There are so many talented women already speaking, but we also noticed there are also countless incredible women and gender nonbinary folks in design and tech who aren’t speaking, but we think should be. In November 2017 we began hosting events and workshops to change that. Our programs are designed to get more folks who are underrepresented on stage excited about speaking and give them to the tools and practice to feel confident on stage. 

Why speak? Giving a talk at conferences and events is a great way to position yourself as a leader in a topic, share what you’ve learned, get new business, meet new people, and the list goes on. 

We know it can be hard to know where to start. The 2-day speaking workshop this December is specifically designed to give attendees the opportunity to draft a talk and practice it, in a safe, supportive space.

Attendees come in with an idea for a talk, and one Day 1, we start with an introduction to speaking at conferences, go over the fundamentals of storytelling and how that can be used in your talk, and attendees begin to draft a 5-minute talk. Feedback is a crucial part of the process, so attendees share, get and provide feedback often.

You’ll spend some time working on the talk over the next week and come the following weekend ready to present! On the second Saturday, we’ll learn to present with confidence, practice and get feedback from peers and present!

We’ve loved hearing the feedback from this workshop. The group is always supportive and leaves with a new small network, in addition to feeling more confident speaking. Attendees have continued to build on the talks they started and also used the framework to develop new talks!

Have any question about the 2-day workshop? Let us know by emailing harper@aigasf.org! We hope you’ll join us!