Joan Baker
Joan Baker is a senior creative leader and cultural architect shaping the global voice arts economy. She is Co-founder and Senior Vice President of the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences™ (SOVAS™), and co-creator of That’s Voiceover!™ Career Expo, the Voice Arts® Awards, The James Earl Jones Prize™, and the Muhammad Ali Voice of Humanity™ Honor. She is widely recognized for building trusted, high-impact institutions that unite brand leadership, storytelling, education, and philanthropy.
–
At SOVAS™, Joan plays a central role in the strategic growth and creative direction of programs that deliver professional training, education, scholarships, and career development for voice actors worldwide. She has collaborated with and honored legendary talent and cultural leaders including James Earl Jones, Viola Davis, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Hamill, Keith David, Lily Tomlin, Muhammad Ali, William Shatner, Michael Buffer, Rosario Dawson, Ken Burns, Sigourney Weaver, Laraine Newman, and Ving Rhames. Good Morning America has recognized the Voice Arts® Awards as the “Oscars of Voice Actors,” underscoring the platform’s global influence and credibility.
Joan also serves as a juror for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, evaluating entries for the Daytime Emmys and the Children’s and Family Emmys. A respected educator and mentor, she has taught at Columbia University and worked with students at New York University, the Actors Institute (NYC), Western Kentucky University, and New York’s Professional Performing Arts School. In 2022, she joined the University of Hartford’s Hartt Theatre Division as an adjunct professor, where she launched the institution’s first voice acting curriculum.
An accomplished author, Joan wrote Secrets of Voice-Over Success, documenting the career strategies of leading voice actors and expanding access to professional pathways in the industry. Her work as a voice artist, on-camera host, and producer spans major brands and platforms including American Express, CBS Sports, ESPN, HBO, ABC’s The View, A&E, and Grand Theft Auto, earning multiple Telly Awards and PromaxBDA Awards. She also voiced a documentary on the creation of the William Jefferson Clinton Library, which remains part of the library’s permanent display.
Featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Deadline, and Vulture, Joan is also known for her philanthropic leadership and advocacy. Based in Weehawken, New Jersey, she continues to build category-defining programs with her husband and business partner, Rudy Gaskins, advancing excellence, access, and opportunity across the voice arts.
