Our Team

Who we are, what we stand for, what we’re eating

Quinn Emmett

Founder, writer, host

Quinn is a philanthropist, screenwriter, investor, father of three small humans, and the founder, writer, and host at Important, Not Important: science for people who give a shit.

He is not a journalist, a scientist, a doctor, or a lot of other things, either.

He has worked at the Financial Times, ESPN, Disney, is an active angel investor in a variety of tech, climate, and food companies, and an advisor to groups like Good Energy.

The critically-acclaimed INI newsletter and podcast stand on the shoulders of the world’s best journalism to help you think deeply and act decisively about the world’s make or break science news, from climate to COVID, heat to hunger, and agriculture to AI ethics.

Quinn’s work is consumed on a weekly basis by senators and scientists, investors and doctors, students and CEO’s, best-selling fiction writers and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists.

Willow Beck

Production director, writer

Hailing from Canada, Willow has a background in wildlife biology and a Master’s in science journalism.

Her passion for science has spanned from counting shrimp off the coast of Vancouver Island to producing the Important, Not Important podcast and managing other INI projects.

Other interests include obsessively watching reality TV (the Bachelor is a sport!) and ruining parties by constantly bringing up The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

EMERITUS

Brian Colbert Kennedy

Brian is co-host emeritus of the Important, Not Important podcast and really just a delightful human being overall.

Brian has worked in both hospitality and entertainment but his deepest passion lies in the future of humanity (or lack thereof) and writing bios in third person. Will robots take our jobs? Will the president lead us into a nuclear war? When Elon sends humans to Mars, can Brian go? Can he? Please??

He is from Chicago, needs coffee to survive, and just loves pointing out to strangers when they’re wearing the same shoes.

Teddy (2009-2022)

Teddy, an otherwise unidentifiable mix of unicorn and virgin fleece, is a co-founder of INI and was born on the cold streets of Los Angeles. He was discovered in a cardboard box at four weeks old, surrounded by his dead brothers and sisters (RIP), but otherwise alone.

Credit for Teddy's adoption goes to Quinn's wife Dana who veered across six lanes of traffic upon seeing Teddy in a rescue shelter's window. Fifteen missed calls later, Quinn was introduced to the next love of his life, and nothing was ever the same.

Teddy was named after the greatest hitter of all-time, Ted Williams. Bringing a unique perspective to Important, Not Important, Teddy's concerns ranged from food waste to an end of days Yellowstone eruption. He will be forever missed.