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 educator and coach who teaches Strategic Communication for Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and Presentation Skills for Stanford’s Continuing Studies Program, and De Anza College. He has published research articles on cognitive planning, persuasion, and interpersonal communication.
Matt recently published Speaking Up Without Freaking Out, a book written to help the millions of people who suffer from anxiety around speaking in public. Additionally, Matt developed a software package that provides instant, proscriptive 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.
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. He is currently a member of the Management Communication Association (where he recently received a “Rising Star” award) as well as the National and Western States Communication Associations.
Kristin Tedford
Kristin Tedford specializes in helping people become more engaging, authentic presenters by developing powerful, connected presentations and reducing public speaking anxiety. One of the leading presentation coaches in the business arena today, she is expert in leading highly participative workshops and providing tailored 1:1 coaching for executives and their teams from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
Kristin’s strongest asset is her ability to connect with her clients, quickly assess areas for improvement, and provide strategies for effective change. Additionally, Kristin has taught a variety of communication courses at the collegiate level for over 20 years and co-authored the book Communication Skills for Collaborative Learning. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and a graduate degree in Communication Studies from San Jose State University. She is currently a member of Western States Communication Association.
