EDRM’s Illumination Zone Podcast Celebrates 200th Episode

Award Winning Podcast Producer Unveiled

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, UNITED STATES, March 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM^®), leading the way for global best practices in e-discovery, celebrated the 200th episode of its Illumination Zone podcast with award-winning podcast producer, Xen Hartzell, interviewing the EDRM podcast team.

The Illumination Zone podcast began during COVID to allow the EDRM and greater legal tech community to stop looking at their screens for content and community. Kaylee Walstad, EDRM’s chief strategy officer, and Mary Mack, EDRM’s CEO and chief legal technologist, tried the DIY approach to launch and soon found the need for expertise to syndicate the podcast. The answer lay with Kaylee’s musician son, Alex, who introduced the EDRM team to his death metal bandmate, podcast producer Xen Hartzell. Soon, episode one of EDRM’s flagship podcast, “The Illumination Zone,” was on the syndicated wire.

Over the years, EDRM has published emerging podcasts as part of the EDRM Global Podcast Network. In addition to “The Illumination Zone,” EDRM’s podcasts include “TAR TALK” with John Tredennick as well as Ralph Losey’s Anonymous Podcasters on “Echoes of AI”, where Ralph curates and validates the podcasts, but his AI podcast hosts generate the discussions.

"Producing The Illumination Zone podcast with the EDRM has been a fascinating window into the ever-changing eDiscovery industry," said Xen Hartzell. “I was unfamiliar with eDiscovery prior to this partnership, and learning about the field through the lens of The Illumination Zone has been endlessly intriguing. Reflecting on this shared podcasting journey with Mary, Kaylee, and Holley during my visit on the 200th episode of the Illumination Zone was a delight!”

In 2024, EDRM’s marketing operations manager, Holley Robinson, joined the EDRM team and the Illumination Zone podcast.

“I still cannot believe how fortunate we are to have crossed paths with Xen; they have made everything we do with our podcast possible and much more,” said Kaylee Walstad, chief strategy officer at EDRM. “Pre-pandemic, I was not a podcast fan, but during the pandemic and then starting our own podcast, I am a massive fan; we are having so much fun with it and meeting such incredible people!”

“Listeners love our guests’ origin stories,” said Mary Mack, CEO and chief legal technologist for EDRM. “We all come from such varied backgrounds, and we often are so pressed by deadlines or the crush of crowds that we do not get to know each other as deeply as we’d like. This podcast shines an intimate light on the movers, shakers, and new entrants to our EDRM community.”

“Reaching this milestone is a testament to the incredible guests, conversations, and collaboration that make the Illumination Zone so special," said Holley Robinson, EDRM's marketing operations manager. "It’s been an absolute privilege to work with Kaylee, Mary, Xen, and our amazing podcast guests to share stories that highlight the depth and diversity of our community."

The Illumination Zone has hosted many engaging conversations. As someone without eDiscovery experience, Xen listened to and edited each and every episode, hailing Matt Mahon and his love of emojis as a high point. They also were struck by Charisma Starr’s conversation on neurodivergence, Samantha Burns , the first cochlear implant recipient, and her journey as a deaf paralegal, and Debbie Reynolds, the Data Diva’s great privacy framing as episodes that surprised them.

EDRM Trusted Partner HaystackID^® commissions a monthly podcast on the Illumination Zone to shine the light on their talented team members, including their deep bench. We have truly enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them and sharing their terrific stories.

"The Illumination Zone podcast is a front-row seat to the conversations shaping legal technology," said Mary Bennett, Senior Director of Content Marketing at HaystackID. "Reaching 200 episodes is no small feat, and it speaks to Kaylee's, Mary's, and Holley's ability to bring industry leaders, innovators, and fresh perspectives together in an insightful and engaging way. As a longtime partner of EDRM, we're thrilled to highlight the experts driving our industry forward and can't wait to hear the next 200 episodes."

Other top Illumination Zone episodes include conversations with EDRM and legal tech leaders Robert Keeling, Dave Cohen, Craig Ball, and Tom Gelbmann, along with Trusted Partners sharing important industry and product news, leading legal tech investors sharing their take on the market, eDiscovery gurus and much more.

The typical Illumination Zone podcast guest has never been on a podcast before. The EDRM team leverages a structure to allow their guests to feel comfortable being unscripted. The partnership with Xen allows for edits when necessary to make sure the intent of the guest is captured accurately and to smooth out any pauses or other distractions from the conversation. As part of their available benefits, EDRM Trusted Partners can offer guests or a podcast series on the Illumination Zone as part of their benefits. EDRM also makes its platform available to invited guests without charge, with ala carte commercial placements with approval.

To make a suggestion for a topic or guest for the Illumination Zone, please contact info@edrm.net.

Listen to the 200th episode of the Illumination Zone here.

About Xen Hartzell

Xen Hartzell is a multimedia artist, musician, voice actor, and podcast producer. Their fiction podcasts "Midst" and "Unend" have repeatedly topped global fiction podcast charts and have garnered numerous editing and audio drama podcasting awards. Xen has been behind the scenes with the EDRM Global Podcast network since its debut, editing the Illumination Zone as well as several of our other past and present programs. On this special 200th episode of our podcast, Xen joined EDRM to reflect on The Illumination Zone's "long and winding road" together.

About EDRM

Empowering the global leaders of e-discovery, the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) creates practical resources to improve e-discovery, privacy, security and information governance. Since 2005, EDRM has delivered leadership, standards, tools and guides to improve best practices throughout the world. EDRM has an international presence in 145 countries, spanning 6 continents and an innovative support infrastructure for individuals, law firms, corporations and government organizations seeking to improve the practice and provision of data and legal discovery. Learn more about the EDRM today at EDRM.net.

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