Austin Haeberle - Creative Director
austin@listenup.org
More than 20 years ago I walked into the radio station at my
engineering college — my interest in calculus plummeted, my love
for producing media soared. I switched schools and haven't
looked back since. Out of college and off on a mountain bike, I
wrote a weekly newspaper travelogue through the South (USA) and
then Central America — the beginning of a 10-year stint in
Guatemala. In Guatemala I produced films for development and
human rights organizations like Doctors without Borders, Habitat
for Humanity and the United Nations mission that brokered the
end of a tragic 36 year-old war. I also worked with street
children to produce their own TV show — the beginning of an
amazing youth media journey.
Times flies and almost decade later
in New York City, our terrific team at Listen Up! supports 120
youth media organizations around the globe. I've produced films
like The Way We See It: Youth Speak Out on Education (PBS &
Annenberg Channel) which make a visible difference in the way we
all view today's youth. I'm especially proud of our
international Beyond Borders: Short Films by Teenagers Worldwide
(Independent Film Channel/IFC). The best part of this journey
always ends at home with my wife Wendy and our daughters Anna
and Bella.
