My first keynote was to an audience of 1,500.
To say I was nervous is an understatement, but as a First Gen Latina paving my own path, I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Since then, I’ve built a career in communications and learning & development in tech, while continuing to speak on stages about being a Latina in tech, the introverted experience, and how our cultura shapes the way we tell stories. I also champion public speaking as a tool to assess student knowledge, centering & honoring student voice, their lived experiences, and giving them agency in their learning.
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For years, even as I mastered the technical skills, something was missing: me bringing myself to the art. I know what it’s like to be told to tone down your expressions to be taken more seriously, to dilute your voice to fit in, and to live within the complex layers of being a quiet, introverted leader while also needing to be louder as a First Gen Latina just to earn a seat at the table.
Through deep reflection and becoming confident in my skills, I realized that the very things the world told me to dilute were my greatest strengths as a speaker; the foundation for my practice. My cultura is deeply rooted in storytelling. That’s public speaking. My introversion allows me the space to think deeply and critically about our world. That’s how we inspire and lead.
Now, I create learning experiences for us to practice public speaking differently, making it more accessible, relatable, and rooted in our lived experiences. So that when we take the stage, we’re not diluting who we are, but leading with it.
Where it all started ...
I got my start in high school through a project-based learning curriculum that required us to not just take tests, but present portfolios each year to teachers, peers, and our families to prove we were ready for the next grade. That innovative model caught the attention of The Teaching Channel, and I was featured as a student voice in their national spotlight. Soon after, I was invited to share my experience at education conferences across the U.S. That’s how I landed my first paid speaking engagement.
Public speaking transformed the way I process information, think, and lead. This moment, highlighted by the Teaching Channel, captures the initial nerves, the preperation, and the outcomes of what happens when we engage in the art of public seaking in a meaningful way. A nuestra manera, in our own way.
Video Description: From a series of videos filmed by the Teaching Channel at an Envision School in San Francisco, in 2013. On the transformative core elements of an authentic performance assessment system, and portfolio defense. Highlighting Yvonne Armenta, high school graduate 2013, UC Berkeley graduate 2018.
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My framework.
My programs are meant to elevate, transform, and nurture your public speaking skills. My framework: Reflect, Connect, Share, combines the essence of who you are and public speaking best practices to help you become a skilled public speaker that shows up authentically, no matter what room you're in. This framework is also the foundation for how we craft stories that connect with your audiences.
REFLECT.
Reflection is essential to understanding your relationship with public speaking. The focus is on intentionally bringing the person (you) to the work (public speaking).
CONNECT.
Connect. This section is all about connecting the dots between your lived experiences and using them to inform your public speaking practice & style.
SHARE.
Then, we share! We hone in on delivery techniques that work for you and transform the way you practice public speaking, so that you can share a message that resonates deeply with your audience.
