In the halls of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., two organizations met in 2019. PodTechs and Baycrest became partners in podcasting. Fast forward half a decade later, and in 2024, the duo accomplished a rare feat: Defy Dementia, which unpacks the significant effects of caregiving on brain health, was nominated for a prestigious Webby Award. Fellow nominees included CNN, Johnson & Johnson, Vox Media, and Boston Globe Media. How did Defy Dementia come into the same circles as these juggernauts?
The New York Times calls the Webby Awards “the Internet’s highest honor.” It is a leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet, established in 1996 during the Web’s infancy. The Webbys are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), a 3,000-plus member judging body. The Academy comprises Executive Members—leading Internet experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries, and creative celebrities—and Associate Members who are former Webby Winners, Nominees, and other Internet professionals.
Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Defy Dementia met the requirements for both official languages of Canada, English and French, by leveraging artificial voices.
“We started tinkering with artificial intelligence and its ability to be the voices for podcast content in 2019,” shares Dustin Canter, PodTechs CEO. “At the time, we were producing a bilingual podcast for DMV local Diego Castañeda in Spanish and English. The technology was raw and had a long way to go, but I decided for PodTechs to focus on the romance languages, prepare ourselves, and perhaps an opportunity would come along in the future where we could put our research to work.”
During the early years of this decade, PodTechs and Baycrest continued producing monthly podcast content for the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation. In 2023, the opportunity appeared, and an additional podcast series launched: Defy Dementia. Originally recorded in English, every podcast episode is also produced in French using artificial voices.
“Proper nouns, non-native words, and localized accents continue to hamper the process,” Dustin explains. “It’s definitely better now than five years ago. Some older adults who are native French speakers testify that they didn’t realize that humans did not speak the French version. As we build for the future, leveraging artificial voices to publicize health information and ensure citizens of the world have access to content regardless of their native language, we see a future that blends human and artificial voices. The trust from humans with the support of their artificial ‘teammates.’ There is no better sector of industry to apply voice innovation than to brain health, mental wellness, and giving people a brighter tomorrow.”
Founded in the District of Columbia, headquartered in Maryland, with a podcast studio in Virginia, and a team of 18 spread worldwide, PodTechs is a quintessential DMV story of innovation that has gone global.
With over 1,000 podcast episodes under its belt, PodTechs recently went to market in a new category for project management software. Built in Google Cloud, PodTechs makes it easy to manage podcast episodes in one app for faster delivery. It helps marketing, communications, and content teams that are frustrated with endless technical and tedious tasks or staff spread across various time zones. The software aligns every element of production, from planning to recording to promoting.
PodTechs is renowned for its legacy of innovation and excellence in the podcasting industry. As pioneers in podcast production and promotion, the company has consistently pushed boundaries to create compelling content that resonates with audiences worldwide.
The PodTechs Podcast Equity Fund is an investment vehicle specifically tailored for the podcasting ecosystem. This fund empowers podcasters, podcast networks, and related ventures by providing the financial backing and resources necessary for growth and success. By investing in promising projects and creators, PodTechs aims to foster innovation, expand reach, and enhance the overall quality of content within the podcasting space.
The mission of the PodTechs Podcast Equity Fund is simple yet powerful: to drive the growth of the podcasting industry by supporting its most creative and visionary talents. The company believes in the potential of podcasts to inform, entertain, and inspire, and is committed to nurturing this potential through strategic investments and partnerships.
Dustin aptly concludes: “PodTechs is the Podcast Operating System for Producers, Hosts, Guests, and Technicians. Our mission is to help organizations amplify their voice, engage audiences, and build credibility within their communities.”
