A better world is possible. I’m here to talk about it.

Lots of us are afraid of—nay, absolutely dread—public speaking. Getting on stage with the pressure to perform flawlessly? Plenty of people would take a hard pass.

Not me.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a yapper. As a kid, I was always raising my hand at school, eager to speak up. (The “pleasure to have in class” to “public speaker” pipeline is real!)

As an adult, I’ve embraced my outspoken streak, using my voice to dive into difficult topics and share my vision for a more inclusive society.

When I spoke at TEDxAlbany in 2019, I made an argument for vulnerable leadership as a force for positive change. That speech changed my life—giving me the confidence to follow my scariest ideas, and eventually leading to the publication of my first book.

Now, I continue to use public speaking as a tool to inspire and engage audiences—and move us all toward a better future. The magic is in my mix of vulnerability and storytelling, which allows me to break down barriers and build common ground.

✨ Ready to bring that magic to your conference, classroom or event?

LET’S WORK TOGETHER

You can hire me to speak about…

Why Leaders Must be Vulnerable to Create Change

Seven years ago, I published a story that cracked open a longstanding silence about what it was like to be queer in the Boy Scouts of America – and it sparked a national conversation. What I discovered along the way was that leaders must be vulnerable and share their true stories in order to create change. In this talk, I show how storytelling allows people to see themselves in leaders and embrace the change they are trying to make.

Why LGBTQ+ Inclusion is Crucial to Your Organization’s Success

During the momentous summer of 2020, it seemed every organization was jumping on the diversity, equity and inclusion bandwagon. But four years later, many have dropped or diluted those commitments due to political pressure. In this talk, I will show how the organizations that have continued investing in LGBTQ+ inclusion are the ones that are thriving the most. And I will inspire organizational leaders to remain steadfast in their support of this community in the long term.

How LGBTQ+ Storytellers Can Thrive in Journalism

It’s a challenging time to be an LGBTQ+ person in the U.S., with annual surges of legislation aiming to curtail our rights. For LGBTQ+ reporters, it’s even harder to navigate. In this talk, I help those journalists learn how to report on these mounting atrocities while protecting their mental health. I help newsroom leaders learn how to support their LGBTQ+ employees. And I discuss how to draw the line of “objectivity” when the rights of your own community are under attack.

💖 ‘One of the best speakers I’ve had’

“He is easily one of the best speakers I’ve had in the classroom in more than 10 years of teaching college media classes.” — Janet K. Keeler, Ed.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of Journalism, Eckerd College

🎙️ My track record

I’ve given speeches in professional conferences, college classrooms and corporate boardrooms. These include a TEDx Talk, as well as presentations for Eckerd College and NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists.