Hey there! I’m Nico Raquel [he/him]— multi-media storyteller, musician and writer. El Salvador and so-called Massachusetts are places where I have familial history. I’m a bilingual audio producer, oral history facilitator, and storytelling consultant committed to justice-based and community-building storytelling with an emphasis on recording alongside queer, trans, gender-expansive and Latine communities.

Previously, I was the Senior Managing Producer for podcasts created in collaboration with iHeart Media’s My Cultura Podcast Network, including a show I pitched called Date My Abuelita, First! — a dating podcast hosted by Vico Ortiz (Our Flag Means Death) and a real life Abuelita. She was the ultimate matchmaker; she went on speed dates, played hilarious games, and vetted contestants for a group of hopeful romantics looking for a spark; and Essential Voices— an interview show where guests shared their experiences working on the frontlines during the pandemic, followed by a roundtable discussion to contextualize the essential work on a local and national scale. I advocated for the interview portion to highlight the voices of essential workers not heavily featured in the media at the time, such as trans, undocumented, formerly incarcerated, and indigenous storytellers. The roundtable component featured activists, thought-leaders, and policy change-makers such as labor organizing pioneer Dolores Huerta, civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Maria Hinojosa, and Jonathan Nez the former president of the Navajo Nation.

I was the Senior Producer and Co-Host of The Golden Queers podcast from the Outwords LGBTQ+ Archive, an interview show that elevated the voices of trans elders at the intersection of politics and activism, made possible by a grant from the California State Library’s Oral History Project. I have been a long-time collaborator on storytelling/audio/oral history projects for StoryCorps, both while traveling the U.S. and remotely recording over 400 oral histories archived in the Library of Congress. My work has been featured on NPR, in a digital exhibition for the Library of Congress’ Hispanic Heritage Month, and as part of Temple University’s “The Ongoing Revolution” documentary project uplifting the stories and lives of citizen activists who are steeped in community-led advocacy— this project was made possible by a grant from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. My dedication to producing queer, trans, and bilingual stories, along with stories replete with social advocacy, resilience, and community empowerment throughout my career is evident. 

I have a proven track record for managing complex tasks— budgeting for podcasts, nurturing community partnerships built on trust and respect with marginalized storytellers, story and narrative editing, hiring and managing freelancers and colleagues, working with high-profile guests and stakeholders, managing tight timelines and schedules, interviewing guests, and developing original projects from start to finish. My proclivity for tapping into moments of levity and relatability guides me towards creating safe moments of connection between myself, colleagues, managers, hosts, and storytellers.

If interested in collaborating, chatting, or hiring me for a project, inquire about my availability!

I volunteer with This Way Out, the longest-running international LGBTQIA2S+ radio program, as well as with Community Servings, an organization that prepares medically tailored meals to folks with chronic illnesses. As of December, 2025, I am currently looking for my next audio storytelling or producing opportunity! 

When the tape stops rolling, catch me sharing pupusas slathered in curtido with loved ones, listening to cassettes on my glitchy boombox, using greasy hands to wrench on rickety old mopeds, cold plunge dunking in the ocean, cooking for friends and neighbors, and recording stories in community with T4T Oral Histories.