Having learned from experience just how important acknowledging the “hard stuff” is to cultivating strong relationships, I regularly give keynote talks about how and why to have difficult conversations and the art of interviewing for media and tech conferences, universities, nonprofits, private companies and lawmakers.

Interviews that are conducted live have a unique kind of energy to them, where the urgency to say or ask what you need—right then and there—propels the conversation forward.

In addition to podcasting and keynote speaking, I host live interviews, panel conversations and galas for organizations whose work I support. I’ve hosted events at venues including the Brooklyn Academy of Music and The Shed in New York City, The Ace Hotel in LA, and The Commonwealth Club, the Berkeley Rep and the Castro Theater in the Bay Area.

In collaboration with event-maker Jim Colgan, I produce and host live moderated conversations aimed at encouraging participation, democratizing discussion and strengthening community bonds.

Whether in-person or remote, these live panel conversations are designed to engage and draw upon the experience and expertise of everyone in the room, and build community in the process. I’ve moderated a conversation about protest music with celebrity musicians and fans, a dialogue about cryptocurrency between crypto-billionaires and the crypto-confused and live, crowd-sourced karaoke sing-alongs—to name just a few.