
Jessica Alpert
Former Staff
Jessica Alpert is the managing producer for program development at WBUR—Boston’s NPR News station. In this position, Jessica develops new podcasts and programs while also launching and nurturing WBUR’s newest projects. In addition, she oversees the role of WBUR’s iLab, an experimental unit that works to break new ground in the area of audio storytelling.
In 2016, she led the team that launched the Modern Love podcast, a collaboration between WBUR and the New York Times. In this capacity, Jessica has cast top talent from the stage and screen, directing and producing more than 50 actors. The Modern Love podcast shot to #1 on the iTunes charts within 24 hours of launch and has since received over millions of downloads. Her latest project is "Circle Round," a storytelling podcast for kids and the young at heart. You can hear the pilot episode now.
Jessica learned the most about program development from making radio, producing for five years on WBUR's daily local program, Radio Boston. She then joined the team that launched WBUR and NPR’s new iteration of Here & Now, a daily two-hour news magazine. After this experience, there’s no deadline that will ever scare her!
Following seven great years in public media, Jessica took a break to explore content production in the startup scene. At Wizeo, an early-stage angel-funded interactive video company, Jessica was VP of content. After Wizeo, she honed her marketing skills as a consultant for various companies including Women Online, a boutique digital agency that helps nonprofits and brands move women to action.
But she couldn't stay away from radio for too long.
Jessica’s freelance work and projects can be found on NPR, PRI, the BBC, The Atlantic, MIT Tech Review, Bust Magazine and The Washington Post. As a Fulbright Scholar, Jessica spent one year collecting the oral histories of the 60-family Jewish community of El Salvador—the collection will soon be available online through the University of Florida oral history archive.
Originally from Texas, Jessica received her undergraduate degree from Columbia University’s Barnard College and her masters in Latin American and Jewish history from Indiana University-Bloomington. She launched her audio education at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Maine. Today, she lives with her husband, twin son and daughter, and two cats near Boston.
Recently published

Screens Between Us With Issa Rae | Encore
Issa Rae reads an essay about the intimacy and distance synonymous with online dating.

Seeing The World Through My Wife's Eyes With David Oyelowo | Encore
"Don't Let Go" star David Oyelowo reads an essay about a blind man navigating his marriage.

Encore | Sharing The Shame With Anna Chlumsky
Anna Chlumsky ("Veep") reads Brooks Rinehart's essay, on 90 days that changed the entire course of one family's life.

An Ancient Coda To My 21st-Century Divorce | With Amy Landecker
After a divorce, it can feel like the last thing you want to do is revisit the past. But a ritual forced Cindy Chupack to do just that, in an...

The Hunter-Gatherer, Parking Division | With Jason Alexander
The challenge of finding the perfect partner is matched only by the challenge of finding the perfect parking space in New York City. Jason Alexander ("Seinfeld") reads Andy Raskin's essay,...
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Modern Love Encore | Marry A Man Who Loves His Mother
Constance Wu of the ABC comedy "Fresh Off The Boat" reads a story about a wife, a mother-in-law and the unlikely story that brought them together.

Ava DuVernay Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Ava DuVernay is reshaping Hollywood. In this premiere episode, Geoff Edgers follows DuVernay as she put the finishing touches on "A Wrinkle In Time". They talk about her childhood, #MeToo...

Norm Macdonald Doesn’t Like Endings
In our preview episode of the new podcast "Edge of Fame," Geoff Edgers follows comedian and former SNL star Norm Macdonald on his road to reinvention. Join them as they...

A Preview Of 'Edge Of Fame': Your New Favorite Podcast
Geoff Edgers paints intimate, surprising audio portraits of actors, musicians and comedians, from beloved performers you think you already know to up-and-comers bursting onto the scene. Other podcasts might cover...

Dear Dad, We've Been Gay Forever | With Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon ("The Last Boy in New York," "A Quiet Passion") reads an essay about two grown siblings raised in the Mennonite church and their decision to come out to...