David Isay

Dave Isay (I-SAY) is the Founder and President of StoryCorps, a New York Times bestselling author, the recipient of numerous Peabody Awards, and a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. His life’s work taps into the heart and soul of the human experience. In 2003, Dave founded StoryCorps, an independent nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn, New York, that has brought more than 620,000 Americans together—two at a time—to record intimate conversations about their lives, create a human connection, pass wisdom from one generation to the next, and leave a legacy for the future. Each conversation is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress—the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered. Millions of listeners hear StoryCorps’ weekly broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition, and select stories are also shared through StoryCorps’ podcast, animated shorts, digital platforms, and books. In 2015, Dave was recognized with the $1 million TED prize, awarded annually to one exceptional
individual with a creative, bold vision to spark global change. Dave is currently leading StoryCorps’ work to help decrease political divisions in the United States through its latest effort, One Small Step, which was featured in a segment on CBS’s “60 Minutes” in early 2022.