Roman Mars is an American radio producer. He is the host and producer of 99% Invisible, a KALW radio show and podcast, and a founder of the podcast collective Radiotopia, which he describes as efforts "to broaden the radio landscape make shows that aren't bound by conventions" of public radio in the United States. He has also contributed to radio programs such as Radiolab and Planet Money. Fast Company identified him as one of the hundred most creative people of 2013. In 2004, he produced a program called Invisible Ink on KALW. In June 2017, Mars launched the podcast What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law with Elizabeth Joh, a professor of constitutional law at University of California, Davis, School of Law.
''99% Invisible''
Mars and his radio show, 99% Invisible, have been credited in the mainstream press as an innovative form of radio production, defining a new movement of independent radio and podcast creators. In 2016, Mars used asynchronous podcasting with Justin McElroy, creating the first episode of Smart Stuff, which started with My Brother, My Brother and Me episode 316 and was completed in 99% Invisible episode 225.
Mars notably used the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform to support 99% Invisible, raising over $170,000, making it the highest-funded journalism project ever, and the second highest-funded project across the platform's entire publishing category. In November 2013, 99% Invisibles season four Kickstarter campaign received 11,693 backers raising over $375,000. The original goal of $150,000 was raised in 92 hours. Following this success, Mars introduced another campaign to build season two of Radiotopia, a collection of seven storytelling podcasts:99% Invisible, Fugitive Waves, Love and Radio, Radio Diaries, Strangers, Theory of Everything, and The Truth. Its original goal was $250,000 which was funded within six days. However, the campaign more than doubled its original target, achieving $620,412 from 21,808 backers by the time it closed on November 15, 2014, making it the most-funded Kickstarter project in the publishing and radio and podcast categories. Meeting its 'stretch goals' allowed Radiotopia to add three podcasts hosted by women, host a series of events, provide more content, wage increases and paid internships, and create a pilot development fund to find new, talented producers and hosts not covered by traditional radio. Ultimately, the fundraising allowed for a fourth podcast, Mortified, to be added to the collective.
