Ari(el) Mejia

Ari(el) Mejia (she/her) (@AriMejia12) is a Chicago native who came to radio production through reproductive justice organizing and education. Ari is a proud member of Radio (R)ejects, a collective of queer and poc radio artists, whose 2019 Third Coast Breakout Session will get SWEATY with the question: "what does it sound like when we experiment with audio to capture our experiences?" This session will be for POC, femmes, people with disabilities, trans peeps and queers who want to talk about how, why and for whom we tell our stories.

Ari believes storytelling is foundational to social change, and is interested in the accessibility and power of audio as a medium. She makes immersive audio experiences and has worked as a producer for Mic Check , a podcast from the Third Wave Fund and The Shape of the World Podcast. Currently the Assistant Director of Features at CHIRP Radio, a Chicago community radio station where she curates & produces interviews with local artists, Ari is also the instructor for the After School Matters Youth Radio program, and a 2019 AIR New Voices Scholar.