Meet the Team
Caption Nerds, LLC.
Caption Nerds, LLC. is a boutique CART captioning firm founded in 2018. We have grown organically — largely through word of mouth and returning clients — and we operate at the intersection of business, volunteerism, and advocacy.
We believe that equitable billing practices, educating the public about CART captioning, and honoring language access preferences are all essential to how we do business. Caring about the human elements of captioning — beyond regulatory compliance — is our differentiator. Human-powered captions for human clients are the foundation of everything we do. Quality CART captioning is part of universal design, opening more venues and events to more people.
Professional Organizations and Memberships
Thomas is a participating member in good standing with the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) through 2026. He contributes to the Assessment and Certification Committee supporting the National Certified Speech-to-Text Provider (NCSP) testing cycle through the Global Alliance of Speech-to-Text Captioning Professionals, and volunteers with the NCRA's Marketing and Membership Outreach Committee (MMO), supporting student engagement, webinars, and industry education. He is also a proud member of Oregon Pride in Business, supporting LGBTQIA2S+ inclusion in professional spaces.
Thomas Herman
Owner & Lead Captioner
Thomas (he/him) studied stenography at the award-winning College of Court Reporting before completing his studies with a specialty in captioning at the American Captioning Institute.
He began working as a freelance captioner in 2016 and continues to provide business-to-business support for some of the largest firms in the CART industry, as well as CART divisions within ASL interpretation organizations. Caption Nerds was founded in 2018 to address gaps in the market and bring professional captioning to more venues and events — large and small.
Thomas has always worked at the leading edge of stenographic technology, using Eclipse software and current steno machines including the LightSpeed and Xpression writers.
Christopher Peny
Executive Director
Christopher (he/him) serves as Executive Director of Caption Nerds. He holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Johnson & Wales University and brings years of experience in administration and client services, including roles at The Plaza Hotel and Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York City, and more than a decade as a travel consultant with American Express and AAA Travel.
Christopher is also the photographer and videographer behind Caption Nerds' visual presence. His work drives the company's Instagram account, which has accumulated nearly 138,000 views in support of captioning, language access, and the people that rely on human-powered CART.
Additional Captioners
Thomas maintains a trusted network of experienced freelance captioners available for larger engagements and overflow work. All captioners who work with Caption Nerds bring years of professional experience across broadcast television, higher education, corporate and government settings, conferences, and live events.
We match each engagement with the right provider for your needs.