Some of my more popular speeches include talks on the effects of complex trauma and the importance of mental healthcare for journalists and beyond, talks for therapists and scientists about the importance of destigmatizing mental illness when writing about and treating patients, and talks on diversity and technology in journalism. I also am an expert on how to find stories. I produced almost 200 stories in the four years I worked at Snap Judgment, and was the pinch-hitter story-finder at TAL. An old boss used to say, "If you need a story, just Foogle it." I've helped dozens of journalists find and sell their stories in pitch panels over the years, and can help you find yours.
For speaking engagements, please contact Ryan Barker.
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
“The Power of Trauma: How to Heal and Harness it in Your Work,” Google News Initiative/Video Consortium, 2022
“The Importance of Recognizing Trauma as a Superpower,” The Missouri Department of Mental Health, 2021
“Taking Care of Your Mental Health While Reporting,” NPR, 2020
“Managing Your Mental Health In The Anthropocene,” Third Coast, 2020
“How to Find Great Stories—and Why Greatness Matters,” keynote at the Examined Life Conference. This talk taught physicians and medical professionals how to tell stories that humanize patients and conditions, instead of turning them into lifeless, harmful case studies. 2019
“How to Find and Pitch Great Stories,” PRX, 2018
“Diversifying Public Radio,” ABC Radio Australia, Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, 2016
“How Do We Make Audio Go Viral?” Tecnopolis, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2015
“Customer Slurvice,” Dozens of locations around the world including Cannes Lions, Sundance Film Festival, Apple, and the Atlantic Festival: Pop Up Magazine, 2016-2021
UNIVERSITY GUEST LECTURES
University of California, Santa Cruz, Stevenson College Commencement Speech, 2020
UCSC, 2020
Vassar, 2016
Columbia, 2016, 2019
CUNY, 2015, 2016
KEYNOTES, PANELS, PRESENTATIONS and WORKSHOPS
8-week Intensive Podcast Course, Columbia University, 2020
12-week Intensive Podcast Course, Brooklyn Public Library, 2020
Two-day Podcasting Intensive Workshop, Columbia University, 2019, 2020
The Podcasting Revolution: Women in Podcasting panel, Barnard College, 2019
The Kennedy Center Arts Summit, Washington D.C., 2019
Weeklong radio storytelling course, Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, 2019
Yale’s THREAD Storytelling Conference, New Haven, 2016, 2017, 2018
"Asian Americans in Media" Panel with George Takei, New York, 2017
AAJA (Asian American Journalists’ Association) Conference Pitch Panel: 2017, 2015
Berkeley J-School Pitch Panel, 2016, 2015
Third Coast Pitch Panel, Chicago, 2016
BinderCon, New York, 2015, 2016
"Launching Shortcut" Panel, Columbia, 2016
Tow Fellows Lunch, Columbia, 2016
Columbia J-School Audio Renaissance Panel, Columbia University, 2015
Alaska Press Club Conference, Anchorage, 2015
Audio Hackathon, New York, 2015
JAWS (Journalism and Women Symposium), Whitefish, MT, 2015
Transom Story Workshop, Cape Cod, 2015
Soundcloud's TechRaking Four, San Francisco, 2013
“Musicians’ Tribute to Public Radio,” Noise Pop Festival, San Francisco, 2012
PODCAST CAMEOS