor, Garrett Crowe Mix and Music, Michael Simonelli With special thanks to Ted Schwartz, Lauren Morrow, Bonnie Eldon, Michael Bass, David Gray, and Megan Worman.