They were kidding about a podcast. The boss wasn't.

Castos Creator Spotlight: Lonnie and Jaron from Uptown Chats
 

Lonnie Portis and Jaron Burke work at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a 35-year-old advocacy nonprofit in northern Manhattan.

Three years ago they were half-joking about starting a podcast until their executive director overheard and told them to just do it.

Neither of them had touched a microphone before, but Uptown Chats is what happened next, with 70-plus episodes bringing environmental justice to "everyday people," not academics.

One miniseries about federal energy policy grew so far past its original scope that Jaron calls it "a very not-so-miniseries." Ask them what topic listeners request most and they'll say data centers, they're holding off on an episode until WE ACT settles its own position first.

There's also a hotline!

Read Jaron and Lonnie's story on Uptown Chats here

Uptown Chats doesn't run ads or sponsorships. When Jaron and Lonnie want listeners to put money somewhere, they point them at WE ACT's donate page instead.

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Setup is three steps: connect to Stripe, set your donation levels, tell your audience it exists.

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