A music composer, Jad Abumrad began freelancing in radio when film scoring wasn't scoring high on either the personal fulfillment or financial fronts. NY's flagship public radio station WNYC saw Jad's potential and enabled him to spend a couple years quietly building a radio show to pose philosophical questions about science and its practical applications (and impractical ones). Robert Krulwich came on as a co-host. NPR entered into a joint partnership. With the resources and time, these great minds could create a show that garnered duly deserved praise, like a Peabody Award and MacArthur Genius grant, and a rabid fan base. Today, RadioLab has over 1.8 Million Listeners. In the wonky, truly nerdy radio world, Jad is rockstar.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.