Speaking
I am an experienced public speaker, and have had the opportunity to present to a variety of audiences.
TV, Press, and Media
As part of my role with The Cauldron, I am regularly in media and press. I’ve done quite a bit of Live TV (always fun), produced videos, and social media, and really enjoy working with journalists, digital creators, and news teams both in-front-of and behind-the-camera to get them the best story possible. It’s good fun, and especially so when I can build long-term relationships with journalists in different markets!
Panelist & Industry Expert
I’m a routine panelist for industry conversations around tech, storytelling immersive experiences, and funding. Some of my favorite panelist experiences include joining a panel for NIVA (National Independent Venue Association) about bridging the gap for independent venue funding by exploring alternative means of financing, as well as speaking to the members from FoST (The Future of Storytelling) about The Cauldron’s story from startup to entertainment company.
Conference Presenting
I had the opportunity to speak about adblock and its effect on the Digital Media Industry at the Digital Media Viability Conference in Beirut, Lebanon in 2016. The conference, hosted by the Maharat Foundation & DW Akademie, focused on Middle Eastern and International Perspectives in the future of digital media and journalism.
Pitching
I love pitching. I have delivered startup pitches for a variety of business opportunities and competitions. I gave the winning pitch at the Dublin Startup Weekend for Education for my team’s augmented reality flashcard business in 2016. I have also pitched on the Google Stage at the 2014 Dublin Startup Weekend for my team’s travel tech business, and to investors at NDRC LaunchPad, a Dublin-based, early-stage accelerator program. For my master’s degree in Creative Digital Media, pitching was a regular part of our ongoing assessment and a determining factor in our final grade for our Travel App, Travel Kandi.
Speeches
I have delivered several speeches to small and large groups. I’ve given acceptance speeches for both Teach for America Miami-Dade’s Diversity Award and the New Jersey Hero's Award. Perhaps the greatest honors I’ve ever received was to deliver the commencement speech at my graduation ceremony from Rutgers University. I spoke at the Humanities graduation ceremony to several hundred of my peers, their families, and university staff.
Teaching
I began my career as a high school reading teacher, in which time I became very comfortable speaking in front of small groups, leading activities, answering questions, and facilitating workshops. Like anything, learning to speak in front of a classroom was challenging at first, but over time and practice it became easier!