Kerry Poynter has been playing musical instruments since the age of 10. He has been the host, producer, and sound engineer for multiple podcasts. He is completing a degree in Audio Engineering from SAE Institute NYC (School of Electronic Arts). His original podcast CKNYC, which began as a hobby, is almost 15 years old. This podcast boasts over 8 million downloads/streams, consistently charts top 100 in music and music commentary categories worldwide, and is ranked a top 1% podcast in its global reach by the metrics company Listen Score.  

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He is transitioning from a career in higher education.  He has over 20 years of experience working with traditionally disgenfranshised and minority students including gender and sexual minorities at a number of institutions including Columbia University, Duke University, New York University, and Western Michigan University. Among his experiences he has managed a 2500 sq. ft. LGBTQ location; coordinated four LGBTQIA+ Safe Space Ally Programs; and empowered students through peer education. His work with Lavender Graduation ceremonies was cited by Instinct Magazine as the best of LGBTQ offerings on college campuses. He is the editor and author of Safe Zones: Training Allies of LGBTQIA+ Young Adults (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2016) and has articles that appear in About Campus, The Journal of LGBT Youth, The New Directions in Student Services series, and The Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work. From 2010-2020, he served as the Director of the Gender & Sexuality Student Services Office at the University of Illinois Springfield where he also served as the Interim Director of the Diversity Center for two years. He also coordinated from 2017-2020 the campus affiliate chapter of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI).