Storytelling for Engineers - Make Your Presentations Stick
Great presentations aren't just accurate, they're memorable. In engineering fields we produce a lot of reports, but we rarely think about them beyond their quantitative contents - the numbers are right, the slides are full, and the audience forgets it all by the next coffee break.
This workshop is built for that exact problem, and for you specifically: the technical community. Dave Hollembaek, Senior Engineering Manager and veteran storyteller at California-based Veeva Systems, joins us for a hands-on session on turning dry data into something an audience actually feels and remembers. Over 20+ years in tech and leadership at Microsoft, Accenture, and Veeva, Dave moved from a "reports on slides" style to structured storytelling that sticks. In this workshop, he'll help you skip ahead to those key learnings in one evening.
We'll start with the why: a short story, and what you take away from it. From there, you'll pick up practical techniques: how to structure a narrative, how to present charts that land, and (just as important) when not to wrap everything in a story, because some technical reports are better left sharp and to the point.
Then you put it into practice! You'll break into groups, build your own themed story, present it, and get live peer feedback. We'll close with bonus tips and some social time to wind down.
What to expect:
Intro to the storytelling arc, with real examples
Group work: build and present your own story
Techniques for charts, delivery, and engagement
Feedback, tips, and a relaxed social to finish
Good to know:
No laptop required, a phone or tablet works fine
One bigger screen per group is ideal (reading materials)
All materials accessible via QR codes shared on the day
Open to everyone, not just CSEE SAI students 🚀