Kristin and Matt have over 20 years experience teaching and coaching communication skills. They have listened to thousands of presentations from speakers who differ vastly in experience, culture, and speech anxiety, and they can quickly assess what works and what doesn’t.
Matt Abrahams
Matt Abrahams is a passionate, collaborative and innovative coach and educator who teaches for Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and Continuing Studies Program, Palo Alto University (formerly the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology), and De Anza College. He has published articles on cognitive planning, persuasion, and interpersonal communication. He recently published a book on public speaking anxiety management entitled Speaking Up Without Freaking Out. He also developed a software package that provides instant feedback to presenters. Prior to teaching, Matt held senior leadership positions in several leading software companies, where he created and ran global training and development organizations. He is currently a member of both the National and Western States Communication Associations. Matt received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Stanford; his graduate degree in communication studies from UC Davis; and his secondary education teaching credential from SFSU.
Kristin Tedford
Kristin Tedford received her undergraduate degree in speech communication from the University of Washington and her graduate degree in communication studies from San Jose State University. Kristin teaches a variety of courses at De Anza College including public speaking, interpersonal communication, and critical decision making in groups. She is co-author of the textbook Communication Skills for Collaborative Learning, and is a regular speaker on numerous speech communication panels. In addition to teaching, Kristin coaches clients in public speaking and interviewing skills, presents communication workshops, and has been an active board member for several non profit organizations. She is currently a member of the Western States Communication Association.
