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

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

Neil Thompson
Public Speaking
Communication
Storytelling
Non-Technical Audiences
Technology
Technical Communication
Artificial Intelligence
Non-Technical Audience
Leadership
Engineering
Business Value
Teach the Geek
Toastmasters
Information Technology
Healthcare
Mining Industry
Data Storytelling
Access To Communication
Executive Communication
Business Stakeholders

Teach the Geek helps engineers, scientists, and technical professionals speak clearly, confidently, and persuasively. Each episode provides actionable tips for public speaking, technical presentations, and communicating complex ideas to non-technical audiences. Learn how to prepare slides, tell stories with data, handle Q&A sessions, and improve your professional presence. Perfect for STEM profess... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes431Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Self-ImprovementEducation

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

Latest Episodes

Dr. Andrew Omidvar: From Complexity to Impact

Dr. 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 t... more

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 influenc... more

Marc Brooker: How Technical Communication Drives Decisions

In 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 app... more

Danielle Prilepskiy: Teaching Machine Learning through Tennis

Danielle Prilepskiy is a Statistics and Machine Learning student who is exploring what happens when technical knowledge meets the human side of communication. After teaching tennis to kid... more

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Recent Guests

Jonathon Thompson
Technology leader with 25 years of experience in compliance solutions
CAI
Episode: EP. 429 - Jonathon Thompson: Clear‑Thinking Tech Leaders Communicate
Marc Brooker
VP and Distinguished Engineer focused on safety and policy for agentic AI
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Episode: EP. 428 - Marc Brooker: How Technical Communication Drives Decisions
Danielle Prilepskiy
Statistics and machine learning student who teaches complex ideas using analogies from tennis
Independent student/Research
Episode: EP. 427 - Danielle Prilepskiy: Teaching Machine Learning through Tennis
Lisa Hornschemeier
VP of engineering with a career spanning software development, enterprise systems, cloud platforms, and engineering leadership
Episode: EP. 426 - Lisa Hornschemeier: When Engineers Fail to Communicate
Michael Jones
AID/AI systems engineer and leader focused on AI, systems engineering, and stakeholder communication
Episode: EP. 425 - Michael Jones: When Engineering and Business Miscommunicate
Rob Kalwarowsky
Former engineer, leadership coach helping executives and elite performers lead more effectively
Rob Kalwarowsky Coaching
Episode: EP. 424 - Rob Kalwarowsky: When Technical Teams Meet Business Leaders
Mark Castleberry
Director of Enterprise Applications with two decades of HR tech, ERP, and cloud transformation experience
Episode: EP. 423 - Mark Castleberry: Technical Communication that Works
Kelly Schroeder
IT leader sharing lessons from large-scale technology transformations
Episode: EP. 422 - Kelly Schroeder: Communicating IT Tradeoffs With Confidence
Robert Monroe
Guest; founder/driver behind Cast in Steel storytelling initiative
Cast in Steel / George Washington sword project
Episode: EP. 421 - Robert Monroe: Casting Engineering Stories in Steel

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 26 ratings
  • Neil is awesome!

    Neil is a gifted communicator and conversationalist and I really respect his transparency that he shares along the way in these episodes. Very well done show!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alex Sanfilippo | PodMatch.com
    United States6 months ago
  • Excellent

    Technical talent always struggles with effective speaking skills. This podcast highlights how we can all build better public speaking skills. Great podcast for talent development professionals and geeks who need to speak without fear of their audience.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PortlandJamin
    United States2 years ago
  • A Must For Introverted Technical Professionals

    Great podcast and a great cadre of guests sharing their stories. If you’re a technical professional, information learned from Neil and his guests will help you break out of your comfort zone. Keep finding interesting guests and sharing their stories, Neil.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RonH4447
    United States2 years ago
  • Great show, Neil is a super interviewer

    I’m a listener and a former guest of the show, it was a pleasure to come on and chat with Neil, he’s a great interviewer and this is a wonderful show for introverted geeks like me!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AlastairMcDermott
    Ireland2 years ago
  • Nothing Like It!

    Neil provides a wonderful snapshot of “geeks” who have made positive impact on society.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Warren Media
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Introverts in STEM find the show approachable and empowering.
Listeners praise the host's conversational style and transparency.
Guests appreciate tangible public speaking tips tailored to tech audiences.
The host is highlighted as an excellent interviewer who pulls detailed insights from guests.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

EP. 428 - Marc Brooker: How Technical Communication Drives Decisions
Q: What are the common gaps between technical and non-technical audiences?
Marc explains that audiences often struggle because presenters either go too deep into details or stay too high level; the key is meeting the audience at the right altitude and tailoring the message to what they know and need to decide.
EP. 427 - Danielle Prilepskiy: Teaching Machine Learning through Tennis
Q: First question, what motivated you to study statistics and machine learning?
Danielle explains that her interest in math and computer science, plus the recognition that ML is a growing field with meaningful questions behind patterns, drew her to the discipline; she values both the professional opportunities and personal curiosity.
EP. 425 - Michael Jones: When Engineering and Business Miscommunicate
Q: What can organizations do to help technical people improve their communication?
Organizations should implement strategic development programs that blend technical leadership with stakeholder engagement, written and verbal communication training, and opportunities to practice presenting in panels or real-world settings.
EP. 425 - Michael Jones: When Engineering and Business Miscommunicate
Q: How do misconceptions about AI capabilities influence leadership decisions?
Leaders may either overestimate AI as a universal fix or resist it due to job security fears; the key is to discuss problem spaces, feasibility, and provide context about what AI can and cannot do, along with a clear plan for implementation.
EP. 425 - Michael Jones: When Engineering and Business Miscommunicate
Q: Where do engineering and business teams most often miscommunicate?
Miscommunication often happens when technical teams focus on complexity rather than the actual benefits or outcomes that matter to leaders; translating technical work into clear business value is essential.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical show focused on helping STEM professionals communicate complex ideas clearly to non-technical audiences. Across episodes, guests share actionable techniques for translating jargon, crafting data-driven stories, and tailoring messages to executives, boards, and cross-functional teams. The conversations emphasize storytelling, audience awareness, and the human side of leadership, with frameworks like SPARC and prompts such as the grandma test to improve clarity and influence. A standout trait is the emphasis on real-world impact—bridging technical work with business value and career advancement through better communication.

Overall, the show tends to feature tech leaders, engineers, and innovators who have mastered public speakin... more

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1. Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
2. Good Hang with Amy Poehler
3. Office Ladies

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 7 years ago and published 431 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Jonathon Thompson
2. Marc Brooker
3. Danielle Prilepskiy
4. Lisa Hornschemeier
5. Michael Jones
6. Rob Kalwarowsky
7. Mark Castleberry
8. Kelly Schroeder

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