We opened our first office just a few blocks from the Somerville Powder House, one of the oldest stone structures in Massachusetts. During the American Revolution it held the gunpowder that supplied Washington’s troops in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Today, Powderhouse is a living store of ignitable creative energy and expertise that our clients draw upon for their current revolutionary endeavors.

Thought Leadership

Product Reviews

Recruitment

Documentaries

Explainers

Mission Statement

Branding

Joel Olicker | Co-Founder and CEO

Joel has been creating television, video and film documentaries for over three decades, as a writer, editor, producer and director. As co-founder and head of Powderhouse, he’s produced and/or executive produced multiple award-winning series and specials for PBS, Discovery, National Geographic, History, Science, and many others. His most recent 3 part national series “Coming Back with Wes Moore,” about veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, was funded by a grant from Bank of America. His series “Extreme Engineering” and “Build It Bigger” helped define the engineering genre on television, and his series “Dogs 101” is still one of the most beloved series ever to air on Animal Planet. Prior to forming Powderhouse, Joel worked in New York City for the CBS children’s series “Captain Kangaroo” and for ABC News.  Joel has taught film and video making at Hampshire College, and the Maine Film and Television Workshops, and he has guest lectured at Boston University, Emerson College, and the University of Massachusetts.  He lives in Arlington, MA with his wife Kate, and their kids, Zack and Eva.

Robert Kirwan | Executive Producer, Cameraman, Editor

Rob is award-winning filmmaker, cinematographer, and editor. He is currently executive producing “The Great Build” for Powderhouse, a multi-year story of one of the world’s most ambitious construction projects.  Rob has mentored dozens of young editors and post-production artists.

Douglas Stevens | Audio and Music Producer

Douglas Stevens is an award-winning audio and music producer and songwriter. As Executive Producer at Handsome Brothers Music, he managed and recorded thousands of soundtracks for TV, films, advertising, corporate, and the internet and has worldwide music placements. He worked 8 years at SiriusXM satellite radio as producer/host of his own comedy music program for The Howard Stern Channels and is the author of several popular comedy music albums. Today he records and mixes audio for video and tv projects, and helps produce a number of podcasts including That’s Some American Muslim Life, The Song Snatch, Second Start, Exconversations, and Sound Health.

Cathy Kleckner | Office Manager

Cathy brings with her a background in management, marketing and accounting.  She uses her organizational skills to manage the day-to-day operations of the office and enjoys working in our creative environment.

Danielle Myers | Associate

Danielle began her career as an intern at Prehensile Productions in Somerville, where she traveled to the Ecuadorian Amazon as part of a documentary film crew to document an indigenous tribe in the region. She has since been part of the production team for a variety of educational and documentary films for many clients including the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, Scientific American, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Danielle has also filmed and edited comedy shorts, music videos, and promotional films. A graduate of Tufts University, Danielle enjoys surfing, yoga, and photography in her free time.

Liza Weingarten | Assistant Producer

Liza is passionate about using storytelling to connect people and enact change. She’s a native Bostonian and graduate of Columbia University, where she studied journalism and urban development.  In her spare time she can be found on a hike or eating her way around the city.

Kyle Cardoza

Kyle Cardoza is a detail-oriented third year film/video student at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. With experience in video/film recording and editing, Kyle is interested in working on professional shoots for commercial/movies.

Anna Massefski

Anna just graduated from Brandeis University with Film and Writing degrees. She’s got a few screenplays under her belt and is excited to be learning about the rest of the production process at Powderhouse. In her “spare” time, she’s an EMT, helping people and hearing stories from all over the Boston area.

Alex Starfield

Alex is pursuing a degree in Electronic Production & Design at Berklee College of Music.  He has been composing music and practicing visual arts his whole life. Alex’s background in visual arts includes portrait drawing, graphic design, clay-animation, street-art, and tattoo design.

Get Social With Us

Contact Us

Powderhouse

Powderhouse is a unique media content company... not just another video production company. Our mission is to awaken the imagination, enlighten, and connect people with one another.