How to Start a Museum
with Planet Word’s Ann B. Friedman

What kind of person looks at an old, abandoned building and thinks, This should be a museum about words? Ann B. Friedman did. But turning that vision into reality wasn’t easy. This week on FOMO Sapiens, Patrick talks with Ann about the steep challenges of launching Planet Word—from convincing funders to back an untested concept to navigating DC politics and designing exhibits that actually engage modern audiences (including those who claim they “don’t like reading”). Ann shares how she tackled skepticism, built a world-class team, and turned an abstract idea into an immersive, interactive experience. Plus, they dive into the impact of language in the digital age, how words shape our reality, and why the way we communicate is evolving faster than ever. If you’ve ever had a big idea but doubted whether it could work, this episode is for you.

Meet our guest:

Ann B. Friedman is the founder and CEO of Planet Word, a first-of-its-kind interactive museum dedicated to the power of language. A former reading and writing teacher, Ann transformed her lifelong passion for literacy into a groundbreaking cultural institution housed in Washington, D.C.’s historic Franklin School. She is a trustee of the American Alliance of Museums, a founding board member of the Downtown DC Foundation, and has served as Chair of the Board for the SEED Foundation. She lives in Bethesda, MD, with her husband, New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman.