Meet
It takes a team to keep the LearnVoiceActing.com courses running, so we wanted to take a moment and introduce you to the rest of the folks behind your course! You may see a few of these faces interacting with you in the Support inbox or in the Facebook group, so say hello when you do!
Joe Zieja
CEO, Voice Actor, Educator
From United States Air Force Office to voice actor to founder of LearnVoiceActing.com, Joe has had quite the gamut of life experience. With over 8,000 voice acting jobs under his belt during his decade-long career, Joe’s mission is to simplify the voice acting industry and empower the next generation of voice actors, regardless of age, location, experience level, or training.
Marlena Jean
Assistant, Human Resources
From the theatre to the booth, triple-wielding titles of LearnVoiceActing.com Support Member, assistant to Joe Zieja, and voice actor herself, Marlena loves being a cheerleader for students on their voice acting journey. She remembers the excitement of her first VO job like it was yesterday – a voicemail for a spa in Texas. Since then she has explored genres far and wide. Whether it’s your first audition submission or you finally booked that AAA video game, she is jumping up and down with excitement celebrating you.
Reza Breakstone
Chief Operating Officer
Reza serves as Chief Operating Officer at Learn Voice Acting, where he works closely with Joe Zieja, and the senior team, to support the growth and operations of the academy.
His focus is building the systems, strategy, and partnerships that help Learn Voice Acting reach more aspiring voice actors around the world.
Outside of Learn Voice Acting, Reza is the founder of RB Unlimited, a strategic advisory firm that helps growing companies scale their operations and strategy.
Daniel Caouette
Customer Support, Affiliate Manager, Content Manager
One of the earliest JZVAA students! Daniel enrolled in JZVAA when it first launched and started hitting the casting sites in January 2023 with the knowledge he gleaned from the course. Now Daniel is a full-time voice actor with a few big campaigns under his belt and also has the privilege of serving as LVA’s Affiliate and Course Content Manager, as well as Support Member. When he’s not buying another microphone, you’ll spot him in the Facebook group’s comments!
Steven Ragsdale
Voice Actor, Community Manager, Support Expert
Steven joined JZVAA in 2023 and remains a part-time Voice Actor. They currently specialize in audio books and IVR systems, as well as product marketing videos for enterprise level clients such as SailPoint Technologies.
Outside of the booth, Steven is enjoying the journey of learning how to compose music for video games and other uses.
Hina Puff
Community Manager
Began volunteering for Joe Zieja’s Twitch and Discord community in 2019. Over the years, she was able to build her skills in community moderation and worked her way to the role of administrator. In 2023, Hina took on the roles of Pandora’s Vox community administrator and social media manager for Joe and LearnVoiceActing.com. Hina has worked in various industries including graphic design and video game QA. Hina currently lives out in the Seattle area and enjoys playing video games, playing with her cat Sarabi, and thinking of the next Instagram caption for her wonderful boss.
Rue Helu
Graphic Designer, Teaching Assistant
Rue was an early adopter of JZVAA back in 2022 and is an alum of the first Pandora’s Vox cohort. In addition to being a part of the Learn Voice Acting team, Rue maintains a full-time career as a Voice Actor. Rue has a BFA in Graphic Design & Illustration and has worked as a designer for nearly 2 decades in multiple industries. Outside of work, Rue enjoys playing games, building Gunpla, and listening to true crime.
John Montoya
Audio Engineer, Producer
From a homeless hopeful to being a full-time multi-award-winning studio owner, John is JZVAA’s resident audio engineer! John also produces demos for folks enrolled in Pandora’s Vox, provides voiceover tech support, and assists with preparing home recording setups. He’s worked on games like Honkai: Star Rail, Final Fantasy, Octopath Traveler II, and many more! You’ll find John in the Facebook group as well, and he’s around to answer your audio-related questions and provide assistance when he can! 😀
Andy (Acer) R.
Editor
Graduated with a BFA in graphic design and is a self-taught video editor and photographer with experience working with the U.S. government in Washington DC and in the education field. Acer’s been working with Joe Zieja since 2021 on various projects such as gaming highlights, professional content, the widely popular “How to Voice” series, online educational courses, marketing and advertising content, and more on all popular social platforms. Acer’s goal is to create engaging, creative content that not only provides humor, but professional insight to educate the next generation of voice actors.
Conner “EDCM” Brownlee
Editor
Has been an online video producer for nearly two decades now; putting well over 10,000 hours of work into content on and off the online sphere. With a passion for the arts, he approaches production and editing with the same flair he approaches voice work and musical compositions: always pushing to innovate and experiment with new ideas to keep every project fresh. Starting with his work at Voice and Cans, Conner later went on to do work with content creators such as Zelda Universe, FamilyJules7x, Boundary Break, and, as you might expect, Joe Zieja. A wise man once said: “If you got a problem yo, I’ll solve it. Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it.” Conner strives to be that guy… The DJ, that is. Though he’s also been known to solve a problem or two before as well.
Dan Hahn
Social Media Management
Has been in the broadcasting and content creation industry since 2005, starting out at a little outlet called WoW Radio with livestreaming and podcasting. With a history in AM Radio, eSports, live event and sports broadcasting, and with partnerships with Twitch and YouTube, Dan now works with content creators to help them focus and manage their platforms and ecosystems, as well as create his own content. He also works with multiple businesses for their broadcast platforms to maximize their content’s activity and footprint.
Nicky from StealthShampoo
Social Media Management
is a short-form content expert who has generated over 30 million views on his personal platforms. He started a career in online content creation as a Twitch Partner back in 2014, and now works as a video editor and ad producer. He’s also formerly worked in the VR industry, as on camera talent for 2K Games, and as a professional shoutcaster. Nicky loves playing Pokémon, VALORANT, and the Yakuza series.
Beau Stephenson
Voiceover Coach, Veteran Voice Actor, Sound Engineer, Jack-Of-All Trades
Beau Stephenson is a multi-talented artist with a lifelong passion for music and storytelling with over a decade of experience as a full-time voice actor, leaving his mark on the advertising and entertainment industry. Voicing movie trailer campaigns for Disney, Sony, and HBO, he’s also the guy behind promotional campaigns for major networks like FOX, ABC, NBC, and AMC+. You’ve heard Beau’s voice playing characters in blockbuster video games like Call of Duty and Red Dead Redemption, along with numerous indie gems. Notably, Beau has performed vocal doubling ADR for stars such as Ryan Reynolds, Timothée Chalamet, and Taron Egerton. Commercially, you can hear Beau on a diverse array of brands, from global giants like Nintendo, McDonald’s, and Amazon, to household names like Toyota, Proactiv, and Dell.
Erika Harlacher-Stone
Voiceover Coach, Seasoned Voice Actor, Music-Maker, Content Creator
Erika Harlacher-Stone is a Los Angeles based voice actor best known for her work in anime and video games. Some of the projects she’s been a part of include Persona 5, Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Kingdom Hearts III, HunterxHunter, Demon Slayer, Violet Evergarden, Seven Deadly Sins, and many more.
Erika is an experienced and dedicated teacher, well-known for releasing the emotional blocks that keep people from tapping into their characters, and giving themselves permission to perform. Her students consistently walk away saying “I had no idea I could do that.” Her instruction has landed Pandora’s Vox students roles in video games, animation, anime, and more – and she’s just insanely fun to work with.
David Rosenthal
Voiceover Coach, Casting & Voice Director, CEO of the Global Voice Acting Academy
is a short-form content expert who has generated over 30 million views on his personal platforms. He started a career in online content creation as a Twitch Partner back in 2014, and now works as a video editor and ad producer. He’s also formerly worked in the VR industry, as on camera talent for 2K Games, and as a professional shoutcaster. Nicky loves playing Pokémon, VALORANT, and the Yakuza series.
Steven Reisberg
Voice-acting Coach, VO Director, Founding Member of GVAA
Steven is a Hollywood voice-over director and VO coach working with the top VO talent in the industry and countless award-winning actors for over two decades. He was the VO booth director for elite Hollywood talent agencies and casting directors, including the William Morris Agency, Tisherman Agency, TGMD Talent, and The Voicecaster. Currently, he is on the acting faculty of AMDA College of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles as an adjunct Professor of Acting/VO. A founding faculty member of The Global Voice Acting Academy (GVAA) and a featured speaker at That’s Voiceover career expo, he has also taught classes at Voice One in San Francisco and The Don LaFontaine VO Lab at SAG-AFTRA. In addition to acting in many theater productions in NYC and LA, Steven is also a magician and long-time member of The Magic Castle in Hollywood. Steven believes that good VO is based in strong acting technique combined with embracing the sheer fun and joy of the work.
