Book a Speaking Engagement
My clients bring me in to share research-grounded frameworks that show attendees what stands in the way of connection, and what they can start doing immediately to foster genuine social connection for the people they work with, build for, and serve.
This work has many applications:
Hybrid companies who want to drive retention, wellness, and productivity by helping employees feel a stronger sense of belonging
Professional associations who want their members to feel more closely connected and more effective in their roles
Civic organizations who want to reverse the trends of loneliness in their communities by empowering leaders and residents to build a stronger social fabric
Urbanism associations who want to drive home the message that designing pretty places isn’t good enough — places have to actually foster connection or they’re making disconnection the default
Trusted by
and many more
Keynotes, Workshops & Trainings
Connection-Oriented Design in the Built Environment
Topics: Connection-Oriented Design • Social Health for Urbanism • Social Infrastructure • Hyperlocal Community Building • Third Spaces • Vibrant Neighborhoods • Sense of Place • Human-centered Design • Retrofitting Lonely Places • Tactical Urbanism for Social Connection • • Walkability • Mixed Use • Human Scale
Speaker and workshop facilitator: Strong Towns National Gathering, May 2026
Guest speaker: CNU34, Congress for The New Urbanism, May 2026
Guest lecturer, Parsons, The New School for Design, April 2026
Guest speaker, Gensler SF, Building Inclusive Third Spaces, Oct 2025
Guest speaker, GreenCommons PeerNetwork, Oct 2025
Guest lecture, Black Women in Architecture Brunch, Sept 2025
Guest speaker, Opticos Design, founded by Dan Parolek, Sept 2025
Expert interview, Strong Towns Bottom-up Revolution, August 2025
Guest lecture, Planning & Design for the Just City, Delft University of Technology, July 2025
Guest speaker, Congress for The New Urbanism, co-led a session about gender equity and social cohesion in cities, alongside urban anthropologist Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman, June 2025
Workshop, Good Neighbor Day, Cary Library Foundation, September 2024
Creating meaningful connection
Keynote, CMX Summit, Redwood City, May 2025
Guest speaker, BuildIRL, San Francisco, May 2025
Guest speaker, BuildIRL, San Francisco, June 2024
Keynote, American Massage Therapy Association, Chicago, May 2024
Keynote, PEPS Annual Gala, Seattle, May 2024
Fireside Chat, Caregivers Wellness Network, May 2024
Keynote, County of San Mateo Leadership Forum, March 2024
Keynote: Central Piedmont Community College, February 2024
Fireside, REI National, Virtual, January 2024
Workshop: RevelEleven, November 2023
Fireside Chat, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Virtual, October 2023
Fireside Chat, NextStage, Putney, August 2023
Fireside Chat, Atlanta Solopreneurs, July 2023
Workshop, San Francisco Design Week, June 2023
Workshop: ConnectFest, April 2023
Fireside Chat, Vanderbilt University, Design Thinking / Design for America, March 2023
Guest speaker, WEST Summit, Virtual, January 2023
Guest speaker, UX Night, November 2023
Workshop, Foundation Year New Student Orientation, Northeastern University, August 2023
Panelist, The Atlantic’s Pursuit of Happiness Conference, Half Moon Bay, May 2022
Keynote and workshop for Invisibilia listeners in partnership with NPR, November 2021
Keynote, Women Donors Network, November 2021
Workshop, Community.co High Achieving Leaders, November 2021
Fireside Chat, Women Talk Design, November 2021
Guest speaker, Community Conference, Virtual, October 2021
Keynote, Ladies That UX, Virtual Conference, October 2021
Fireside Chat, Community Roundtable, Virtual, October 2021
Workshop, PEO Sisterhood, September 2021
Workshop, SF Design Week, Virtual, June 2021
Guest speaker, OneTable, March 2021
Workshop RevelEleven, March 2021
Workshop, California College of the Arts, February 2021
Workshop, Anythink Libraries, February 2021
Fireside Chat, Medley, February 2021
Fireside Chat, Real Mental Health, February 2021
Fireside Chat, HmntyCntrd, January 2021
Guest speaker, CreativeMornings Oakland, January 2021
Workshop, CreativeMornings FieldTrips, August 2020
Guest speaker, Design for America, December 2020
TEDx Speaker, TEDx San Rafael Women, November 2020
Guest speaker, CMX Summit, Virtual, October 2020
Guest speaker, PixelUp, Virtual, September 2020
Keynote, UC Davis Designathon, Virtual, September 2020
Guest speaker, Women Talk Design, August 2020
Guest speaker, Seattle Public Library, Virtual, August 2020
Guest speaker, Quarantine Book Club with Mike Monteiro, July 2020
Panelist, Design for America, LinkedIn HQ, February 2020
Creating workplace connection
Workshop, UCSF Staff Summer Connection Social, San Francisco, July 2024
Keynote, UCSF OBGYN All Hands, San Francisco, September 2023
Keynote, UC Berkeley NOW Conference, Berkeley June 2023
Fireside Chat, Chegg, Santa Clara, March 2023
Fireside Chat: BetterCloud, Virtual, March 2023
Guest speaker, IDEO U, January 2023
Keynote, Asana, November 2022
Guest speaker, Issroff Family Foundation, October 2022
Guest speaker, Adobe, Virtual, August 2022
Guest speaker, Figma, Virtual, July 2022
Guest speaker, VivaTech, Paris, June 2022
Guest speaker, Google, March 2022
Keynote, Wells Enterprises, March 2022
Fireside Chat, Human Interest, Virtual, October 2021
Guest speaker, Zendesk, Virtual, September 2021
Guest speaker, Asana, Virtual, September 2021
Guest speaker and workshop for UC Davis Staff Retreat, June 2021
Keynote, Workday, Virtual, May 2021
Guest speaker and workshop, Metalab, March 2021
Guest speaker, Adobe, Virtual, March 2021
Guest speaker, How Leaders Lead Summit, Virtual, November 2020
Keynote, Rosenfeld Media DesignOps Summit, Virtual, October 2020
Guest speaker, Adobe, Virtual, August 2020
Keynote, Lesbians Who Tech Summit, June 2020
Book Kat for:
🎤 Paid speaking engagements, guest lectures, workshop facilitation
🧠 Professional development staff trainings
📣 Advocacy and content creation