"Damian would be a great addition to your event. His engaging personality makes him ideal as a keynote speaker, blending fun with learning to generate energy in the room – especially for so-called ‘soft’ skills which can be difficult to translate to useful application. He can connect with audiences – using his background as an improv ‘performer’ to interact and draw the listener in to become a participant."
-Todd Jones, Wadsworth, OH
Current Offerings
My talks and content are "evergreen" - forever fresh and applicable to all as they focus on concepts, ideas, and skills that influence everything that we think, do, or say. Each is educational and enjoyable, many are suitable as a keynote or breakout session, and some are even available as workshops, as well. Browse my current topics below, click a title for additional information, or click here for a complete list of past and future events!
Summary
Using humor, improv, personal stories, pop-culture, and more to examine self-identity and unlock your true potential.
Audience
Anyone interested in discovering who they really are.
Key Takeaways
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The importance and dangers of labels
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How to deal with anxiety
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Discovering who you are and who you can be
Duration
1 hour
Summary
"Exploring Emotions with Placebos" - Support and actionable advice for the claim "the way we feel is important and should be considered".
Audience
Anyone involved in making a product or service.
Key Takeaways
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Why we make a product or service
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What are (emotional) requirements
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Ways to get and measure emotional requirements
Duration
~1 hour (as a keynote or breakout session), 2-8 hours (as an interactive workshop)
Summary
"Exploring Semantics, Testers, and Problems" - Introducing, demystifying, and using semantics to better understand testers and testing.
Audience
Anyone interested in learning more about semantics and/or testing.
Key Takeaways
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A deeper understanding and appreciation of semantic discussions
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How causality and relativism affect perception
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What exactly is testing, quality, and bugs?
Duration
30 mins (Semantics section only), +30 minutes (including Testing)
Summary
A smart and fun exploration of Risk Assessment, Analysis, and Mitigation in any context by examining the undesired consequences of inappropriate jokes.
Audience
Anyone interested in managing risk and avoiding unwanted outcomes.
Key Takeaways
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An exploration of inappropriate jokes & their undesirable consequences
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Factors to consider when you "think before you speak"
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How those factors can help you assess risk in any context
Duration
30 - 60 minutes
Summary
An informal, collaborative session exploring lessons learned from a career and lifetime of talking.
Audience
Anyone interested in learning about or improving their public speaking skills.
Key Takeaways
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Many! Due to the collaborative nature of this talk, the content and takeaways change each time.
Duration
1 hour
Summary
Lightning (and Ignite) talks are very short (5-15 minute) presentations with few (or no!) rules. Click to learn more about my current prepared lightning talks.
Audience
Everyone and Anyone!
Summary
An exploration of trust, skepticism, ways to develop critical thinking, and how it applies to any situation (including AI).
Audience
Anyone who relies on Trust to work, live, or play. (Spoiler: this is everyone)
Key Takeaways
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The importance of Trust
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When trust is enough, when it is not, and when knowledge is preferable
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Practical ways to develop and practice critical thinking
Duration
1 hour
