Leesa Charlotte

Producer & Host

Leesa is a producer, podcast creator and singer, who stumbled into the industry with a Battlestar Galactica rewatch podcast in 2017. She is the producer, co-host and Jill-of-all-trades for Sweetbitter and CULT AMERICA podcasts, and has assisted in the launch of several successful shows.

Her degree from Monash in International Relations in Psychology, specializing in extremism and identity, consolidated her obsession with history and politics — and she loves podcasting as a medium to discuss these topics. In her spare time, you can find her gallivanting around New York attending burlesque, drag or singing at her favourite piano bar. 

Alyse Knorr

Producer, Writer & Researcher

Alyse Knorr is an assistant professor of English at Regis University and, since 2017, co-editor of Switchback Books. Her most recent book of poems, Mega-City Redux, won the 2016 Green Mountains Review Poetry Prize, selected by Olena Kalytiak Davis.

She is also the author of the poetry collections Copper Mother (Switchback Books 2016) and Annotated Glass (Furniture Press Books 2013); the non-fiction book Super Mario Bros. 3 (Boss Fight Books 2016); and the poetry chapbooks Ballast (Seven Kitchens Press 2019), Epithalamia (Horse Less Press 2015), and Alternates (dancing girl press 2014). Her work has appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, Denver Quarterly, Columbia Poetry Review, The Greensboro Review, and ZYZZYVA, among others. She received her MFA from George Mason University. 

Ellie Brigida

Host 

Ellie Brigida is a musician, producer and podcaster from Boston, MA. She has a degree in Music Business from Wagner College, where she was involved in a capella, chorus, choir and band, and is currently the Studio Production Manager for Clear Harmonies.

Ellie is the co-host and producer of Lez Hang Out – an award winning podcast on the TAGG podcast network with 30k monthly listeners and over 1 million downloads to date. It has been featured on LOGO’s list of best queer podcasts, HER’s The Best LGBTQ+ Podcasts You Should Be Listening To and named #1 lesbian podcast to listen to on FeedSpot. In 2021, they launched The Flame Podcast Musical on the Broadway Podcast Network. Ellie scored and produced the music, and starred in the role of Jamie.

Lungowe "Lulu" Zeko

Bible Study Leader + Social Media Designer

Lulu is a versatile media professional with experience in the communications, branding and strategy market. She facilitates all collaborations and projects under her online brand, Kaiko Media.

She’s been in the radio and podcasting space as a media personality and radio host for almost 10 years.

She also aides organizations hone and express their new/existing brands to create positive change in the world as a brand strategist.

She is committed to work that feeds back into the creative economy.

Thea Smith

Assistant Producer

Thea is a researcher, documentarian, and graduate student from Los Angeles, CA. She recently graduated from the University of Chicago, where her undergraduate thesis explored the exclusion, sexualization, and racialization of female migrants in Ancient Greece and 20th century America. She is continuing her studies in marginalized, comparative histories at Columbia University and the London School of Economics in the fall of 2021.
 
A podcasting newcomer, Thea is excited to grow her experiences in oral history, documentary filmmaking, and historical research here on Sweetbitter.

Sarah Gabrielli

Assistant Producer

Sarah Gabrielli is a reporter, writer and podcast producer based in Brooklyn, New York. She has her master’s degree from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

Sarah is also the creator and host of Cruising: a podcast about the last lesbian bars in the U.S. Streaming everywhere!

Cora Cicala

Audio Engineer

Cora is a sound designer and audio engineer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a recent graduate of Kenyon College, where she majored in Drama and American Studies with a focus on queer culture in the United States. She is passionate about telling stories with, about, and for the LGBTQIA+ community on stage and in podcasts.

Istela Illustrated

Resident Artist

Kazi Istela is a freelance graphic designer whose passion for typography and illustration has driven her to work on a range of projects in both the private and development sectors. Her illustrated series of quirky superhero characters who fight deep-rooted ills in the social fabric of Bangladesh was her first initiative to use art as a tool to navigate the chaos and disorder of the everyday world. She leads the project The InvisiBellas which addresses woman issues through street art in local communities in Dhaka. She’s also engaged in actively spreading mental health awareness through art.

You can follow her on Instagram here. You can also purchase her Dhaka Jam totes here.

Blair Greene

Pianist

Blair Greene is a classically trained pianist based in Brooklyn, NY. He has studied piano under Valentina Nazarenko for 15 years at the Brooklyn Music School and is also a self-taught guitarist. He has performed and collaborated with artists in different countries such as Belgium, The Netherlands, France, and most recently Switzerland.

Blair also has a passion for content creation and using social media to network his repertoire and reach out to new fans and artists. He currently performs solo piano weekly at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Coalition with occasionally guest singers, as well as numerous shows throughout New York City.

Three Springs Media

Production Partner

Three Springs Media (3SM) was founded by New York City  natives Samori Touré and Arielle McKoy. 3SM is a full-service podcast network that assists creators in honing their voice and providing a space for talent to monetize their platforms, through advertising, cross-promotions, and sponsorships. They seek to provide the best quality content while putting creators first. Their mission is simple: innovate, create and inspire.

Sweetbitter joined the 3SM family in our second season as one of their first podcasts partners.

Rory Blatchford

Intern

Rory Blatchford is a Senior at Regis University studying English. After Graduation he plans to work as a disability advocate within higher education.  He enjoys playing music and getting outdoors walking his guide dog. Rory has been published by Regis University’s student publications, Loophole and thirty-three 33 .