Teach the Geek: Public Speaking and Communication Skills for Technical Professionals

Malcolm Hawker: Bridging the Gap Between Technical and Business TeamsMalcolm Hawker is a Chief Data Officer who has more than 25 years of experience in data and analytics, much of it focused on Master Data Management and Data Governance. As the host of the CDO Matters podcast and author of The Data Hero Playbook, Malcolm brings a broad perspective on how technical and business leaders work together to make better decisions. In this episode, we explore where technical and business teams most often miscommunicate, how those misunderstandings affect decision making, and how technical professionals can communicate more effectively with business leaders and mixed audiences.To learn more about Malcolm, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/malhawker/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Steph Hippo: How Technical Professionals Can Improve Decision MakingSteph Hippo is a platform engineering director who leads an App Enablement team and is passionate about making both technical and people systems work better. We explore, among other things, where technical and business teams most often miscommunicate, how those misunderstandings can influence leadership decisions, and how technical professionals can better communicate with decision makers. We also discuss how to address mixed audiences, communicate trade-offs effectively, and help technical professionals make communication a greater priority.To learn more about Steph, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephhippo/.__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Mark Hickson is a highly experienced people leader with 30 years of experience spanning R&D, product development, program management, and manufacturing across industries, including medical devices, automotive, and defense. In this episode, we explore where technical and business teams most often miscommunicate, how those misunderstandings influence leadership decisions, and how technical professionals can communicate trade-offs and technical information more effectively with decision makers.To learn more about Mark, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hickson-133645/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Michael Sickles: Making Technical Presentations More EffectiveMichael Sickles, Manager of Solution Architecture, leads a team of presales Solution Architects and helps strengthen technical depth, customer engagement, and presentation skills across the sales cycle. We explore how his approach to communicating technical work has evolved as he moved into leadership. We also discuss what makes technical presentations effective, how to simplify complex information without losing its value, and what organizations can do to help technical teams become stronger communicators.To learn more about Michael, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/msickles/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Anant Gupta: How Technical Leaders Communicate ComplexityAnant Gupta is a Chief Technology Officer with extensive experience leading engineering, data, and platform organizations while building high-performing teams and scalable technology systems. In this episode, we explore, among other things, where communication breaks down between technology teams and the rest of the organization, how to explain complex technical issues to nontechnical stakeholders, and why storytelling is an important leadership tool. To learn more about Anant, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/anantgupta1/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Orla Daly is a CIO and technology leader with a proven track record of partnering with the business to lead strategic technology initiatives, improve processes, establish governance models, and deliver lasting organizational value. In our conversation, we discuss where communication between IT and the business breaks down, how to explain complex technology decisions to nontechnical stakeholders, and why strong communication skills should be a core competency for every IT professional.To learn more about Orla, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/orla-daly-ma/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Bindya Dhanekula: Engineering Communication Drives Business ValueBindya Dhanekula, Senior Director of Engineering and Product Development, is an engineering leader with extensive experience leading medical device and biotechnology products from concept through commercialization while aligning engineering, product, and operations to deliver measurable business value. In our conversation, we discuss how engineering leaders bridge communication gaps across the organization, and why strong communication skills are essential for engineering and product development teams.To learn more about Bindya, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/bindyadumpala/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Dr. Andrew Omidvar: From Complexity to ImpactDr. Andrew Omidvar is a Vice President of R&D with more than 25 years of experience leading cross-functional teams, securing funding for breakthrough innovations, and bringing AI, big data, and medical technologies from concept to market. In our conversation, we will discuss how R&D leaders communicate complex research and development efforts to diverse audiences, and why strong communication skills are essential for turning technical breakthroughs into real-world impact.To learn more about Andrew, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-andrew-omidvar-a2a61a2b/__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Prefer video? Visit http://youtube.teachthegeek.comGet Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Jonathon Thompson is a technology leader with 25 years of experience designing and implementing compliant solutions in regulated industries. We explore where technical and business teams most often miscommunicate, how those misunderstandings influence leadership decisions, and how technical professionals can better communicate trade-offs and ideas to decision makers. We also discuss how AI is changing technical communication and why the ability to clearly describe problems, outcomes, and context may become an increasingly important technical skill.To learn more about Jonathon, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathon-thompson-1052906/.__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips

Marc Brooker: How Technical Communication Drives DecisionsIn this episode, I’m joined by Marc Brooker, a VP and distinguished engineer who has worked on large-scale systems and now focuses on safety and policy for agentic AI. We explore how his approach to communicating complex technical work has evolved as his responsibilities have changed. We also discuss what works and what doesn’t in technical presentations, how organizations can help technical professionals become better communicators, and why effective communication matters when technical work needs to influence decisions.To learn more about Marc, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-brooker-b431772b/On another note, Kiro is expanding its free Students tier from 11 to 132 universities across 18 countries, giving eligible students a full year of access with 1,000 monthly credits. The program supports building across the IDE, CLI, Web, and open‑source Crew, aiming to make professional‑grade AI tools globally accessible.Head to kiro.dev/students to learn more and sign up. Share what you are building with #KiroStudents — @kirodotdev on X, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and @kiro.dev on Bluesky.__TEACH THE GEEK (http://teachthegeek.com) Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips