Hyphen Media Launches Audio Company To Give Voice To The Stories Of People Of Color

  Hyphen Media amplifies stories from underrepresented voices through fiction and non-fiction podcasts that resonate with all listeners 

Winston Churchill once said that "the voices of the powerful are heard loudly and constantly, while the neglected in society are expected to be silent."

Hyphen Media -- a company created to amplify underrepresented voices through original and immersive storytelling -- has decided to do something about that injustice.

Hyphen Media has  launched as a new, premium audio-first entertainment company that tells stories by and about people of color, for everybody, with the mission of championing inclusion through diversity. 

Founded by seasoned media executives Andrew Kuo and Kareem Rahma, Hyphen Media will be a home for original and immersive storytelling, giving underrepresented voices a platform to tell their stories. 

 “As podcasts continue to solidify their position as a go-to medium in entertainment, it’s imperative to amplify stories and voices that accurately reflect the diverse makeup of our country,” said Andrew Kuo, co-founder and CEO, Hyphen Media. “We celebrate our differences and unique points of view to tell authentic stories that appeal to all audiences far and wide.”

Kuo -- co-founder and CEO of Hyphen Media -- was Managing Director of 88rising, the leading Asian youth culture brand.  He helped lead their recent stage of growth, closing its latest round of fundraising, launching its TV/Film studio in partnership with Sony Pictures and creating its newest record label, Paradise Rising.  

Hyphen Media co-founder & CEO Andrew Kuo

 Previously, as a Vice President at A+E Networks, Kuo grew A+E’s portfolio of brands internationally including History and Lifetime

 Hyphen Media is backed by influential investors and business figures, including Hyphen Capital, which supports the next generation of the nation’s leading Asian American founders; media veteran Sean Cohan; James Cole, Jr., Board Member of AIG and CEO of The Jasco Group; and Jennifer Fitzgerald, Co-founder and CEO of Policygenius. With this funding, Hyphen Media plans to build out their team and continue investing in the upcoming development slate.

 “One of the main reasons I started Hyphen Capital was to change the narrative around Asian American founders,” said Dave Lu, Managing Partner at Hyphen Capital. “We invested in Hyphen Media because they’re building a platform for underrepresented voices to be heard, which is something the entertainment industry needs right now. By creating content that represents the perspectives of people of color, audiences can see themselves and that’s extremely powerful.”

 Hyphen Media is currently in production on a number of original podcasts, both fiction and non-fiction formats, that span across various genres — from comedy to thriller, to autobiographical folktales and science fiction. Its upcoming slate of projects includes creators behind popular television shows, including Abdullah Saeed, a Pakistani-American writer who starred and wrote on HBO’s hit comedy “High Maintenance”; Mamoudou N'Diaye, a Mauritanian-American Muslim writer and comedian who wrote for Netflix’s “Space Force”; and Korean-American writer Sarah Cho, who’s currently working on Hulu’s highly anticipated drama “The Girl from Plainville.”  

 Hyphen Media works closely with writers and creators to originate narrative fiction and non-fiction podcasts that have the potential to grow and be adapted into other forms of entertainment, including television series and feature films.  To aid in this effort, the Company has partnerships in place with First Look Media’s new streaming service Topic, QCODE Media, SALT, and the premium non-fiction film and television studio, XTR. 

“We’re excited to partner with incredible talent and bring their stories to life. We know this talent pool is deep and also eager for a home that will support their creativity,” said Kareem Rahma, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Hyphen Media. “Putting authentic voices at the helm of these podcasts is paramount to delivering entertaining stories and we look forward to using our storytelling to build community over time.”

 For the latest news on upcoming podcasts and the voices behind them please visit hyphenmedia.com or follow on Instagram @HyphenMedia.

This latest announcement about turning up the audio on unrepresented voices is another example of how podcasting offers inclusion to groups often overlooked in societal discourse.