Full Time Staff
Jr. Designer, Marketing
Salma Ali
Salma is a storyteller with an offbeat perspective and a knack for giving life to the ideas incubating in her brain. She is most comfortable behind the lens of a camera or with a pen in her hand. She spends her free time concocting the perfect recipe for green juice, cuddling her cats, and planning how to take over the world (or at least planning her next passion project).
Manager, Global Community Program
Chris Baluyut
Chris comes from the music industry, and as a performing artist and singer-songwriter himself, is a lover of live events and in-person connection! Chris is a native New Yorker, and after spending half of his 20's in Tokyo, is happy to be back home setting down roots again in NYC.
Manager of Membership Programs and Annual Giving
Megan Bourg
Megan has a background in business and nonprofit management from Loyola University New Orleans and Fordham University. She joins The Moth from Children’s Health Fund, where she helped individuals invest in the organization’s efforts to narrow health equity gaps for children and families living in under-resourced communities across the country. Megan is a New Orleans native and regularly returns home for beignets and to visit family.
Senior Director
Meg Bowles
You: Seat 21A on a flight from Copenhagen to New York - you told me that amazing story about the crazy thing that happened to you. Me: The person who wants to convince you to stand on stage and tell it to a room full of people.
Manager, Education and Instructor Programs
Melissa Brown
The daughter of traveling scientists, by age 6 Melissa had moved from Missouri to Washington State, gone to kindergarten in Holland, and had once been detained by the German police (a story for another time). Now she finds that listening to stories can transport you anywhere. She’s been with The Moth since 2011.
Associate Producer and Coordinator, EDU
Jonathan Cabral
Born and raised in the South Bronx to Dominican immigrants, Jonathan has always been fascinated with storytelling. He comes from the world of podcasting where he has previously worked with PRX, Futuro Media, and WNYC. When he’s not obsessed with storytelling he’s busy watching Soccer and finding the best blue cheese. Jonathan is thrilled to be part of the education team where he can assist in giving folks the tools and platform to tell their stories.
Senior Manager, Brand Partnerships
Heather Colvin
Heather developed a deep appreciation for the art of live storytelling while acting as her mother's captive audience on long drives throughout her childhood. Now as an adult she often finds herself in the driver's seat when it comes to sharing wild and true tales about her own life. Just ask her about falling off a cliff during her high school years on Maui or the time she accidentally kissed her boyfriend's father's neck.
Producer, Special Projects and Radio
Emily Couch
Emily enjoys a well-spun yarn, both figuratively and literally. An avid listener, amateur writer, and occasional motormouth, she has always been drawn to stories. As her last name suggests, you can most often find her on a couch tangled in knitting and surrounded by cats.
Chief of Staff
Travis Coxson
Hailing from the Philadelphia suburbs of New Jersey, Travis Coxson is a systems-oriented planner, organizer, and strategist focused on internal operations at The Moth. Outside of the office, Travis is a pizza enthusiast, uncle, and occasional Broadway stage manager. He lives in Manhattan with his dog, Chester.
Assistant Director of Institutional Giving
Aimee Davis
Aimee Davis is a non-profit development professional with a background in theater and a passion for storytelling. Armed with an MFA in Dramaturgy and a spirit for adventure, Aimee has produced theater in bars, in an abandoned railway tunnel beneath Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, and aboard a clipper ship in New York Harbor. A proponent of the Oxford comma, she brings many years of development and grant writing experience to The Moth and is thrilled to be a part of the team. Aimee lives, parents, and throws dinner parties in Brooklyn.
Assistant Producer, Global
Jody Doo
Jody Doo is a producer and host born and raised in sunny Singapore. She is passionate about using her work to uplift minority and diverse voices. Her love for diversity was sparked at a tender age by her father. Instead of watching cartoons, her father would put on documentaries. From the !Kung Bushmen to The Indonesian Sea Gypsies Tribe to endless Attenborough-narrated wildlife features. Apropos of nothing, her beloved pet scoby is named Scooby.
Staff Accountant
Blaze Ferrer
Blaze comes to The Moth having worked in various capacities in the performing arts sector. Born and raised in Downtown Manhattan, Blaze can be found either in a dance studio, or eagerly awaiting for new indie albums to drop.
Producer, MothWorks
Amanda Garcia
Born and raised in Warwick New York, Amanda’s favorite part of growing up was the sleep-away camp she attended every summer in Connecticut. She first discovered The Moth Radio Hour while doing laundry, and it incentivized her to make the chore a weekly routine. One of her favorite things about the New York experience is overhearing strangers share their stories with one another on the subway.
Director of Development
Lee Ann Gullie
Lee Ann has been fundraising at non-profits for almost twenty years with most of that time having been spent supporting the art and artists at Off-Broadway theatres throughout New York City. She currently resides in the East Village with her husband and two-year old daughter and is always on the search for the city's best pasta.
Executive Director
Sarah Haberman
Sarah Haberman is The Moth's Executive Director. A native of Wisconsin, she's a devoted Packers fan and cheesehead. Having been involved with The Moth since 2002, she's always looking for ways to support this beautiful artform.
Senior Director
Jenifer Hixson
Each year Jenifer asks hundreds of people to identify the turning points of their lives and helps them shape those experiences into stories. She falls a little bit in love with each storyteller, and hopes you will too.
Director
Michelle Jalowski
Michelle Jalowski is a director and producer at The Moth, where she helps people across the country mine their lives for meaning, pinpoint the story of it all, and develop it for the stage. She loves the intimacy and connection involved in developing a story - of diving into someone’s life with them headfirst and emerging with gold. Her work at The Moth allows her to combine her love of theater, documentary and live events, and she is grateful. In addition to directing and producing, Michelle teaches Moth storytelling workshops for adults and young people in and around New York. She lives in Brooklyn.
Executive Producer
Sarah Austin Jenness
SAJ has been on staff at The Moth since 2005. Despite rumors that it must be a laugh-track, her distinctive laugh can be heard on many Moth recordings. Each laugh is absolutely genuine.
Director of Creative Operations
Sarah Jane Johnson
A proud Nebraskan, Sarah Jane is a former homecoming queen and rugby player who is passionate about gardening, carbs, and the transformative power of storytelling.
Director of Finance and Administration
Marina Klutse
A strange and unwavering connection to numbers from a young age combined with a love for the arts and over a decade of nonprofit accounting experience has led Marina to the Moth. When she's not working Marina spends most of her time exploring other parts of the world learning, listening, and laughing to the stories from individuals of all walks of life.
Controller
Jen Lue
Jen's first story was about a bird and a bunny who find each other, lose each other and find each other again. While the cast of characters has changed, she's been writing and listening to some iteration of this story ever since.
Marketing Manager
Isaiah McNair-Wilson
After co-founding a performing arts collective post-college, Isaiah discovered his profound love of talking to strangers. He moved to New York solely because he ran out of people to talk to in California. Isaiah now works at The Moth to be in a space to connect with like-minded people who are also compelled to talk to strangers. In his downtime, he draws, makes music, writes stories, and throws get-togethers to show off his adequate cooking skills.
Development Coordinator
Nimat Muhammad
Growing up, Nimat loved storytelling as a way of gathering knowledge and connecting to the larger world. She has since been fascinated by the beauty of carefully crafted words and the impact they can have on both the storyteller and the listener. She is thrilled to work collaboratively to broaden The Moth’s reach and bring diverse voices and perspectives to the forefront. Outside of work, you can spot her wearing an oversized hoodie with a book in hand. Otherwise, she’s thinking about her next meal or catching up on curly-girl dos and don'ts.
Producer
Chloë Muñoz
Chloë comes to The Moth after 11 colorful years of production experience in radio, television, film and live events. As a native Angeleno turned Brooklynite, Chloe can be found sipping a funky orange wine with friends or painting lakeside at Prospect Park.
Associate Producer
Charlotte Muth
So much depends on the 50-word bio. Charlotte joined The Moth with a background in writing, public media, and nonprofit development. Hailing from California, she enjoys crying at the movies, wearing outlandish outfits, and trying to make sense of New York. She will waste nine words to prove a point.
Chief Creative Officer
Christina Norman
A native of The Bronx, New York, Christina grew up listening -- to voices on the radio, to every kind of music, and to stories told around the kitchen table. As the Chief Creative Officer, Christina is excited to expand the world of The Moth and empower more storytellers everywhere. She lives in Brooklyn, and you can find her most Saturday mornings in Prospect Park with her husband and her Ridgeback, Pepper.
Director
Jodi Powell
For Jodi, stories are a common fabric of humanity. She connects to her story of Mama’s home cooking, the bumpy country roads of her Jamaican childhood and the glories of elementary rubber band dealing through tales told by others.
Data and Systems Specialist
Lauren Petto
Lauren is a coder, musician, and avid reader of British music tabloids from the 90s. She collects vinyl records, Lego, and anything related to frogs and bats. She and her wife live in Brooklyn, support Manchester City Football Club, and celebrate Halloween year round. Lauren joined the Moth in late 2024!
Head of People and Culture
Ashton Ragsdale
Growing up in the Midwest, Ashton developed a passion for helping people of all experiences and backgrounds. Over the past six years working in the media space, he has grown to enjoy supporting teams in their efforts to capture and tell stories. He is very excited to continue this work at The Moth. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, cooking, art, quality time with his dog, and traveling while learning about different communities' cultures and experiences.
Manager, MothWorks
Anna Roberts
Anna was drawn to the Moth because of her fascination with the stories we tell ourselves and how they inform the decisions we make. Raised by artists and educators, she is driven by progressive action, fairness and amplifying the perspectives of women and people of color. She‘s a writer, an artist, an amateur travel photographer, and is probably covered in cat hair.
Senior Manager, Community Program
Juan Rodriguez
Juan, a native New Yorker, earned his BA in Journalism at SUNY Stony Brook. He has served NYC through several city agencies and non-profits, as a program manager and coordinator. This experience has given him a deep passion for charitable work. Juan is thrilled to be at The Moth because he believes in the power of words. He enjoys cooking, reading, writing and relaxing with his dog, Storm. His favorite saying is, “Not all those who Juander are lost."
Associate Producer
Alex Roman Peters
Alex is proud to be a lifelong New Yorker. She is a firm believer in the kindness of strangers, the power of live performance, and the restorative properties of a bacon egg and cheese. Formally, Alex studied Media Theory & Screenwriting, Theatre, and English Literature at Hobart & William Smith Colleges. Personally, she's a student of Anthony Bourdain and self-indulgent pop records.
Master Instructor
Larry Rosen
After 25 years teaching, directing, and practicing theater and comedy performance, Larry discovered the simplicity, power, and beauty of true stories. Shortly thereafter he found The Moth. As they say, timing is everything.
Manager, Community Engagement
Edgar Ruiz Jr
Edgar is a proud Nuyorican born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, and raised in The Bronx. A long-time advocate of underserved communities in New York, he comes to The Moth with more than twenty years of experience in the non-profit sector. Having been a storyteller since grade school, he pursued the lucrative life of an English Major as a result of his passion for stories. He enjoys healing people with laughter and bringing positive vibes wherever he goes. If you catch him daydreaming, he's probably on a beach with his kids.
Senior Curatorial Producer
Suzanne Rust
Suzanne believes in talking to strangers, whether in her native New York, or in Rome, where she lived for ten years. A favorite Italian memory was Marcello Mastroianni giving her a kiss on the hand when she was an extra in a Fellini film. After years of working in the publishing industry, Suzanne is thrilled to be at the Moth to help find great stories and tell them in new ways.
Director
Chloe Salmon
Chloe came to The Moth from Manhattan, Kansas (yes, really). She loves mysteries and would be the world’s best detective if given the chance, but is more than happy to live in the suspense that can be found in a story well-told.
Associate Producer & Coordinator, Community Engagement
Maria Seravalli
a Florida native, moved to NYC as soon as humanly possible after graduation. After several years working in criminal justice reform, she is thrilled to help others understand the potential of their personal stories with The Moth’s Community Program. At her home in Brooklyn, Maria can be found crafting, creating elaborate Halloween costumes, baking cupcakes, and napping with her dog.
Podcast Producer
Marc Sollinger
Whether they're told live on stage, through a podcast, or in a novel, Marc absolutely loves experiencing a good story. So, obviously, he's super excited to help shape The Moth's podcast. When he's not working at The Moth, he's either baking bread, going to an art museum, or writing some weird audio fiction.
Senior Manager of Education
Ana Stern
Ana is extremely thrilled to join the Moth! Although she has traveled all over the world, she is a die-hard New Yorker with a bachelor’s and MPA from New York University. For over 10 years she has worked with programs that amplify and promote young people voices, their stories, and their dreams. The current chapter of Ana’s story features bike rides through Brooklyn, her two cats Andre 3000 and Big Boi, getting her hands dirty with her pottery craft, speaking different languages, reading books in the park, and now being a team member at the Moth!
Associate Producer
Gabriel Szajnert
Gabriel Szajnert will not let you forget that he’s from Miami (even though he’s from Broward). He considers his best skills to be making conversation with the Uber driver, humblebragging about his triplet siblings, and “you should write a play about that” being his most commonly-used phrase.
Senior Director, Director of MothWorks
Kate Tellers
Kate went to her first StorySLAM, fortuitously themed BEGINNINGS, in 2007 and has been a part of The Moth ever since. She lives in Brooklyn with her furry husband, baby and dog.
Assistant Director of Production
Patricia Ureña
Shy of her first birthday, Patricia’s family emigrated from the Dominican Republic to the Bronx, NY. Sometime after that she did a short stint in Florida and is now back in the borough that raised her. Patricia highly enjoys binge watching a great show, dancing the night away, and spending almost every weekend with her 3 year-old nephew.
Archivist
Vella Voynova
Realizing that archiving combines her love of history and culture with her inclination towards community building, Vella pursued her MSLIS, which led her to The Moth. When she’s not unwinding on the yoga mat, she can be found hanging out with her parrot, reading a good book, or bingeing early 2000s TV.
Education Program Outreach Coordinator
Carmen Zapata
Carmen listened to the Moth every weekend growing up. She has lived in Southern California, Spain, and Jordan. She settled in NYC for college and has yet to leave. Growing up in different cultures and places led her to have a deep appreciation for the gift of the gab (also known as storytelling). In New York you can find her eating dollar oysters, the #4 at king dumplings, and taking her dog everywhere she goes.
