How to: Give a Presentation About Any Topic to Any Audience

​About the Session:

​Whether you're putting together a client presentation or delivering a speech on a global stage, how do you craft a message that lands with your audience? How do you make sure your ideas stick with people and inspire them to action? And in jargon-heavy fields — and this moment of AI slop — how can you produce remarks that are accessible to non-experts and feel human? In this workshop, I’ll cover basic principles that can help you accomplish these goals. I’ll share lessons I’ve learned as a policy communications expert and as a speechwriter for former U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. We'll also have time at the end for a short Q&A.

​About the Host:

​Elena Souris is a policy research and communications consultant who served as a speechwriter to the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, from 2021-2025. She previously worked as an analyst at a DC-based think tank, New America. Her words have appeared in outlets like the Washington Post and Foreign Policy, and have been delivered at the White House, the United Nations Security Council, and in countries around the world. Elena started her career working as a production assistant in public radio.