Aaron Calafato
Aaron Calafato | |
|---|---|
| Born | Aaron Christopher Collier April 18, 1983 |
| Alma mater | Bowling Green State University |
| Occupations | Storyteller, podcast host, writer, performer |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | www |
Aaron Calafato (born 18 April 1983) is an American storyteller and podcast host. He is the creator and host of 7 Minute Stories, a short-form storytelling podcast launched in 2018, and the executive producer and co-host of The Lonely Office podcast.[1]
He is also the author of the one-man show For Profit, a biographical work based on his experiences with student debt.[2] Alongside this, Calafato is an activist in the student loan movement and advocates for those burdened with financial debt.[3][4]
Biography
Early years and acting work
Calafato was born in Berea[5] and grew up in Medina.[6] From an early age, he showed a keen interest in radio and storytelling, nurtured by his grandfather.[6]
His first acting experience came in high school, when he played a role in a friend's film.[5] He graduated from Medina High School in 2001[6] and from Bowling Green State University in 2005, where he studied performing arts.[5][6][7]
After graduating, he moved with his wife to New York City, where he worked in off-Broadway productions and experimental theater.[6][7] He studied for one year at the Herbert Berghof Studio (HB Studio) and for eighteen months at Michael Howard Studios.[5] In 2007, Calafato landed a role on the ESPN television series The Bronx Is Burning.[5][6]
After residing in New York for five years, he returned to Ohio with his wife.[5] There, he opened an acting studio at the Solon Center for the Arts, where he taught classes for high school students and adults.[5]
Podcasting
Facing a limited number of roles and an unstable income, his acting career reached a dead end, and he transitioned from acting to storytelling.[8] He began recording short narratives as a creative experiment, which in 2018 developed into the podcast 7 Minute Stories.[8][6] It soon became his primary project and earned him recognition.[8] In the podcast, Calafato shares stories from everyday life, each lasting about seven minutes and created mostly through improvisation.[1]
A year later, in 2019, the podcast was featured on NPR's Snap Judgment show[1][6] and was also included in the Goodpods' Top 100 Performing Arts Indie Podcasts list.[9] By 2025, the show reached over 30 million listeners.[1]
Following this, he joined Glassdoor's podcast The Lonely Office as both co-host and executive producer.[1] As bonus content for the podcast, he launched The Storytelling University, a weekly live show on YouTube consisting of 2–3 hour-long conversations with guests.[1]
He also serves as a podcast consultant for State of Mind with Maurice Benard.
One-man show: For Profit
Before beginning his podcasting career, after returning to Northeast Ohio, Calafato worked in catering and in the admissions office of a for-profit university.[3][1][4] A few months into the job, he created a one-man show, "For Profit," in which he discusses his struggles with student debt and critiques the for-profit college industry in the United States.[3][1][7][4]
The Plain Dealer notes that the play follows a character named "Aaron," an advisor who enters the profession with optimism but becomes disillusioned by systemic practices.[4][7] The show premiered at Euclid Square Mall in 2013.[1][6]
Writing, activism, and other work
Calafato is a student debt activist and a member of the Occupy Student Debt movement.[4][7]
He is also a columnist for Your Ohio News (Medina Weekly) and writes the short story column Stories in a Snap.[10]
Filmography
Film, television, and theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Bronx is Burning | Police officer | TV series | [6] |
| 2008 | No Faces | Student film | [5] | |
| 2009 | You Can See the World from Cleveland | Solo performance | [5] | |
| 2013 | For Profit | Writer and performer | [4] |
Podcasting
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 7 Minute Stories | Creator and host | [1] | |
| 2020s | The Lonely Office | Co-creator, co-producer, co-host | [1] | |
| 2020s | The Storytelling University | Host | [1] | |
| 2020s | State of Mind with Maurice Benard | Podcast consultant |
Live audio show
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | Calafato: LIVE & Unscripted! | Host and storyteller | ||
| 2020s | Night Stories (LIVE!) | Host |
Personal life
He is married and has three children. He currently resides in Northeast Ohio, US.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Nickoloff, Annie (10 July 2025). "A Local Short-Form Storytelling Podcast Finds Connection in Personal Moments". Cleveland Magazine.
- ^ "One-man play highlights perils of college debt; performances scheduled in Akron, Cleveland". Akron Beacon Journal.
- ^ a b c Meyer, Tom; Trexler, Phil (17 November 2015). "Investigator | For-profit colleges under fire". WKYC.
- ^ a b c d e f Harris, Sheryl (16 August 2013). "Art imitates life and debt in play about for-profit school: Plain Dealing". The Plain Dealer.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jablonski, Ray (15 August 2009). "Area native Aaron Calafato opens acting studio at Solon Center for the Arts". The Plain Dealer.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Benson, John (20 August 2021). "Renowned podcast host Aaron Calafato inspired by Medina nostalgia". The Chronicle-Telegram.
- ^ a b c d e Blumenstyk, Goldie (3 April 2012). "The Morality of a For-Profit College, in One Act". The Chronicle of Higher Education.
- ^ a b c Womack, Josh (19 April 2019). "Acting career was a flop, but young professional found his silver lining". Crain's Cleveland Business.
- ^ "Top 100 Performing Arts Podcasts". Goodpods. Archived from the original on 24 November 2025.
- ^ "When the compass was a Medina classroom". Your Ohio News. 24 August 2025.