Podcast
Teach the Geek: Public Speaking and Communication Skills for Technical Professionals
Hosted by Neil Thompson · EN
Teach the Geek helps engineers, scientists, and technical professionals speak clearly, confidently, and persuasively. Each episode provides actionable tips for public speaking, technical presentations, and communicating complex ideas to non-technical audiences. Learn how to prepare slides, tell stories with data, handle Q&A sessions, and improve your professional presence. Perfect for STEM professionals, researchers, and anyone who needs to present technical content with impact.
31episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
EP. 422 - Kelly Schroeder: Communicating IT Tradeoffs With Confidence
1w ago00:30:22Tap to summarizeKelly Schroeder: Communicating IT Tradeoffs With ConfidenceEffective communication is critical for IT leaders who must bridge the gap between technical teams, executives, and stakeholders across the organization. In this episode, Kelly Schroeder shares lessons from leading large-scale technology transformations, guiding organizations through major change initiatives, and helping decision-makers understand the tradeoffs behind IT investments, cybersecurity, and digital transformation efforts. We also discuss storytelling, stakeholder buy-in, and why strong communication skills are essential for both IT leaders and the teams they lead.To learn more about Kelly, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyrschroeder/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Transcribe →EP. 421 - Robert Monroe: Casting Engineering Stories in Steel
2w ago00:28:05Tap to summarizeRobert Monroe: Casting Engineering Stories in SteelCast in Steel is the competition where minds meet metal, as student teams from across the country take on the challenge of recreating George Washington’s sword through design, casting, and rigorous testing. Each week, they are pushed through a grueling qualifying round where creativity, engineering skill, and durability are tested, all while competing for a $25,000 grand prize and the title of Cast in Steel champion.On the podcast I had Robert Monroe to talk about the origins of the series, how the storytelling approach came together, and what it revealed about how engineers communicate their work to the world.To learn more about Cast in Steel, visit https://www.youtube.com/@CastinSteel__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Transcribe →EP. 420: Jigar Thakkar - Making Technical Decisions Understood
3w ago00:27:26Tap to summarizeJigar Thakkar is a technology leader who has helped drive large-scale cloud, data, AI, and investment platform initiatives. We discuss where technical and business teams most often miscommunicate, how those misunderstandings affect leadership decisions, and what technical professionals can do to communicate trade-offs, influence strategy, and earn a stronger voice in business discussions. To learn more about Jigar, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/jigart/.__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Transcribe →EP. 419 - Nick Schmidt: Technical Communication that Drives Decisions
4w ago00:28:09Tap to summarizeNick Schmidt: Technical Communication that Drives DecisionsNick Schmidt is a global entrepreneur, veteran, and technology leader who has scaled businesses across renewable energy, defense, aviation, manufacturing, and enterprise software. As a CTO, Nick has built high-performing teams and architected AI-driven and enterprise-scale systems that turn complex ideas into measurable business results. In our conversation, we explore the communication challenges between technical and business teams, how technical professionals can gain greater influence, and what organizations can do to help their technical talent become stronger communicators.To learn more about Nick, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneguynick/ or https://geekyschmidt.com/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Transcribe →EP. 418 - Bob Hankins: Speaking Engineering to Business Leaders
Jul 100:28:31Tap to summarizeBob Hankins: Speaking Engineering to Business LeadersBob Hankins is Director of Engineering with more than 20 years of experience in engineering leadership, product development, and medical technology. Bob has built a career translating complex technical challenges into practical business outcomes while also serving in executive leadership roles, including interim Medical CTO. In our conversation, Bob shares insights on bridging communication gaps between engineering and business teams, explaining technical trade-offs to executives, balancing speed with sound engineering decisions, and helping engineers become more influential communicators.To learn more about Bob, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/rthankins/.__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Transcribe →EP. 417 - Thomas Mazzaferro: Helping Technical Professionals Influence Decisions
Jun 2400:28:20Tap to summarizeThomas Mazzaferro: Helping Technical Professionals Influence DecisionsThomas Mazzaferro is a globally recognized executive who has led AI, data, and digital transformation initiatives at several companies. We discuss how communication gaps between technical and nontechnical stakeholders can shape decision-making, trust, and business outcomes. We also explore the role of storytelling, leadership, and presentation skills in helping technical professionals communicate ideas clearly and drive meaningful impact across organizations.To learn more about Thomas, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasmazzaferro/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Transcribe →EP. 416 - Venkat Sivaramakrishnan: From Battery Research to Leadership
Jun 1700:26:21Tap to summarizeVenkat Sivaramakrishnan: From Battery Research to LeadershipVenkat Sivaramakrishnan is an accomplished R&D leader who brings together deep technical expertise and strong people skills, currently working at the intersection of research, innovation, and business development in the battery technology space. He has also led global virtual teams and built international academic collaborations across India, China, and the UK. In this episode, we explore how communication shapes innovation between technical and nontechnical teams, the role of storytelling and trust in leadership, and why strong communication skills are becoming just as critical as technical expertise in powering the future of renewable energy, electric mobility, and IoT devices.To learn more about Venkat, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/venkatraman-sivaramakrishnan-aa91057/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Transcribe →EP. 415 - Kishore Ravilla: How CTOs Influence Business Decisions
Jun 1000:29:20Tap to summarizeKishore Ravilla: How CTOs Influence Business DecisionsKishore Ravilla is a CTO with 25 years of leadership across healthcare, insurance, and financial services. In this episode, we explore how technology leaders can better communicate with business stakeholders, why storytelling matters in digital transformation, and how strong execution and operational excellence create lasting business value. To learn more about Kishore, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/kishoreravilla/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Transcribe →EP. 414 - Justin Windle: Bridging Data and Business Communication
Jun 300:29:07Tap to summarizeJustin Windle: Bridging Data and Business CommunicationJustin Windle has more than 20 years of leadership experience across major financial institutions. In this episode, we explore why communication often breaks down between technical teams and business stakeholders, how storytelling shapes data-driven decision making, and what leaders get wrong about analytics, AI, and governance. We also discuss the communication skills data professionals need to influence strategy, build trust, and connect complex work directly to business value.To learn more about Justin, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-windle-b932733b/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
Transcribe →EP. 413 - Jill Luber: Translating Tech for Everyone
May 2700:26:09Tap to summarizeJill Luber: Translating Tech for EveryoneJill Luber is a longtime technology and data leader. Her career has included building the data backbone behind analytics products, leading major technology integrations, and overseeing engineering teams responsible for core linking and scoring systems. With deep expertise in data, engineering, security, and analytics, Jill is known not only for her technical leadership but also for her collaborative approach and strong customer focus. In this episode, we explore how technical professionals can communicate more effectively with mixed audiences, why storytelling matters in technical presentations, and what organizations can do to make communication a true priority across technical teams.__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips
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