In broadcast radio segments and a weekly podcast, she reports on everything from autonomous cars and ride sharing to motorcycles, bicycles and public transit.
She is also known for operating two illegal pirate-radio stations and writing about unconventional adventures for the women's magazine Jane which she undertook in order to experience them firsthand.
A University of Wisconsin–Madison graduate,[1] Carpenter was working as a legal secretary in San Francisco, California, in 1995, when she began pseudonymously running an illegal all-music pirate-radio station, which she named "KPBJ", after the sandwich.
During those years, KPBJ grew from interviewing relatively unknown guests to hosting live performances by such bands as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction.
[10][11][12] In 2004, Carpenter wrote a book about her experiences as a pirate-radio operator[2][4][5][13] which has been described as "sine qua non for anyone who aspires to run any kind of community-style radio station" due to the details it provides about the college, community, and pirate scene.