Developed an App to Match Goals to Roles
Toastmasters depends on members voluntarily taking on leadership roles, but most clubs approach recruitment backwards. They list open roles and ask members to pick one, rather than starting with the member's goal and the skills they want to build or improve.
This is backwards. It led me to build the Goal to Role app, a tool that starts with what a member wants to achieve and works toward the role that can help them get there.
How I Helped a Nonprofit With 50+ Programs Tell One Story
Ask ten people at a large organization what it does, and you will often get ten different answers. For a human services nonprofit with more than 50 programs across multiple regions, that gap was more than an inconvenience. It put the agency's credibility at risk with funders, partners, and the communities it serves. This is how I designed a workshop that gave supervisors a shared story, a common vocabulary, and a pitch they could adapt for any audience.
Impact, Opportunity, and Closing the AI Gender Gap
I scored one of the two remaining tickets for Women of SaaS New York’s latest event. Rachael Nemeth, CEO & Co-Founder, Opus Training moderated a fascinating panel. Themes throughout the evening centered on impact and opportunity, and the gender gap in AI adoption.
The Case for Knowledge Management
Why does great knowledge management rarely reach the C-suite? A look at the gap between what KM delivers and how leadership hears it.
help save lives
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, taking nearly 50,000 lives every year.
As a mental health advocate and educator, I am proud to volunteer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). As a member of the Advocacy & Public Policy Committee, I meet with federal and New York State elected officials and their staff. We provide information about and rally support for legislation that promotes mental health and suicide prevention. In my role as a trained presenter, I give educational programs to corporations and community groups. These discussions help people learn how they can save lives, support those at risk, and support someone who has experienced a recent loss to suicide.
It’s no secret that Dan Brown’s latest novel is an instant hit
Iceland has a national tradition called Jólabókaflóð, or the "Christmas Book Flood." Families give each other books on Christmas Eve and spend the holiday reading together. Iceland publishes an astonishing five titles per every 1,000 residents, and most books in the country are sold from late September to early November. This tradition began during World War II, when strict currency restrictions limited the amount of imported giftware. Imported paper was less restricted than other products, so Icelanders often gave books as Christmas gifts.
We need to talk about suicide
In 1987, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) was established to give those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death.
Less hustle, more om
Reflection
Relaxation
Deep breathing
Hmm, these words don't really scream "productivity," do they?
On the contrary, participating in these activities can actually lead to some major benefits, including increased creativity and being in the right mindset to make sound decisions.
The tiniest thing you can do that means everything
If you've ever stumbled over someone's pronouns and felt unsure what to do, this one's for you.
Let’s start with what a pronoun is. They’re the words we use to talk about people without saying their name. Examples are “he,” “she,” or “they.” Instead of saying, "Henry went to the store," we could use Henry’s pronoun and say, "He went to the store."
First timer for the last hurrah
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit focused on helping individuals improve their public speaking and leadership skills. I’m a HUGE fan of this organization and have been a member of five different clubs beginning in 2022. Currently I’m in the clubs Global Pride and NYC Tech.
From startup walks to Techwalk
Walking meetings. I started doing these about 15 years ago at a tech startup. Organizing lunchtime walks around our office complex as a way to escape our desks and grab some fresh air. I hadn't given them much thought since then, until recently.
Stop sending word Docs. Use a form.
You just heard about a fabulous event. You’re thrilled when the host emails you to gather some information. And then you see they’ve attached… a Word doc. With questions, and underlined areas to fill in the answers. You start typing and the formatting immediately falls apart. If you’re on your phone, forget it, you won’t be completing anything until you can sit down at a computer. In a parking lot? Good luck.
AI won’t fix your knowledge management program
Most organizations invest in tools, systems, and documentation, and still watch knowledge walk out the door. The missing ingredient isn't a better platform or AI. It's conversation.
1,500 NYC Tech Week events and this one stood out
New York City Tech Week concluded last week. Boston’s Tech Week was last month and San Francisco and LA will host theirs in October. There were more than 1,500 events in NYC to choose from, with topics on AI, B2B, SaaS, HealthTech, FinTech, GTM, and more for engineers, founders, investors, students, and anyone interested in or working in tech. As you can imagine it was challenging to narrow down which events that myself and 40,000 (!) other attendees wanted to do.