Our Team

Phil Vischer

Founder and Host

Phil made his first animated film when he was nine years old and by age fourteen was convinced he would be a filmmaker when he grew up. After a brief stint in Bible College, Phil struck out on his own, looking for a way to integrate his faith with his filmmaking. This quest led him to a tomato and a cucumber. The year was 1991, and Phil was a newly married 25 year-old with no financial backing and no idea how his vegetables would ever see the light of day. Today, more than 65 million VeggieTales videos have been purchased and Phil’s faith-filled stories can be found in 1/3 of all American homes with young children. Although Phil’s original company, Big Idea Productions, collapsed in bankruptcy in 2003, Phil continues some involvement with VeggieTales, while actively developing new ways to integrate faith and storytelling through series like What’s in the Bible? Phil captured the breathtaking rise and heartbreaking fall of Big Idea Productions in the book Me, Myself & Bob.

​Phil lives with his wife Lisa (aka Junior Asparagus) and their three kids in West Chicago, Illinois.

Skye Jethani

Founder and Editor in Chief

Skye is an award-winning author and speaker. Raised in a religiously and ethnically diverse family, his curiosity about faith led him to study Comparative Religion at a state university before entering seminary and local pastoral ministry. A hunger for learning and writing eventually led him to numerous editorial and executive roles at Christianity Today, including Executive Editor of Leadership Journal and Senior Producer of This Is Our City, a multi-year, multi-city project telling the stories of Christians working for the flourishing of their communities. Skye has authored eleven books and writes WITH GOD DAILY, a daily digital devotional for people who hate devotionals. He speaks regularly throughout the U.S. and internationally to gatherings as diverse as the U.S. Naval Academy, the Chautauqua Institution, and the Q Culture Summit. He has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Relevant, and Religion News Service.

Skye and his wife, Amanda, have been friends since high school and currently live in Wheaton, Illinois, with their three children.

Kaitlyn Schiess

Senior Editor

Kaitlyn is Sr. Editor at Holy Post Media, co-host of the flagship Holy Post podcast, host of Curiously, Kaitlyn, and host of Getting Schooled with Kaitlyn Schiess on Holy Post+. She is also the author of The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here (Brazos 2023) and The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor (IVP, 2020). Her writing has appeared in Christianity Today, The New York Times, Christ and Pop Culture, RELEVANT, and Sojourner. She has a Master of Theology (ThM) in Systematic Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is currently a doctoral student in Political Theology at Duke Divinity School. She loves cooking for a crowded kitchen, reading in any spare minute she has, and teaching Sunday school to little kids.

Esau McCaulley

Senior Editor

Esau is Sr. Editor at Holy Post Media and the host of The Esau McCaulley Podcast. He is also an associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, a regular columnist for The New York Times, and senior pastor of All Saints Naperville. His recent memoir How Far to the Promised Land questions the narrative of exceptionalism that he, and other Black survivors, are conditioned to give when they “make it” in America. His book Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope won numerous awards, including Christianity Today’s book of the year. Esau is an avid sports fan and lives in Wheaton, IL with his family.

Jon Houghton

CEO

Jon is the CEO of Holy Post Media. He has an MA in Theology from Fuller Seminary and previously served on Young Life staff for over 20 years, most recently as Regional Director for YL Chicagoland. Jon is passionate about serving on the bridge between orthodoxy (right thinking) and orthopraxy (right living). Beyond that, he enjoys sitting on porches talking with people he loves. He also loves to read, exercise, l and listen to way too many NBA basketball podcasts. Jon and his wife, Annie live in Oak Park, IL with their four kids.

Mike Stralow

Producer

Mike is the Producer at Holy Post Media. He is a former pastor, and spent 8 years in fundraising for Christian nonprofits, including serving as the Vice President of Advancement at Jill's House. He has a BA in Biblical and Theological Studies from Wheaton College. Mike continues to be very involved at his current church, preaching occasionally, and regularly meets with dads raising children with intellectual disabilities to offer care and support. Mike and his wife, Keelia, lives in Palatine, IL with their three kids.

Seth Gorvette

Post Production Editor

Seth is the Post-Production Editor at Holy Post Media. He has a bachelor's in digital media from Spring Arbor University, where began working as a podcast editor on The Liberating Arts, and later, The Scandal of Reading. After working in Ontario for a time in video advertisement, he got the opportunity to work at the Holy Post and moved back to the States. He enjoys obscure animated movies, classic literature, and trying new hot chocolate recipes.

Emerson Slaughter

Community Engagement Coordinator

Emerson is the Community Engagement Coordinator at Holy Post Media. She has an Education degree from Wheaton College and is interested in how spiritual formation shapes and transforms everyday life. She lives in Oak Park, IL and enjoys walking around Chicagoland, making music, and gathering around the table.

Jordan Benford

Operations and Media Assistant

Jordan is a student-athlete at Wheaton College studying communication. She desires to work with HPM because it bridges the divide between Christianity and controversial topics, providing safe spaces for truth and love to shine forth rather than hate and judgment.

Sarah Kwan

Operations and Administrative Coordinator

Sarah is the Operations and Administrative Coordinator at Holy Post Media. She brings over a decade of experience leading teams and creating meaningful experiences through music and the arts. Born in California and raised in China as a missionary kid, Sarah grew up navigating multiple cultures and perspectives — a skill that still shapes how she works and connects with people.

She is passionate about helping people and systems flourish, loves a well-run plan, and thrives when creativity and organization come together. Sarah enjoys live theater, exploring new places, cooking ambitious meals, and getting lost in long conversations. She currently lives in the Chicago area and is always on the lookout for a good story and a great performance.

Interns

Carter Conrady

Carter is a senior studying English literature at Wheaton College. He has heart for ministry, words, and their intersection, having worked at HoneyRock Center for Leadership Development and the Wheaton College Writing Center. He loves running, reading, tea, and being outside.

Claire McLeod

Claire is a senior at Wheaton College, where she studies history and economics. She has extensive training in academic research and is especially interested in American evangelicalism and understanding its role within the broader history of Christianity.

Mollie Waldrop

Mollie graduated with a BA in Philosophy and English Writing from Wheaton College in 2024, after which she taught Middle School Literacy at an international school in Albania. She grew up in Prague, Czechia and Istanbul, Türkiye, and enjoys writing, acting, and making music. She is excited to work with HPM, helping to create nuanced, globally- and historically-minded Christian commentary on today's most pressing issues.