Meet 6 more contributors from the Present Yourself book
We are getting so close to publishing the Present Yourself book! One of the things we’re most excited about are the contributors’ stories and advice.
There are over a dozen voices featured in Present Yourself. In addition to the two co-authors, the book’s 11 contributors are a mix of voices from the Women Talk Design community. Each person brings their own perspective to the book, focusing on different aspects of speaking.
Last summer, we featured 5 of the 11 contributors. Now, we’re excited to bring you to the rest.
Here’s what they had to share about why they’re excited for the project and what they’ve written about:
Ariba Jahan
Ariba Jahan is a multi-disciplinary product and experience leader, immigrant Bangladeshi woman with a hearing disability, named one of the Global Top 100 Women of the Future in Emerging Tech, formerly served as the VP of Product Experience and Innovation at the Ad Council.
On why she joined the Present Yourself book:
“Joining the “Present Yourself” book project is personally exciting because I’ve been in those rooms and on those stages, where I’m the only one that looks like me. I can still count on one hand how many Bangladeshi women or immigrants I’ve shared stages with. For the record, it’s not because we are not out here being phenomenal, it’s because taking up space isn’t culturally normalized and being provided the opportunity to occupy shared stage space can be rare. (I mean we’ve all seen the viral conference that created fake women speaker profiles instead of making their line up diverse *side eye*).“
“Women Talk Design has been committed to ensuring less people feel like this, making sure more voices are heard, and they played a pivotal role in starting my speaker journey. Women Talk Design helped me feel more equipped and less alone, as I navigated being a multidisciplinary leader and speaker on tech, design and ethics. Now, I get to be part of such a special project that’s committed to amplifying diverse voices and perspectives on stages and boardrooms. It’s more than just a project: it’s an opportunity to change the narrative and create a world where everyone sees a reflection of themselves in the stories that shape our society and future.”
On what she’s contributing:
“My essay contribution to Present Yourself is on a topic I’m still nurturing and expanding on: the art of infusing your story. That can include your own personal journey or a moment that still stays with you, whether they were joyous or difficult experiences. I have to admit, sharing my personal story was not always easy for me, especially in the beginning. But every time I shared my personal whys and experiences, I noticed it allowed people to connect to me and my message more, and vice versa. Over the years of experimenting with different tactics, I’ve learned how to infuse my story to create a shared journey with my audience instead of just disclosure, and how to do it in a way that preserves my energy, needs and boundaries. I hope the readers find my insights helpful and encouraging as they explore how they want to infuse more stories and their experiences into their message.”
B. Pagels-Minor
B. is the award-winning founder of DVRGNT Ventures & The Wealth Salons, product strategist, podcast host, startup advisor and investor, executive coach, and a respected thought leader in agile technologies. B.’s fierce drive to promote diversity in tech and impact authentic change continues to define their work and life outside of their work. B. is a proud graduate of Northwestern University with a focus on history and an MBA and master of information systems from Robert Morris University. B. gives back to various organizations by being the Vice Chair and secretary on the Board of Directors at Howard Brown Health, one of the top 3 largest LGBTQ community health centers in the country, Vice President and secretary on the Board of Directors at the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and Board of Directors of both the Northwestern Alumni Association and Outfest. B. has been honored as one of the Queer 50 from Fast Company in 2022 and 2023, 35 Hero Advocate Executives by Involve People and Yahoo Finance UK, 40 under 40 by Silicon Valley Journal, and a finalist for 2022 LGBTQNation Heroes of the Year.
On why they joined the Present Yourself book:
“I am excited about Present Yourself because I’ve always wanted to write but have been afraid to dive in. Sitting down to write for this project has instantly made me more comfortable with my written voice and my speaking voice.”
On what they are contributing:
“I am also delighted to discuss the importance of finding your why when deciding to be a speaker.”
Tomomi Sasaki
Tomomi Sasaki is a designer and coach, seeking to build strong teams, healthy workplaces and useful products. She is a partner at the independent design studio AQ and co-founder of Emotions at Work. Born in Tokyo, based in Paris.
On why she joined the Present Yourself book:
“I believe in what Women Talk Design stands for, and I’m super glad to contribute to this project.”
On what she’s contributing:
“My essay will be about audience engagement–six entry points to figure out how to create a shared experience. I want my talks and workshops to be engaging, and I want yours to be, too!”
Eleanor Mason Reinholdt
Eleanor Mason Reinholdt (she/her) is a seasoned Design Leader currently at Atlassian, leading teams responsible for Atlassian’s Administrative product and its design system. She previously led teams at Asana, Uber Eats, and Intuit after coming up as a product and service designer in eCommerce and FinTech. She is also an award-winning playwright and performer, creating the solo piece “Force of Nature,” which won the San Francisco Best of the Fringe.
On why she joined the Present Yourself book:
“I’m excited about this book because we benefit as a society when everyone feels they belong in the room, and that their story and perspective is valid and needs to be heard. In the over 25 years I’ve spent in tech, we’ve made great progress here, and there’s still a ways to go.”
“Pursue your creativity in whatever medium fits you best. As Brené Brown says, “unused creativity is not benign.” While most of the people I’ve coached have been in the world of tech, and looking to present at technical conferences, I found that my own path is taking me towards storytelling. And so if I have one wish for all our readers, even if presenting is not your medium, make sure that you engage with that creative part of yourself continuously; don’t forget how to play and express yourself.”
On what she’s contributing:
“I wrote about the physical and mental preparation to handle anxiety before presenting for a few reasons. One, I’m a professionally trained actor, and I realize most people don’t get the benefit of that training, or having “nerves” and anxiety normalized. Secondly, I would never want someone to take themselves out of the presenting game because they’ve told themselves the false story that, ‘real presenters don’t get nervous.’ We do.”
Alla Weinberg
Alla Weinberg is a keynote speaker, author, and executive coach. She is the CEO of Spoke & Wheel, a culture design and people development company that builds cultures of physical, emotional, and psychological safety.
On why she joined the Present Yourself book:
“Every time I think about this project, I do a little happy dance. For me, this book project is about lifting up voices that might have been hushed or overlooked in the past. There’s this contagious energy in knowing that the project is giving people the concepts, tools, and supportive community to finally speak up.”
On what she’s contributing:
“In the book, I share about my experience of being anxious for years of public speaking and what I eventually learned was really going on in my body (and more precisely my nervous system) when I experienced stage fright. I offer speakers some ways to help them calm their nerves and feel safe to share their message.”
Alexis Wong
Alexis Wong is a Portland based, public speaking vocal production coach. Her background is in musical theater, with 15 years wearing multiple hats as an actor, singer, producer, playwright and director. She specializes in coaching women in tech seeking to cultivate their voice for leadership.
On why she joined the Present Yourself book:
“I’m thrilled to be part of a project that’s providing more accessibility and shared resources around a topic like public speaking. Being a great public speaker can do so much for someone’s career and self-esteem. While not everyone is born with the innate sense of how to read a room or speak to an audience, it’s a skill that can be built and honed.”
“Whatever you choose to do with this book, I’m excited that it found you.”
On what she’s contributing:
“I’m honored to share my take on using your voice as a toolbox – and an exercise to creating emotion and impact with the sound of your voice.”
Present Yourself is coming out in just a couple of months. If you want to follow along, sign up here. You’ll be the first to hear all of our updates along the way.
