Fatima Zaidi is the founder and CEO of Quill Inc., an award-winning podcast production agency specializing in corporate audio, hosting top brands like Walmart, Interac, and Expedia. She also founded CoHost, a podcast growth and analytics tool helping brands scale and measure success.
Fatima was named DMZ’s Woman of the Year and received two Top 30 under 30 awards. She’s a BNN Bloomberg commentator, advocating for female and BIPOC founders, and a contributing writer for The Globe and Mail and Huffington Post. Fatima also teaches podcasting strategy at the University of Toronto and co-chairs Tech4SickKids at SickKids Hospital.
We sat down with Fatima to find out what trends are shaping the podcasting industry, and how she bridges the gap between podcasting and the measurable results for brands.
What inspired you to enter the podcasting space and create Quill?
I noticed a major gap in the industry while working in marketing for tech companies. Brands were interested in podcasting, but there wasn’t an agency that could manage the entire process, from production to marketing to tech infrastructure, and hiring freelancers wasn’t scalable. I saw an opportunity to create an end-to-end podcasting solution for brands.
The idea clicked for me when I heard the founders of Ben and Jerry’s share their stories via the How I Built This podcast, which showed me how powerful podcasting could be as a brand storytelling tool, and Quill was born.
How do your tools bridge the gap between podcasting and measurable results?
CoHost was built to solve one of the biggest pain-points, in podcasting: the lack of actionable data. Traditional podcast analytics only provide basic download numbers, but brands need more insights to refine their strategy. Our platform goes deeper, offering audience demographics, engagement tracking, and conversion data.
We track consumption rates and episode drop-off points, helping brands optimize their content. Additionally, CoHost allows you to see which companies are listening to your podcast, along with the employee’s job title and role, so you can connect the podcast to lead generation efforts.
By bridging the gap between podcasting and actual measurable ROI, we empower brands to make data-driven decisions and prove the value of having branded podcasts in their marketing efforts.
What trends are shaping the future of podcasting?
Podcasting is evolving rapidly, with data-driven insights playing a bigger role in content marketing strategies. Brands are leveraging advanced analytics to measure podcast performance, making tools like ours essential. Brands aren’t focusing on vanity metrics like downloads anymore (thankfully), they’re emphasizing insights that help them understand who their audience is and what content is resonating.
One of the biggest trends we’re seeing at Quill is the rise of video podcasts. Platforms like YouTube and Spotify are investing heavily in video podcasts, recognizing that audiences are preferring a visual component alongside their audio. Video podcasts offer brands greater discoverability, engagement, and cross-platform reach, as they can be repurposed into clips for social media. As video podcasting becomes mainstream, brands that embrace this format will have a significant advantage in capturing audience attention.
What challenges have you faced while building Quill as a female POC?
Fundraising has been one of my biggest challenges. Women-led startups receive a fraction of VC funding, and as a BIPOC woman, I faced additional biases. Many investors seemed to have a preconceived notion of what a “successful” entrepreneur looked like, and I often felt like I was there to check a diversity box. Instead of spending months pitching VCs, I chose to bootstrap Quill, focusing on building a profitable business from day one.
This approach gave me full control over my company’s direction and allowed us to grow sustainably. It also reinforced the importance of self-advocacy. Women founders often hesitate to take credit for their achievements, but I’ve learned that advocating for myself and my business is crucial. Now, I encourage other women to build their brands, take ownership of their success, and challenge the barriers in the industry.
How does philanthropy guide your leadership at Quill?
I’ve always believed in the power of giving back, which is why I built philanthropy into Quill’s DNA. We host bi-annual volunteer days for our team, focusing on giving back to our community. Quill pledges a percentage of our equity to SickKids Hospital. We’ve also sponsored Syrian refugee families through Lifeline Syria and raised funds for Canadian and Maui wildfires. A percentage of our annual profits goes towards charities like UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders.
Jackie Marson | Contributing Writer
