Craft & Release is a Black woman–founded creative community and cultural platform devoted to story—how it’s shaped, shared, and experienced in real time. We lead specialty craft workshops, intimate conversation series, live storytelling shows, and an annual film festival, all centered on stories that stay with you. Through this work, we’ve gathered thousands of artists and audience members across our live events and presented programming in cities including New York, Washington, D.C., and London. 

Our mission lives in our name: Craft & Release. We’re deeply committed to craft and to honoring the intention, curiosity, and vulnerability it takes to shape strong, well-told stories. Release is the other half of that commitment. Grounded in the belief that our gifts are not ours to keep, we give artists a stage to share their work; platforming voices across mediums and career stages and creating spaces of closeness and care where artists and audiences come together to engage deeply with narrative, not just consume it.

Alongside our core programming, we bring our work into classrooms and cultural institutions through partnerships with The Guggenheim, The New School, and the College of Charleston, in addition to corporate collaborators including Apple, CultureCon and Warner Music. These relationships expand access, resources, and visibility for artists, while keeping the work grounded in a community-first approach to storytelling.

Co-founders Nneka Julia and Glynn Pogue bring both cultural and institutional depth to the platform. Nneka is a filmmaker, writer, and cultural producer working across branded storytelling, film, and creative direction. Glynn is a writer, podcaster, and multidisciplinary storyteller who develops premium narrative projects. Together, they operate at the intersection of creator, curator, and ecosystem builder.