Podcasts have gained significant popularity in recent years. Just nine percent of Americans over 12 years old listened to podcasts in 2008, compared to 41% of the same demographic in 2021, according to Pew Research. Podcast popularity is now growing faster than ever, with listenership increasing by four percent between 2020 and 2021.

We asked the CIE community on our Instagram to share some of their favorite podcasts — check out what shows your local entrepreneurs and innovators have been listening to:

Entertainment | Entrepreneurship | Lifestyle, Health & Well-Being | News & Current Events | Science & Technology | True Crime

 

Chicks in the Office discusses recent news in popular culture. From celebrity scandals, relationships and break ups to TV show recaps, the show keeps you up to date on everything pop culture. 

Distractible is a comedy show in which Internet personality Markiplier and two longtime friends talk about interesting stories from their everyday lives.

Guilty Pleasures is hosted by three comedians who take turns sharing their guilty pleasure movies and television shows each week.

The Late Breaking F1 Podcast keeps listeners up to date on the latest happenings in Formula 1 Racing.

Stay Hot is a sports commentary podcast that covers the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.

Welcome to Night Vale keeps listeners updated on the latest news in Night Vale, a fictional town chock-full of conspiracy theories — many of which may just turn out to be true.

 

How I Built This is a series of interviews with some of the world’s best-known entrepreneurs about how they built their brands.

Jumpers Jump discusses popular culture and lifestyle from the perspective of three young entrepreneurs. The hosts also include personal anecdotes about their experiences navigating the entrepreneurial world.

StartUp Podcast shares the process of starting a business, from pitching, to attracting investors, to launching and scaling. The first fourteen episodes document the startup process behind Gimlet Media, the media company that produces StartUp Podcast.

 

Anything Goes is, true to its name, a podcast where anything goes. Podcast host and Internet personality Emma Chamberlain speaks whatever is on her mind — fashion trends, relationships, philosophy, pet peeves or mental health.

Armchair Expert is an exploration of the human experience. The podcast features a series of conversations with guests of all walks of life — celebrities, academics and professionals of all kinds — and a common goal of uncovering human truths.

Financial Feminist teaches listeners how to make money, save money and increase their savings. With themes of feminism at its core, the show is intended to help women grow confident in the male-dominated world of finances.

Maintenance Phase teaches listeners how to achieve a well-balanced diet by debunking myths and misinformation about nutrition, health fads and wellness scams.

My Brother, My Brother and Me is a podcast hosted by three brothers. Each week, they give listeners life advice, despite the fact that they have no real qualifications to do so.

The Psychology of Your 20’s explains the psychology behind the common experiences of people in their twenties.

We Can Do Hard Things is hosted by Glennon Doyle, the author of Untamed, a book which rose to popularity at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The podcast opens an honest dialogue about life’s difficulties in an effort to make the hard seem a little easier.

 

The Daily gives listeners an in-depth look at headline news stories, featuring the reporting of New York Times journalists and the voices of real people affected by current events. 

Global News Podcast is a daily podcast that covers BBC’s biggest news stories.

This American Life is an award-winning podcast which tells national news stories through narrative journalism, or journalism with an entertainment-style plot. 

Today Explained episodes are uploaded at the end of each day and recap the day’s biggest news events for listeners.

Up First provides listeners with an overview of the three biggest news stories of the day, accompanied by analysis from NPR News, all in 10 minutes or less.

 

Accidental Tech Podcast is hosted by three self-proclaimed nerds who discuss technology and programming in each episode.

Ologies with Alie Ward is a podcast in which Ward, a humorist and science correspondent, interviews scientists and academics with silly questions about their fields of study.

Science Vs investigates what is fact, what is fiction and what lies somewhere in-between. From veganism and vaping to aliens and asteroids, Science Vs fact-checks fads and trends, replacing listeners’ opinions with hard scientific facts.

Technically Human is a podcast hosted by the CIE’s own Deb Donig, a Cal Poly English professor and CIE faculty fellow. Technically Human is an exploration of ethics and technology and a think tank into how modern technology could be used to better reflect human values.

 

Crime Junkie features a new true crime story each week about a solved and unsolved murder, missing persons case or wanted fugitives with the use of clear and conversational storytelling.

Dateline NBC shares compelling true crime stories from NBC’s renowned Dateline television show.

National Parks After Dark is hosted by two outdoor enthusiasts who share a morbid fascination with what can go wrong in national parks. The podcast explores the dark histories and tragedies that happen within national parks, as well as inspiring stories of survival and perseverance.

True Spies shares stories of the world’s greatest espionage and detective operations. 

Very Presidential explores the dark secrets, scandals and conspiracies behind some of America’s most powerful politicians.