Yolanda Sangweni

Yolanda Sangweni is NPR's Vice President of Programming and New Content Development. In this position, she is a key member of the programming leadership team, helping drive NPR's strategy to reach new audiences, including developing new programs and initiatives. She also serves as the executive sponsor for several podcasts, including Throughline and Code Switch, and acts as programming's senior liaison with the Marketing division.

Sangweni came to NPR in 2020 from Luminary, where she was responsible for enhancing podcast discovery to users through a variety of methods as the Director of Programming and Editorial. She was also the programming lead for "Hear to Slay" with Roxane Gay and Tressie McMillan Cottom and of a limited series with "Guys We F****d" co-hosts Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson.

Sangweni also spent nine years working for Essence, where she began as an entertainment editor and eventually became Digital Content Director leading the company's multi-platform digital content strategy. She prides herself on being part of the core team that brought live events like the Essence Festival and Black Women in Hollywood to life. Sangweni co-created and co-hosted "Yes, Girl," Essence's 2x Webby-nominated podcast. She is also the founder of African Women Create, a collective and forthcoming newsletter highlighting African women in the creative arts.

Sangweni was born in South Africa and has a degree in English.