How many great ideas sink without a trace because people don’t get it? Why do people fear public speaking more than death? When did “serious” become an excuse for boring?
That stops now.
Be heard… AND understood.
Bottom line? Communication is vital in science. It’s how you get your ideas into the world, get them understood, supported, championed, and funded.
In our skeptical, low-attention-span era, presenting technical concepts in clear, engaging ways is an essential skill … so it’s discouraging to hear how many scientists fear public speaking more than death!
Luckily, we can help with that.
From seminar to classroom to yet-another-zoom, learn how to explain your ideas so people understand why they matter. Whether you’re prepping for a TED talk, or find yourself at a party with a group of strangers, we can help you hone fail-safe techniques to connect with your audience – and (eventually) enjoy doing it too!
Learn to not suck at presenting.
Learn to captivate your audience.
Learn to love public speaking.
Let’s get started.
Things our clients say:
“What I learned about communication has changed how I speak with my colleagues and my patients too.” “I’m a more effective communicator because of this experience” “I used to be terrified about public speaking. Now, I’ve done a TED talk.”
We are the only public speaking training designed specifically for scientists, educators and medical professionals that brings together techniques from performing arts and psychology with tools from the world of entertainment.
Our approach is proven to help people truly connect with their audiences, tell great stories, share compelling ideas, and learn to love public speaking along the way.
It’s time to face your fears.
Learn tools and techniques that will give you confidence.
Communicate with clarity and fluency.
Inspire curiosity.
Excite others with the potential of your work.
Pique the interest of funding boards.
Be more interesting at parties!
See real results
The sky’s the limit. Let’s get to work.
Working with us
We work with groups and individuals to help take the terror out of public speaking. Our storytelling formula taps into our humanity and instincts – as well as a toolkit of tried-and-tested techniques that make even dense and complex ideas digestible, understandable - and entertaining too.
Here’s how we can help:
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Our group workshops are a comprehensive (and highly customizable) guide to storytelling and presentation. We focus on key storytelling ideas, performance techniques, and foundational concepts drawn from museum interpretation and research, to give you the tools you need to bring your message to life – and make it compelling.
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Individual or small group coaching is the perfect way to focus on a specific project (e.g. a TED talk, a conference presentation) or communicating a specific idea (e.g. new research). Our sessions include narrative structure analysis, technique exercises and written feedback.
We love to add coaching to our workshops to allow for more individual attention.
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Public speaking doesn’t have to be terrifying! Our social events are perfect for team building and skills polishing. Test and refine your material, and build up your confidence, with fun – yes really – ways to get your reps in; think round robins, rapid-fire TED Talk, or Powerpoint Karaoke.
Who we work with
From centuries old universities and medical schools to early-stage science and tech start-ups, from researchers to teachers, programmers to professors, engineers to theorists, even from Anthropolgists to Zoologists (yes, really!), we love helping people share their ideas and connect with their audiences.
Who we are
We’re on a mission to take the dread out of public speaking and help YOU communicate your ideas with the clarity, fluency, precision, and passion they deserve.
We think science communication really matters. Especially in an age where deliberate dumbing-down, mis-information and dangerous ignorance are de rigueur. It does a disservice to important ideas if the lecture is dry as toast. It’s not a good look for science when you meet an astrophysicist at a party and she can’t even make the stars exciting (this one’s from life experience).
That’s why we created Public Speaking for Scientists; a program that draws on our cumulative 25 years of experience in both science and communication. We’ve designed educational entertainment for the New York Aquarium, and The Bronx Zoo. We’ve helped doctors become better teachers, academics create hit TED talks, and research teams and start-ups impress funders. The educational entertainment we created for The Metropolitan Museum that was rated higher on Trip Advisor than the actual Met.
Kate
Kate makes you fall in love with things you thought were boring! She started out in theater, at the Public Theater and New York City Opera, pivoted to renegade educational entertainment with Museum Hack at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, then co-founded Caveat, a science comedy theater in the Lower East Side. During the pandemic she moved to LA and now produces podcasts with Wondery, and travels the country coaching scientists, academics, and corporate groups in public speaking!
Ethan
Ethan is on a mission to make unique, short-form experience that educate, entertain and change. An facilitator, experience designer and adjunct professor at Baruch College, he has built programs, run trainings, and developed experiences on nearly every continent. Some of his favorite clients have included the National Park Service, Te Papa Tongarewa, Montefiore Medical Center and Dannon! He celebrates Pi Day annually by reciting 100 digits from memory, and has never met a dog he didn’t like.