MEET THE EDITORIAL TEAM
HOST: KELLY MARIE TRAN
Since making her acclaimed, history-making big screen debut in Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Kelly Marie Tran has quickly become a highly sought after actress in live action, animation and audio drama projects. Most recently, Kelly Marie Tran has made history by voicing Disney’s first South-East Asian Princess with her role as Raya in Raya and the Last Dragon. The film was released to critical acclaim in March 2021. She also stars in Radiotopia’s #1 fiction podcast, Passenger List. Additionally, Tran has stepped into the role as executive producer on two exciting projects: SXSW’s Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary feature Lily Topples The World, about the life of an American-Chinese adoptee who becomes a global artistic force with over 1 billion YouTube views; and Summertime, director Carlos López Estrada’s spoken-word poetry feature film that premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
HOST: YARA SHAHIDI
Yara Shahidi is an award-winning actress, producer, change agent, and breakout star of ABC’s Emmy-and Golden Globe-nominated series black-ish. Shahidi is now the executive producer and lead of its Freeform spinoff series, grown-ish (#1 cable comedy, 18-49 yr olds), playing character Zoey Johnson. Off-screen, Yara is a full-time student at Harvard University where she is earning a B.A. in Social Studies and African American studies.Shahidi is a champion for inclusive media programming and an advocate for equity. In 2019, Shahidi expanded her relationship with ABC by signing a multi-year producing deal with business partner and mother, Keri Shahidi, under the moniker: 7th Sun Productions. Next up, Shahidi will take on Tinker Bell in Disney’s live-action Peter Pan & Wendy. As Shahidi focuses on utilizing her platform to empower and inspire others, she continues to be one of Hollywood’s most heralded talents.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR & EP: LORY MARTINEZ
Lory Martinez is the Creative Director/Executive Producer for Cultureverse. Lory is Colombian-American, originally from Queens, NYC and is the Founder of Studio Ochenta, a Paris - based multilingual podcast company dedicated to raising voices across cultures. She is the executive producer on a number of podcasts for the studio in 19+ languages (and counting) and works as EP and host on Mija Podcast, a Webby (2020) honored audio drama that shares immigration stories with the world in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Mandarin.
SENIOR FICTION PRODUCER: MARU LOMBARDO
Maru Lombardo is the Senior Fiction Producer for Cultureverse and for all fiction at Studio Ochenta, where she leads multilingual projects such as Season 3 of Mija Podcast and Ochenta Cuentos - this last one showcases 80 Latin-American fiction stories from all around the region both in Spanish and English. Originally from Argentina, Maru is currently based in Bogotá, Colombia.
CULTURAL CONSULTING PRODUCER: DR.KIONA
Dr. Kiona is our Cultural consulting producer on Cultureverse. Her role on the show was crucial in getting culture nuances right; she connected us with members of each community and did the work of having meaningful conversations about how we could make this show celebratory of cultures while remaining respectful in honoring our global heritage. She is the founder of How Not to Travel Like A Basic Bitch an educational website and global social media platform dedicated to inclusivity and diversity in travel and beyond. Dr. Kiona also works as Host & Senior Producer of the Studio Ochenta original show How Not to Travel Podcast, which hit #1 in the travel category in 12 countries.
SOUND EDITOR: LUIS RAUL LOPEZ LEVI Luis is the sound editor behind the scenes on Mija Podcast, Azafata en Atacama, Wine School Dropout and a number of other Ochenta programs. He is also the lead Sound Editor on Cultureverse. Luis speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and produces in many other languages. He is based in Monterrey, Mexico.
ARTIST: STEVE APARACIO Steve Aparicio is an illustrator and visual artist who grew up in the beautiful and tropical climate of El Salvador. Steve also sells his illustrations and products online and is a freelance illustrator. Being an illustrator and visual artist is his true passion and what makes him happy, focusing on this area has allowed him to work with different clients and agencies from all around the world.
ASSISTANT SOUND EDITOR: CHIARA SANTELLA Chiara Santella is an Italian Sound Designer and Production Sound Mixer based in Rome. After completing a Three Year Course in Sound Engineering at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (Rome), sound became her tool to experience life and confront the world. She works as an Assistant Sound Editor at Studio Ochenta producing Ochenta Stories and developing the sound design behind Cultureverse.
SOUND COMPOSER: GABRIEL DALMASSO
Gabriel is the sound designer behind Ochenta’s theme music for Mija, HNNT, WSD and productions like Euronews’ Cry Like A Boy. You can find more of his work here.
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: LISHA LOPEZ SERNAS
Lisha López-Sernas is the Social Media Manager for Ochenta Studio. Based in between Paris, Chicago and Oaxaca, Mexico, she is of indigenous Zapotec descent. She is passionate about promoting diversity and has a special interest in the protection of indigenous rights and traditions.
GEN Z CONSULTANT: NATALIE EMILY
Natalie Emily is a 15-year-old first-generation indigenous Oaxacan migrant student gratefully residing on Chumash land, on the central coast in California.She is a dedicated student who likes to skate, draw, and hang out with friends on her free time. Natalie’s unique lived experiences and deep connection to her community of residence have inspired her to continue pursuing works for the greater good.
GEN Z CONSULTANT: RHEMSEY Rhemsey is a 16-year-old Palestinian-Austrian American who loves reptiles, fishing, rock climbing, not finishing his homework, and learning from Tik Tok. His favorite hobby is trying foreign fruit from the grocery store.His unique experience of being at the intersection of multiple cultures allows him to navigate cross-culturally and provide relevant feedback. This was his first official job in media.
