Don Katz

Don Katz is the founder of Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Newark, NJ since 2007, Audible serves millions of listeners and offers 800,000 downloadable Audible Originals, audiobooks, audio editions of periodicals, and other programs. Don was previously a journalist and author for 20 years, writing five books and serving as contributing editor at Rolling Stone and other publications. His work won a National Magazine Award and his book Home Fires was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award. Don is the founder of Newark Venture Partners, a social impact early-stage investment fund and ultra-bandwidth accelerator that seeks to connect Newark to the early-stage technology start-up innovation economy. Recognized as one of America’s Top 25 Disruptive Leaders by Living Cities for his work on behalf of urban transformation, Katz was named New Jersey’s most influential tech leader by ROI-NJ in 2021. He was the recipient of a Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award in 2013. For his leadership and founding vision for Audible, he was honored by both PEN America and Gotham Film & Media Institute in 2022. Don graduated from New York University, where he studied with novelist Ralph Ellison.