Homecoming Creators & Guests

Alex Blumberg is the CEO of Gimlet Media.

Phillips attended NYU and has lived in New York City ever since. He worked as a public radio producer and reporter for over 7 years but eventually left his position at NPR’s ON THE MEDIA to pursue his love of music and film. Phillips’s skills as a composer, producer, sound engineer and journalist work together in a complementary way that give him a unique ability to tell story through sound.Phillips is also the sole member of the indie-pop band Sono Oto whose latest album was released in 2017. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Jacob spent 10+ years at Random House in audiobook production, book publishing, and digital product development where he first produced and directed audiobook projects with authors and actors including Judy Blume, Michael Chabon, Martha Stewart, and Tom Hanks as well as three Grammy-winning programs with Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.Jacob conceived and produced the first Star Wars podcast with LucasFilm, then went on to lead a digital marketing team and created products in the app and ebook spaces, as well as serving as digital consultant to publishers, editors, and authors, advising on acquisitions and audience growth.Jacob spent 8+ years at Apple, launching and leading marketing organizations for Apple Books (iBooks), Apple News, and Apple Podcasts.As a marketer and strategist, Jacob has collaborated with brands including Condé Nast, The New York Times, LA Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Wondery, Gimlet Creative, and Panoply Media (Megaphone). Jacob developed and led the project for Apple’s first original audiobook content.