Audible founder Don Katz reminisces with Bird Key Yacht Club members

Audible, Inc. revolutionized the audiobook business 30 years ago, opening up a new world of learning and entertainment for listeners around the world. Founder Don Katz recently shared with Bird Key Yacht Club members the story of how the company got its start, evolving from the Audible MobilePlayer to the current-day subscription service. But what he didn't expect was a surprise from the past in the crowd.

Bird Key Yacht Club Commodore Tony Britt introduced Katz to kick off the season's speaker series. He noted this is the third installment of the series, which has provided a venue for members to hear from trail-blazing artists, musicians, business leaders and more.

Joined on the stage by moderator Richard Besser, CEO and president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a friend of 20 years, Katz revisited the early days of the company on Jan. 9 at The Ora.

During the question-and-answer segment, Barbara Vandervolk introduced herself as the former senior vice president of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.

She recalled discussing education for children with visual impairments and learning challenges with Katz right around the time Audible was finding its footing.

Photo by Dana Kampa

"You were kind enough to come be our keynote speaker at our gala at The Pierre Hotel in New York a year after we met," she remembered. "I'm so grateful you're here in Sarasota and proud to remember that friendship."

She continued, "You're the one who opened the world to kids to be able to hear and read biographies, history and novels. It was really helpful."

Katz shared his pride in how Audible has helped young people who may struggle with reading from the page.

He has some history with the Longboat Key area, fondly remembering visiting with his family.

The journey of pivoting from a career in journalism to launching this groundbreaking company wasn't always easy. That is especially true considering the effort it took to bring to market the infrastructure of streaming books to listeners who might have been accustomed to cassette tapes. But Katz credited his wife with being an anchor amid the ebb and flow of the fledgling business.

The company grew to reach millions of listeners. Besser noted the brand delivers 4 billion hours of content to 180 countries in 47 languages.

Katz was CEO until 2020 and executive chairman until 2022. Even later, he continues to receive acclaim for his work, becoming a member of the New Jersey Hall of Fame in November 2024.

Looking back on how the company has benefited people over the past three decades, Katz told the Observer that one of the things he most appreciates is how it has helped people both in their daily lives and in moments of distress.

"I remember when Hurricane Katrina happened, it blew out all infrastructure along the coast," he shared. "I was able to reach out to the entire Audible customer base, and I told them they wouldn't get charged for the months after the storm. We said, 'We hope you can find a way to get in.' I got emails from hundreds and hundreds of people."

Audible Studios went on to produce a free book, titled "Stories from the Storm: Hurricane Katrina Survivors, In Their Own Words," detailing stories from survivors who found comfort in the aftermath amongst their audiobooks.

He said knowing the product he helped create helped provide solace to survivors is a great source of joy.