Public Speaking

Public speaking has become one of the skills I’m most proud of — not by chasing perfection, but by learning to speak from the heart. One of my proudest moments was giving the eulogy at my grandfather’s funeral. I didn’t read off a paper — I simply stood up, spoke with honesty, love, and gratitude — and even managed to bring a few smiles through the tears. Humor has always been a part of how I connect with people, even in the hardest moments. After the funeral, so many people came up to me to say how beautifully and authentically I had spoken. It taught me that the real power of public speaking isn’t about being polished — it’s about making people feel something real.

Since then, I’ve leaned into that same approach across all kinds of settings — whether it’s standing beside my best friend Aidan as his best man, pitching a startup idea in a competition, running a live demo of a new platform, or leading a training on how to use ChatGPT. One moment I’ll never forget was when the internet cut out mid-presentation — and instead of panicking, I kept the room engaged by telling stories and improvising until we were back online. That experience (and plenty more like it) taught me that real public speaking isn’t about sticking to a script — it’s about reading the room, staying present, and trusting yourself to lead, no matter what’s happening around you.