About

Meet the Team

Producers, a host, and friends of The People Tree who spend months with a storyteller before anyone hears the story.

The People Tree is shaped by the people who keep it running. Some of us produce the shows, some host the room, some mentor storytellers through the months before they step on stage, and some support the work behind the scenes so that show night happens the way it should.

What we share is a belief that a true story, told well, changes something in the room. Here is who we are.

Simi Krishnan

Producer

Simi is drawn to the way a story can change how we see someone.

A person we have never met can suddenly feel familiar. Someone we already know can reveal something that helps us understand them differently. Through The People Tree, Simi gets to step into the joys, struggles, truths, and experiences of people throughout the community while helping storytellers bring those moments to life.

For her, being part of The People Tree means being part of something larger than any one story or storyteller.

Stories, no matter how big or small are part of our every day. I love how they make me feel connected to someone I may have never met, or something is said, and I see someone in a new light. The People Tree makes me feel like I'm part of something bigger than myself. It gives me a chance to go on a journey into the lives of people in my community, and be a part of their truths and their joys and struggles, and help bring stories to life which so many people believed weren't worth sharing at all!

Erica Katz

Producer

Erica first came to The People Tree as a storyteller and quickly became as interested in the process behind the stories as she was in telling her own.

For Erica, storytelling is about connection. She loves helping storytellers uncover what is inside their experiences and watching a story develop from an idea into something someone is ready to share on stage.

The opportunity to help “grow our tellers” remains one of her favorite parts of The People Tree.

The power of story telling is infectious for me because connecting to others and my community brings me joy. I started as a storyteller for TPT and became a huge fan of the process/production before being asked to be a Director/Producer. Although I feel I'm a storyteller at heart I feel, forgive the pun, 'growing our tellers' is the most rewarding experience.

Alexis Skigen Rago

Marketing Advisor and Friend of The People Tree

Alexis came to The People Tree first as an audience member, then as a storyteller. After experiencing the support of the storytelling process and returning to the stage several times, she developed a firsthand understanding of what makes TPT meaningful for both the storyteller and the listeners.

As Marketing Advisor, Alexis helps The People Tree communicate that experience more clearly, strengthen its brand, and share its mission with more people throughout the community.

What I love most about The People Tree is the moment when you stop simply listening to someone's story and suddenly feel like you are there with them. You may have lived a completely different life, but for those few minutes, you understand something about their experience that you didn't before. That connection is what keeps me coming back.

Robyn Whitlock

Operations Advisor and Friend of The People Tree

Robyn has loved stories for as long as she can remember, and through a series of questionable life choices, she's gathered more than she knows what to do with. She believes stories give us a way to know one another better and create the kind of connection that builds community. As a Friend of The People Tree, Robyn supports the work behind the scenes to ensure our email newsletter goes out smoothly and helps the team stay organized to bring each show to life.

Matt Jones

Host

Storytelling and community have long been part of Matt's life, which made The People Tree a natural place for the two to come together.

Matt has been part of TPT since its earliest shows, both as a storyteller and as the person audiences now know as the host. His humor helps set the tone for the evening, but his role goes beyond entertaining the room. He is also there to welcome each storyteller to the microphone and give them the space to share something of themselves.

Want to work with us?

Storytellers, volunteers, mentors, and partners all have a place here.