The Hollywood Reporter: Inevitable Foundation, Spotify Launch New Grant Program for Disabled Podcasters

Image Description: The Spotify and Inevitable Foundation logos in black text against a blue background

By Abbey White

'Elevate for Podcasters' offers recipients $10,000 grants for professional development, equipment, living expenses, accommodations, marketing and IP acquisition, among other program supports.

Inevitable Foundation and Spotify have partnered on a new program geared towards improving accessibility in the podcasting space on both sides of the mic.

Elevate for Podcasters will offer both financial support and creative development opportunities for disabled fiction podcasters looking to amplify their voice and advance in the industry. Recipients will receive $10,000 grants which can be used for professional development, equipment, living expenses, accommodations, marketing and IP acquisition. Those selected for the program will also have access to mentorship and community-building opportunities.

“Podcasting is one of the rare creative mediums that is easier to break into and allows for more self-sufficiency, which is one of the reasons some disabled people have found initial success in the industry,” Inevitable Foundation co-founders Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska said in a joint statement. “But despite disabled people making up over 15% of the global population, no programs exist to help disabled podcasters turn initial success into thriving careers.”

The program will also support the expansion of access to podcasts for disabled people by giving grant recipients the chance to use their funds to improve both the accessibility of their shows for listeners and within the production process itself. Both have larger industry implications by paving a pathway for other podcasts and podcasters to follow.

“At Spotify, we’re constantly looking for ways to amplify diverse and underestimated voices through the power of audio,” Dina Gabriel, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Spotify, said in a statement. “This partnership with the Inevitable Foundation offers a unique opportunity for us to utilize our platform to create pathways for disabled creators and provide them with tools and resources that will help them hone their craft and build their professional careers.”  

The application for Elevate for Podcasters is now open with the first round of recipients set to be announced in Spring 2023.