Yolanda Sangweni

Yolanda Sangweni is Vice President of Culture Programming & New Content Development at NPR, where she leads and builds out a growing portfolio of culture-focused programming and podcasts at NPR; drives NPR's content strategy as a key member of the programming leadership team, overseeing the editorial and business operations of a portfolio of podcasts, as well as NPR's content development process to surface great ideas and innovative programming; and provides strategic guidance to grow and evolve shows, sets direction for piloting and new program development, and identifies opportunities to leverage content tied to new revenue opportunities and audiences. Prior to joining NPR as Senior Director of Programming, she was Digital Content Director at ESSENCE and Director of Programming for Luminary. Yolanda has won both the 2022 Peabody Award and the 2021 AAJA Award for Excellence in Audio Storytelling for Throughline. She earned her BA from the University of KwaZulu Natal and is a graduate of NYU SPS’ Summer Publishing Institute.