Conference Speakers:  Sneak-peak

2021 Annual Conference

Seriously Funny, Using Humor to Breathe More Life into Your Life Treasure Hunt – Dr. Clue Storytelling Podcasting
Winning Evaluations Hybrid meetings  TedX Presenter

Seriously Funny, Using Humor to Breathe More Life into Your Life

https://d57tm.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/District-57-Humor-Session.mp4

 

 Jeff Rodgers: Event Host / Presentation Coach / Playmaker

Jeff Rogers helps people overcome freezing up by teaching them how to think fast using improvisation.

After going from being a kid with a speech impediment and drinking a bottle of Pepto Bismol just to get up in front of an audience to performing on stage at The Second City with Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, and many more. Jeff uses his experience to help others leverage improvisation to instantly adapt and succeed in any situation.

Jeff can be seen on national television commercials for Crestor, BP, McDonald’s, Miller Lite, & Ford, as well as roles on Empire, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, and Proven Innocent. He is an Executive Producer, creator and host of the cable TV show Homemade Game Show.
He is the owner of Players Workshop, the original, independent school of improvisation in the country, and the author of The Playmaker Mindset coming out in spring 2021.

Jeff has won Telly, Communicator, W3, and Hermes Creative Awards. He is also the founder of The Factory Theater in Chicago. He is the owner of Players Workshop, the original, independent school of improvisation in the country, and the author of The Playmaker Mindset coming out in spring 2021. Learn how to change your culture, create a psychologically safe and inclusive environment while innovating at the speed of thought.

www.JeffRogersUnlimited.com

 Ray Engan: Speaker | Coach | Storyteller

Ray went on from being a shy little boy to a career in stand-up comedy, performing with and writing for some of America’s best comedians. He began using the skill of connecting through comedy in the business world and became the sales manager of America’s most award-winning small business.

Ray works at the intersection of Leadership, Laughter, and Influence, giving Inspiration and Hope through Humor to leaders across America. He has testified before a presidential task force, and appeared on MSNBC, as a Voice of small business in America.

Ray Engan is an award-winning motivational speaker, coach, and storyteller. He is the current President and Chief Charisma Officer of Leadership Through Laughter

 Cody Cotulla: Professional Speaker | Standup Comedy

Cody Cotulla works at the intersection of comedy, communication, and confidence. He helps people develop their comedy skills to communicate more effectively and build stronger more meaningful relationships both personally and professionally.

Cody started building his own comedy skills in elementary school, making people laugh on purpose using jokes from books, retelling jokes from the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and poking fun at himself. Forty-plus years later he still regularly makes people laugh in the workplace, at home, at public speaking events, on comedy stages, and now on Zoom.

Cody has been an active member of Toastmasters for years, studied improv and performed as part of a two-person improv team, and worked as a full-time professional standup comic.

He’s worked for over twenty years in the tech industry, as a technical writer, software developer, and manager. He got his first tech job because he sent a video of himself performing standup to the hiring manager. He’s also a long-time husband and parent, who believes his daughter will one day appreciate all the jokes and stories she’s had to listen to over the years.

 Treasure Hunt – It’s time to get a clue about Toastmasters!

 David Blum : Dr.Clue Treasurehunts

Former G31 Area Director Dave Blum is a proud member of Santa Rosa Club 182, where he has served as President and VPE.

His alter egos include:

1) Founder of Memorize Your Speech (www.memorizeyourspeech.com), a coaching service for people struggling with speech memorization, and

2) Founder of Dr. Clue Treasure Hunts (www.drclue.com and www.birthdaytreasurehuntsandmore.com), specializing in treasure hunt events for individuals and organizations.

Over the past 26 years, Dave has created more than 150 teambuilding treasure hunts (worldwide and virtual), for clients including Oracle, Cisco, T-Mobile and Uber. A few of Dr. Clue’s hunt locations include San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Paris, Tel Aviv and Geneva.

TEDx 101:

Don Franceschi: Speaker | Consultant

Don Franceschi is the author of the Amazon Best Seller, FROM AWFUL TO AWESOME: 9 ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS.

Before becoming an independent speaker and consultant, Don spent 29 years with the State of California, with his last position as Regional Loss Prevention Manager for all of Northern California. He is an active member of Toastmasters and is the current President of his advanced club, Next Level.

Don is a Santa Rosa Junior College Community Education instructor, a frequent guest speaker for the Sonoma State University Hybrid Saturday BA Program, and a TEDx Sonoma County Organizing Committee member.

Don’s YouTube channelDon’s book on Amazon

Don’s Website

 Marie O’Neil: Life Coach | Speaker | Author

Marie O’Neill, MBA, is the founder of PadmaLife Coaching located in Santa Rosa, California. Marie has many years of experience as a life coach, astrologer, speaker, coach, past-life regression facilitator, and lecturer.

She is a Distinguished Toastmaster through Toastmasters International, is on the Board of Directors with TEDx Sonoma County, and is an astrology mentor with the Forrest Center for Evolutionary Astrology (FCEA).

In addition, Marie lectures at numerous Astrology conferences and has added published authors to her list of achievements. Marie’s passion is helping others achieve their dreams, goals and to shine brightly in the world.

Storytelling Tips & Tricks:

https://d57tm.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Storytelling-Tips-and-Tricks.mp4
 

Mathew Dicks: Author | Storyteller

Matthew Dicks is an elementary school teacher, columnist, and internationally bestselling author of several novels including The Other Mother Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, and Twenty-one Truths About Love, as well as the nonfiction title Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling.

Matthew is a record 51-time Moth StorySLAM and 6-time GrandSLAM champion whose stories have been featured on This American Life. He’s the founder of Speak Up, a Hartford-based storytelling organization. He teaches public speaking and storytelling around the world to corporations, universities, politicians, advertising agencies, the clergy, and more.

 Jackie Tweedie: Therapist | Life Coach | Storyteller A child stands on a beach in Wales, her back to the road, gazing intently out to sea. She’s been there all day. Her hair is matted, her skin reddened and crusty with salt. She feels alone in her world until her whole family, walking up the hill, calls her to come with them. She doesn’t want to leave her beloved sea, especially to climb that steep road home. That’s me, five-year-old me.

I stand there resolute until my mother bends low behind me, takes my hand in hers, and whispers “what if I tell you a ghost story?” Immediately the seaside spell is broken and a new excitement arises. “Yes, please!” I turn and raise my face to hers “Tell me all of it, especially the scary bits.” As the story unfolds, I don’t notice the steep hill or my tired limbs, but only the pictures in my mind and the thrill of the unexpected.

The power of storytelling has never left me.

Now, as a Therapist and Life Coach, I use storytelling every day. Not only does it empower my clients to find the clarity they seek, it also enriches my life with a compelling fascination, just as it did when I was five.

 Erin Barker: Writer| Editor | Storyteller

Erin Barker is the artistic director of The Story Collider, an international storytelling organization that produces a popular podcast and more than 60 live events every year featuring true, personal stories about science, with the goal of showing that science is a vibrant part of all our lives.

As a storyteller, she is the first woman to win The Moth’s GrandSLAM storytelling competition twice. She has appeared on PRX’s The Moth Radio Hour, and one of her stories was included in the New York Times bestselling book The Moth: 50 True Stories. She has not been officially sorted, but she considers herself a Gryffindor.

Follow her @ErinHBarker on Twitter and on Instagram.

Winning Evaluations:

Watch Cynthia in Action!

Cynthia Stott: International Speaker Coach | Global visibility Influencer

Cynthia Stott is an international speaker coach and Global Visibility Influencer with 30,000 followers in 140+ countries.

She was the winner of the 2015 District 57 Evaluation Contest.

For the first time ever, she will share publicly her winning formula for evaluations. She has shared her formula privately with competitors around the world, but this is the first time she will share it publicly!

Getting Ready for Hybrid Meetings:

Shyam Nath: DTM | Author

Shyam V Nath, DTM is the current President of Oracle Pleasant Speakers Club and VPE of Tracy TM Club.

He is a published author of two books. Shyam has run hybrid meetings at Oracle, starting in 2019 to allow remote employees to participate in the Club meetings.

Shyam is active on Twitter @ShyamVaran or you can connect on LinkedIn www.Linkedin.com/in/Shyamvaran

Theo Pope: Area 91 Director | Zoom Master Division I

Theo Pope is current President of Manteca Smooth Talkers, Area 91 Director, and Zoom Master for Division I.

He completed his High-Performance Leadership project on a test using the Zoom application to determine its effectiveness in creating a hybrid meeting between an in-person setting and online with virtual users. He is retired and believes in the lifelong learning that Toastmasters provides.

Podcasting 101 – Getting Started TODAY:

https://d57tm.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Podcasting101Introduction-1.mp4

Tony Navarra: Podcaster

Exuberance, excitement, and enthusiasm are what Tony Navarra brings to the table.

Whether selling fireplaces to homeowners, speaking to large audiences at trade conventions, or managing multi-million-dollar railcar repair budgets, Tony gives it his all with zing and pizzazz!

He has many years of success in working for corporations and small businesses, always increasing sales, and improving the internal workings of the organization. Also, a true entrepreneur, he has had several successful ventures of his own along the way.
You will love Tony’s perspective on the art and science of podcasting and creating the best product you can

Sean Dustin: Podcaster

Sean Dustin is a Bay Area Podcaster. Born and raised in Pinole, CA. Sean hosts a show called “Nowhere To Go But Up” and has been podcasting for 2 years with 128 episodes published. When Sean is not podcasting, he is working in commercial construction where he has been a Union tradesman for the last 15 years.

Sean got his start in content creation as a licensed drone pilot that would do aerial photography/videography for real estate listing agents 4 years ago. He also consults, teaches, and produces podcasts as well.
You will appreciate Sean’s transparent and authentic approach and perspectives on how to make podcasting a reality for yourself or your business!!

Jack Nguyen
How to Say Funny Stuff

This session is designed to introduce people to the basics of humor and joke writing, why we should care about humor, and how we can apply it to public speaking. In this session we will dissect the basic structure of a joke and learn a basic template for crafting as well as delivering jokes. Finally, we will touch on many of the challenges involved with humor and the secret to developing unshakeable confidence. Along the way you will hear many hilarious and embarrassing stories that will no doubt make you feel better about your own life. 


Bio

Jack Nguyen has been an avid Toastmaster since 2013. He has competed in speech competitions, participated in open mics, and has given close to 100 speeches across 5 districts. He has never cancelled on a speech. He believes that the best people to learn from are the ones that have to struggle the most to succeed. Having gone from being an unfunny dude who took six months to work up the nerve to give his icebreaker to being a district humorous speech champion he believes he’s one of those people. 

Suzanne O’Brien
Career Confidence: 4 Keys to Professional Growth

If you’re looking to take your career to the next level and you think you may need to look beyond your current company to advance or change careers, come learn the 4 fundamentals of strategic career management so you can improve your ability to get the job you deserve. As a bonus, attendees will receive a take-home resource to help them utilize and implement the principles learned in the session. By the end of this session, you will know how to:

  • Evaluate your current approach to career management, and identify gaps
  • Improve how you approach your job search to maximize access to the right opportunities

Bio

Suzanne is a Career Advancement Coach and the Founder and CEO of LevelUp Careers, which she established to provide greater awareness, understanding and tools for aspiring executives to achieve their goals. Previously, as an Executive Recruiter for the Toft Group and Renaissance Leadership, Suzanne led VP and C-Level searches with some of Silicon Valley’s most exciting tech companies backed by Sequoia, Bessemer, and Lightspeed Partners, Khosla Ventures and NEA.

Prior to executive recruiting, Suzanne managed the strategic services program for the New Zealand Government in North America. In this role, Suzanne worked closely with CEO’s on global expansion strategies and recruited C-Level executives to the Board.

In her spare time, Suzanne has served on the board of MBA Women International and has also served on the Graduate Management African Pipeline Advisory Group, along with representatives from top business schools including Kellogg, Booth, Maryland, Wharton and Stanford.

Gary Gardner
How to overcome “Speech Flu” and write Excellent speeches effortlessly

Have you ever been stuck writing a speech? In this session, Gary will share with you how to overcome “speech flu” and create great speeches effortlessly. Using a creative tool that you will use frequently any time you need to write a speech or get clarity surrounding a personal or business issue you need to solve. He will demonstrate how to write a great speech faster than can be imagined, while learning about the greatest problem-solving tool ever invented.


Bio

Gary’s primary focus for many years has been helping clients in transition. Whether it is retirement, sale of a business, the death of a loved one or any other life change, Gary has been a thinking partner with his clients in transition into their new post-transition lives. He is a Certified Financial Planner and Certified Financial Transitionist.

Upon graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. Upon returning to the U.S., he entered the financial services industry and helped pioneer the fledgling financial planning movement. He served as a board member of Hospice of the East Bay Foundation from 2005-2014 and an Area Governor of Toastmaster International in 2015. He will complete his DTM in 2018.

Orlando Redden
The 6 Human Needs and How to Own Your Perception of the World

This session covers the 6 Human needs from Robbins Madanes Coaching program. We will build a game plan on how to use them to better the way we feel about our lives or give us direction on how to. We will learn what Labeling and Reframing is and how to use it to change the way the world impacts us. Through the process you will be able to either self-reflect or work in a group.


Bio

Orlando is a passionate speaker and strong advocate for self- improvement and communication. Within the course of his studies, he has become a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner and has also completed a coaching certificate from Robbins-Madanes Training. He is an avid student in the areas of human behavior, particularly body language, interpersonal communication, improvisation, public speaking, leadership, and martial arts.

Throughout Orlando’s life, he has experienced and collected a variety of life lessons that have helped him to become more confident with himself and to practice this in his daily interactions with others. These life lessons have helped Orlando maintain a sense of being centered and grounded, especially in difficult situations where it may be needed the most.

Katrina Sawa
Love Yourself to Success & Excellence

Regardless of what type of financial situation you’re in, many people struggle because of lack of love in their life. Join Katrina in this presentation where she will share insights from her book, “Love Yourself Successful”, and you will learn why it’s important to devote a certain amount of time to developing and nurturing the four types of love that will undoubtedly affect your success and excellence in whatever you set out to achieve.


Bio

Katrina Sawa is known as The JumpStart Your Biz Coach because she literally kicks her clients and their businesses into high gear. Katrina is the author of “Love Yourself Successful and the creator of the JumpStart Your Marketing System”. She enjoys inspiring entrepreneurs, speakers and professionals to move faster and more affordably towards their ultimate revenue and professional goals using online and offline relationship marketing strategies, leveraged business models and ongoing accountability.

Katrina is an energetic, tell-it-like- it-is speaker and award-winning coach who has been featured on the Oprah and Friends XMRadioNetwork, ABC and TheCW. She’s a featured contributor to the Women Speakers Association and the Public Speakers Association of which she was awarded the National Collaborator of the Year Award in 2016. With 30 years’ experience in sales, business and marketing Katrina speaks to groups of all sizes and works with dozens of different kinds of industries and businesses.

Meredith Crawford
How to Use Brand Storytelling for Marketing Excellence

Learn the 3 keys for using brand storytelling to develop emotional connections with your customers. Gain a deeper understanding of why brand storytelling is an effective marketing tool, how to develop your business’s story, and how to share it with prospects and customers. Receive a workbook to help you formulate your business’s story at home.


Bio

Meredith Crawford is the founder of Solerno Media, a marketing agency that empowers non-profits, small businesses and entrepreneurs doing business with heart to tell and share their stories. She is also an advisory board member to Hack the Hood, an Oakland-based non-profit that introduces low-income youth of color to careers in tech.

Prior to founding Solerno Media, Meredith was the CEO of MindShare Design, and oversaw Savicom and Vidi Emi email platforms. In 2017, she negotiated the acquisition of WorkStraight, a work order software solution. While she was there, Meredith added 18% to the multi-million dollar company’s revenue stream. Two clients, a Fortune 500 company and a business training company had banner revenue years. Both clients attribute their success to working with MindShare Design.

Randy Wight
Find out How Two Words Can Reveal Your Excellence 

Randy will help you understand the power of acceptance, listening and eye contact. You can throw away the script of life and start living. You will see how you gain greater control by letting go. You will learn how to find excellence by epically failing! Learn how to use new tools to fashion a new outlook and a new you! Stop saying NO and find out the power of YES!

After this session, you will leave with a better understanding of how to communicate more effectively, collaborate more deeply and Co-create more effectively. With just two words, he will show you how to change your point of view and capture excellence.


Bio

Randy is a Toastmaster since 2006, Randy splits his time as an author, inventor and award-winning speaker. He says his claim to fame was serving as a President’s Distinguished Area Governor. A business development leader for over 30 years in the Specialty and Natural Food Industry. Randy established the gold standard for sales performance. In addition to recruiting and training teams that attained all time sales records, his direction resulted in over 150 million dollars of new launch revenue.

Randy began his speaking career in Stand-up Comedy with North Bay Stand-up Comics where he garnered a regional finalist spot in Showtime’s “Funniest Person in America Contest”, Randy’s list of accomplishments includes Corporate Trainer, Co-Founder of Transformational Goals Seminar Series, Randy is founding member and General Manager Act II Improv Troupe, Coach of Business Professionals and aspiring comics.

Don Franceschi
How to “CLICK”—not “CLASH”—with Others

Have you ever noticed there are some people that you instantly “click” with—and some you instantly “clash” with? Why is that? Often the reason is a difference in behavioral styles. In this workshop you will learn the components that make up the four basic behavioral styles, identify your behavioral style and the style of others, and learn how to “click” and not “clash” with those other styles—and have some fun along the way!


Bio

Don Franceschi, ACB, joined Toastmasters five years ago. He is currently a member of three Toastmasters Clubs, including an advanced club. He has been a Toastmasters keynote speaker, trainer, and a District Humorous Speech Contest Finalist. Don recently retired after 29 years with the State of California and has spent some of those retirement hours as a Santa Rosa Junior College Community Education instructor, and a TEDx Sonoma County Organizing Committee member. He is the proud author of the Amazon Best Seller, “From Awful to Awesome: 9 Essential Tools for Effective Presentations”.

Don’s motto— “Let’s save the world—one presentation at a time!”

Dr. Michelle Peticolas
Allow Change to Unblock Your Brilliance

 While change and challenge can be difficult and even stressful, they also can provide an opportunity for growth and empowerment. The same emotions and mindset that feed our resistance to change can also block our brilliance. In this workshop, Dr. Peticolas will explain how our innate brilliance may be tamped down in childhood by trauma, neglect and/or misguided parenting. Discover how the habits and beliefs we develop to keep us safe when we are young can limit both our brilliance and our ability to adapt to change. She will share 3 strategies we can adopt to reduce fear and shift our mindset to more easily embrace change and achieve excellence.


Bio

Dr. Michelle Peticolas empowers women leaders and change-makers to face their fears in order to reclaim their authentic power. She is a national speaker and leads workshops for organizations and groups including: The Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, UCSF Medical Center, JFK University, and UC Berkeley. Her award-winning documentary series Secrets of Life and Death is screened in universities throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. She has appeared on Voice America’s Empowering Women, KDIA’s Aging By the Bay, BBM Global Network’s Courage to Overcome, Money 1055’s Rush Hour For Success, and KPFA’s Women’s Magazine. With a Ph.D. in Sociology and over 18 years experience, Michelle coaches people through major life challenges. An expert on loss, emotional wounds and unresolved grief, she is a featured author in the soon-to- be-released anthology: Breaking Barrier.

Robert Strong
How to Tell Stories Like a Wizard

In this fun and interactive magic show and workshop, magician Robert Strong shows and explains both moments when your brain struggles with the wrong assumptions and when a new reality is revealed to create magic. Robert Strong is a Comedy Magician who has been amazing audiences since he was 12 years old. Since then, he has performed on national television, in all 50 states, in over 40 countries, and twice at the White House. He was a 10-year artist in residence at The Smithsonian and regularly leads workshops at Singularity University, Stanford University, and at Google.


Bio

Robert has been crisscrossing the world since 1985 entertaining audiences large and small, young and old, formal and casual, and everything in between! Recently voted “San Francisco’s Funniest Prop Comedian“; “The Bay Area’s Best Performer”; and “San Francisco’s Best Comedian”.

Kiran Patel
From Conflict to Connection: Communicating Collaboratively

Do you sometimes find yourself in challenging interactions? At a loss for finding win-win solutions, you may either forego your needs or impose your needs over others. In this workshop, you will learn and practice a framework to create a connection in which your conflicts dissolve and get resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. Bring your personal challenges and leave feeling relieved and hopeful.


Bio

Kiran Patel, M.A., C.Y.T., is the 2017 winner of the District 57’s Table Topics contest. She is an award-winning speaker, empowering coach, interpersonal communication trainer and engaging performer. Her authentic and playful presence has touched thousands internationally (live, radio and TV) for 40 years. Her writing on nonviolence and yoga has been published in “India West”. She draws on her vast training in Western and Eastern traditions—MA in Social Psychology, advanced yoga teacher certification, mediation certification, year-long Nonviolent Communication leadership training and prejudice reduction train-the-trainer.

Bett Bollhoefer
Dream Big, Be Bold and Write Your Own Book

It’s time to Write your own book! Authors get paid up to twice as much as a speaker without a book. Having a published book makes you an authority. Having a book allows you to have back of the room sales on top of your speaking fee, or if you are speaking for free, allows you to make money. This workshop will allow you to leave with a plan to write, self publish and market your dream book.


Bio

Bett Bollhoefer is a Distinguished Toastmaster and winner of the Division Governor of the Year award. She spoke at 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 Carnegie Mellon SEI SATURN Conference on Architect as Leader. Bett speaks and writes on software design and is the author of several books including How to Write, Self-Publish and Market Your Book. Bett cohosted the popular Software Architecture Concepts podcast for two years and is the co-host of the GE Digital podcast IOT Goes Industrial. And for fun, Bett is a professional Improv actor, enjoys swing dancing, hiking, painting and playing the cello.

James Jeffley
Your Story Matters, Tell It

Everyone has a “story.”  Your story may be of fame and fortune, or fear and famine.  Regardless of your situation, your story is valuable, and by telling it, you can inspire and empower others. In this fun, interactive session, you will:

  • Practice and experience storytelling
  • Learn to identify your story
  • Understand the key parts of a compelling story
  • Develop an outline for telling your story, and more!

Bio

James Jeffley is an award-winning speaker and trainer, professional coach, author, musician, minister and father.  He is the author of “Follow the Signs: Lessons Learned Traveling Life’s Highway,”  a three-time District 57 International Speech Champion and a two-time finalist in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public speaking.  He will spend the 2017 holidays on a speaking tour in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates with other notable Toastmasters.

Dave Blum
The Memory Palace

Have you ever found yourself up there at the lectern, your speech well-practiced, only to realize with horror that your mind has come to a complete blank? If your answer is yes, you’re not alone. At one time or another, we’ve all blanked out on a key element of one of our speeches. It’s no reflection on you or your memory. Most of us rely on “rote memorization” to practice our speeches–an out-dated method that doesn’t work very well with the way our brains are actually wired.

In this highly-interactive session, you will learn how to turn your speeches into a series of highly-memorizable images that work in sync with your brain’s wiring, making the whole process much easier, more effective and more fun.

During this session, you’ll learn how to:

  1. Create unforgettable mental images for each element of your speech
  2. Link these images into a vivid and memorable story
  3. Place your images in a “memory palace”, a technique favored as far back as the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

If you want to never forget another Toastmasters speech, this is the session for you!


Bio

Dave  is  the President of Santa Rosa Toastmasters Club 182. He is a Toastmaster who has jumped into the new Pathways program.  He has completed Level 3 of the Pathway, Presentation Mastery.  He was about to begin Level 4 when a fire roared into Santa Rosa a few weeks ago.

Founder and President of Dr. Clue Treasure Hunts, the world’s largest team-building treasure hunt company, Dave Blum earned a B.A. in English from Pomona College in Claremont, California, a professional coaching certification from IPEC, and is continuing member of the North American Simulation & Gaming Association .  

After a three-year stint teaching English in Japan for the Mombusho English Fellows program, Dave worked in tourism and the non-profit sector before discovering his destiny as a treasure hunt master, team-building trainer, writer, speaker and entrepreneur.

Adrian Chofor
G.R.O.W Into Your Dreams

We all have dreams that we actively wish and hope for, but how do we stop dreaming, hoping, and wishing and start LIVING our dreams? Learn how to achieve goals, produce results and make BIG things happen in your life using the G.R.O.W. Model.


Bio

Adrian Jefferson Chofor is a performance and empowerment coach. She is passionate about empowering women by helping them clarify their vision, reach their goals and live the life they really want. She is an avid traveler, runner, and mother of two active and adorable children.
Adrian is the club president of Oakland Uptown and is well on her way to reaching her goal of raising its status to President’s Distinguished. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Toastmaster award and Triple Crown Award for receiving three educational awards within a year. She has also served as a host and evaluator on District 57’s Toastmaster Time TV. She has been a Toastmaster since June 2016.

Kevin Markl
Knowing Your Audience Isn’t Optional

Before writing or speaking in any setting, you must connect your content and message to the needs and expectations of your audience. In this session, Kevin Markl will present an interactive framework to understand who your audience is and what they care about the most. Learn how to discover and apply these insights to alleviate any anxiety or stage fright, maximize audience engagement and deliver an impactful presentation.


Bio
Kevin Markl, ACG, ALB, is a product marketing manager at CallidusCloud, where he has worked since 2011. Kevin conducts qualitative research on competitors and buyers. He turns these insights into personas and crafts product messaging and positioning that resonate in the same way Toastmasters develop speeches that resonate with their audience.

Kevin is passionate about helping others reach their goals – whether it’s teaching someone how to ski or coaching others to excel in their sales and marketing role. He embodies this passion for communication, leadership and helping others through his journey in Toastmasters. He joined 7 years ago and has immersed himself across the organization, serving in roles from Club Secretary to Division Director. Kevin currently serves as Public Relations Manager for District 57 Toastmasters and supports member and leadership development at contests, speechcrafts, open houses and officer training.

John Murphy
Technology: Your Partner to A Successful Club

Almost every one of us uses one of the myriad of different softwares available to us for the purpose of enhancing our personal and professional lives. This session will use Google as the example software for taking a closer look at how our clubs (or life) can run more efficiently using a cloud-based platform. This session will dive into how to leverage Google’s suite of free technology to build, connect, and promote your club using the latest technologies. You’ll hear how other clubs are using Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Photos, YouTube, Slides, and more to provide an immersive and shared learning experience. You likely already use some of these, now learn how to be a power user for your club by working smarter, not harder.


Bio

After graduating from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, John Murphy became the lead presenter for equity and debt seminars on behalf of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, then a portfolio engineering trainer for a private, wealth management firm overseeing $70 billion+ in assets. John joined TM early in his career and then like so many others his life became too busy to accommodate being a member. He went on to found, grow, and recently sell his technology start-up of 5 years, where he led his staff using only Google-based applications and extensions. He rejoined and jumped into Pathways with enthusiasm. He has now completed his first Pathway, Presentation Mastery and has completed 3 levels in his second pathway; Visionary Communication. For everything from investor presentations to employee training to logistical engineering, for him it’s all about letting the technology serve its communication purpose.

Jim Kohli

Jim Kohli, DTM
International Director, Region 2
Toastmasters International

Jim Kohli, DTM, of San Ramon, California, is a principal architect at GE Healthcare, where he has worked since 1982. Kohli develops and encourages the adoption of technology strategies, advises senior executives on personnel and technology matters, manages his division’s intellectual property portfolio, and mentors and coaches less experienced leaders.

Kohli holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is also trained as a medical first responder as well as a fire responder. He has received multiple awards from GE for patent authoring and co-authoring, product development and accomplishments relating to excellence in team morale.

He says, “My Toastmasters experience has expanded my professional horizons and is directly linked to a promotion that moved me from Wisconsin to California for a job that required greater communications skills in addition to technology skills.” 

As a member of the Toastmasters International Board of Directors, Kohli is a “working ambassador” for the organization. He works with the Board to develop, support and modify the policies and procedures that guide Toastmasters International in fulfilling its mission.