Born out of the pandemic in 2022 and a recipient of the VCU Foundation Big Idea Grant in 2023, Richmond’s own RESONATE has grown to become an international sensation for seasoned professionals and students alike.

Chioke I'Anson, Ph.D had never been to a podcast festival before spearheading the creation of RESONATE in Richmond, Va. But it wasn’t from a lack of trying.

In 2020, he was supposed to attend the Third Coast International Audio Festival in Chicago, Ill. “Third Coast,” as it’s referred to colloquially, is a festival known far and wide across the audio industry. But the pandemic forced Third Coast to press pause on in-person gathering that year, meaning that l’Anson, the director of community media at the VPM + ICA Community Media Center, had to miss out on his first time attending.

It was disappointing, absolutely—and yet, something fortuitous grew from l’Anson’s new circumstances. Instead of trying to travel elsewhere to connect and build community with like-minded professionals, l’Anson asked himself, why not bring a nice, regional podcast festival to Richmond?

That nice, regional podcast festival—RESONATE—has grown into a household name in the audio industry, known not just across the U.S. but also internationally. It draws attendees from some of the biggest podcast shows on the air, such as This American Life and Serial.

Now in its fourth year, RESONATE shines a spotlight on the technical and artistic skills it takes to make an absorbing, high-caliber podcast, inviting seasoned professionals and students alike to come together in the studio and make some magic.

A Conference That Isn’t Boring

“The smartest people in the world can be really good at boring you to tears,” joked Chioke l’Anson as he reflected on the creation of RESONATE in the fall of 2022. “RESONATE is a different kind of conference. It’s the place you go to learn, yes, but it’s also very fun.”

RESONATE came onto the scene during a time of major transition in the world, and that timing ultimately proved to be extremely beneficial as it established a name for itself. While most in-person events were forced to cancel or pivot to virtual options in the early 2020s, RESONATE presented one of the first opportunities for audio storytellers to come together in more than two years.

“In the beginning, I really thought this would be a nice, regional podcast festival,” said l’Anson. “I thought people from Virginia, D.C., North Carolina, would come together to talk podcasting and meet other podcasters.”

But word about the budding festival quickly made its way around the audio community. With all other festivals still on hold, l’Anson found attendees registering from New York and other major metropolitan hubs, eager to join for an in-person event.

“Those people came to Richmond in 2022, then went back home and told their friends about us. By our second year, RESONATE was very much not regional; it was national.”

Over the course of two days, RESONATE participants—most of which are podcast producers making their own shows—are able to attend conference sessions on topics such as fundraising, sound design and how to get from story to production. There are also live performances from artists, happy hours gatherings, event parties and snacks—lots of snacks.

Fostering Connections

The day before RESONATE officially kicks off, students are invited to join for Student Podcast Day, a non-ticketed event that gives students the opportunity to learn new skills and meet people in the industry.

“We host a portfolio review session where people who are in town for RESONATE listen to students give presentations about their work and give feedback,” said l’Anson. “In 2024, two students got internship offers, and one student was offered a job.”

The RESONATE Pitch Party, presented by VPM, is another huge component of the festival. Three producers are invited to the festival to pitch their shows to a panel of judges. The winner receives a first look agreement with VPM and $10,000 to produce their podcast pilot. The 2024 winner was also contacted by the Canadian Broadcasting Company—whose team members had been at RESONATE—inviting them to produce the entire first season of the show.

“These are moments of serendipity and connection that we’re creating for the producers and students who come through,” said l’Anson. “Many moments like this have happened across RESONATE. People meet each other and they become collaborators for years after the festival.”

Though originally the brainchild of l’Anson, every single staff member at the VCU Institute for Contemporary Art (VCU ICA) plays a critical role in planning and executing the festival.

“Anytime I present an idea to our team in a meeting, someone else will speak up saying ‘here's how we can make that better,’ or better yet, ‘here’s how we can make it actually work,’” said l’Anson. “There's this wealth of creative input from all corners of the ICA that makes RESONATE possible.”

Maya Erhardt, Senior Director of Strategic Development at the VCU ICA, helps to secure funding and sponsorships for the festival. She says RESONATE is a labor of love across the entire ICA staff.

“Working with Chioke on fundraising reminds me that philanthropy is a team sport,” said Erhardt. “At the ICA, we partner across the entire organization to all move forward in the same direction. Sometimes, philanthropy can feel a little isolated or siloed, and that definitely isn’t the case at the ICA. Everyone here gets involved.”

Receiving the Big Idea Grant

Word of mouth from attendees was certainly pivotal when it came to RESONATE’s growth from Year 1 to Year 2. But in 2023, the RESONATE team was also awarded $10,000 in funding through the VCU Foundation Big Idea Grant, which they were able to use to promote the festival on a whole new level.

“The infusion of support that we received from the VCU Foundation made a huge difference,” said Erhardt. “Those funds allowed us to push the festival beyond the regional idea to this hugely collaborative national, now international gathering. We were also able to provide accessible ticket options to students. Having that stamp of approval from the foundation was kind of a proof of concept. That this resonates—excuse the pun—with others.”

“Having that extra support and recognition from entities like the VCU Foundation goes such a long way in helping to motivate our team,” said l’Anson. “Thanks to them, we were able to put resources in places that got new people to come through. That is no small thing.”

Future of RESONATE

As the world moves farther away from the COVID lockdowns of the early 2020s, other audio festivals, events and conferences have come back to life. But l’Anson says this isn’t a threat to RESONATE—instead, he sees all of these entities as collaborators.

“We’re basically part of a consortium of festivals,” said l’Anson. “All of these festivals that you might think would be competitors, we actually all love each other a lot and promote each other’s stuff. We all work together and share resources to help become the best versions of ourselves.”

Another vital collaboration for RESONATE has been the partnership with VPM. The VPM + ICA Community Media Center has served as almost an outpost location for VPM, but with the organization’s upcoming move to Broad Street in 2025, there will be even more opportunity for ongoing partnership.

“We’re looking forward to some new collaboration between the media center and VPM when they’re just down the road,” said l’Anson. “I believe this change even provides an opportunity for the expansion of RESONATE in the years to come.”

Tickets to RESONATE 2025 go live on July 1, 2025 at noon. To learn more about this year’s festival, visit the event website.