
Teach the Geek Podcast - public speaking for technical professionals
In STEM (science, technology, engineering, math)? Struggle with public speaking? Then you're in the right place! I'm Neil Thompson, engineer and speaker. This is the place to get tips to improve your public speaking, and also hear from others with STEM backgrounds who saw the benefit of public speaking in their careers and the steps they took to get better at it. Think you or someone you know would make a great guest? Email me at hello@teachthegeek.com.
Latest episodes

Aug 2, 2023 • 27min
EP. 266: Matthew Posner, what's Optoelectronics?
Matthew Posner, what's Optoelectronics?
Matthew Posner is a workforce and photonics education director. What does that mean? Beats me, but you’ll find out. He wasn’t always in learning and development, though. He has a PhD in Optoelectronics and worked as a scientist. How does a scientist end up in learning and development? I’m curious to find out!
Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewposner/.
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.

Jul 26, 2023 • 30min
EP. 265: Julie C. Henry is the Animal-Loving Leadership Speaker
Julie C. Henry is the Animal-Loving Leadership Speaker
I heard Julie Henry speak on another podcast, and when I found out she studied zoology, I knew I had to have her as a guest. She worked at zoos and aquariums for years before embarking on a path as a speaker and author. Her topic of choice: leadership. Learn more about her time with the animals, her transition to speaking, and the lessons she has learned along the way.
To get in touch with Julie, her IG handle is @juliechenry.
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.

Jul 19, 2023 • 31min
EP. 264: Lucy Shen - the Cosplaying Developer Advocate
Lucy Shen - the Cosplaying Developer Advocate
Lucy Shen is a developer advocate. What does that mean? No clue, but she filled me in on that. She was an engineer at one point, too. I learned she’s also into cosplay; she shared how she got into it. She’s a musician, too. What does she not do? She’s making me feel lazy!
Find Lucy on Twitter @spooleans.
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.

Jul 12, 2023 • 32min
EP. 263: Dr. Sam Jones - from Biomedical Scientist to Science Communicator
Dr. Sam Jones is all about science communication. In addition to being a freelance science journalist, she’s the producer and co-host of the Tiny Matters podcast, a podcast that answers many of life’s questions. She didn’t start off in science communication, though. She once was a biomedical scientist. What prompted the switch to science communication? Let’s find out!
You can get in touch with Sam at sjoneswriting.com.
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.

Jul 5, 2023 • 28min
EP. 262: Ruth King - the Wealth-Building Chemical Engineer
Ruth King - the Wealth-Building Chemical Engineer
Ruth King helps businesses stay profitable and build wealth. I’m curious to find out how she does that. I’m also interested to find out how someone who studied Chemical Engineering got into this field. Doesn’t seem like a straight line. She’s also an author; what are her books about? She seems to do a lot of things that aren’t typical, so let’s just get into it.
To get in touch with Ruth, visit http://ruthking.info.
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.

Jun 28, 2023 • 30min
EP. 261: Sandro Perruzza is the Statistically Significant CEO
Sandro Perruzza is the CEO of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE). I doubt his first job was as a CEO, though. He had to work through a few jobs to get to where he is now. Plus, I think he’s the first guest I’ve had on the channel to have majored in Statistics in school. I still forget what the p-value actually means and the difference between a type I error and a type II error. I’m unsure he’ll be able to clear that up for me, but at least we can cover his career journey and public speaking.
Want to get in touch with Sandro? Find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandroperruzza.
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.

Jun 21, 2023 • 28min
EP. 260: Alastair McDermott is the Recognized Authority in Marketing
Alastair McDermott is the Recognized Authority in Marketing
Alastair McDermott is the host of the Recognized Authority podcast and a marketing consultant. But would you believe that he used to be a software developer? He event went to school for software development. I’m interested to know how he made the transition to marketing from software development, the goal of his podcast, and the ways in which public speaking has benefited his work life.
Check out Alastair’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@TheRecognizedAuthority. The podcast is at https://therecognizedauthority.com/podcast/.
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.

Jun 14, 2023 • 30min
EP. 259 - Pal Mann: from the battlefield to the boardroom
Pal Mann: from the battlefield to the boardroom
Pal Mann is the CEO of Engineers Nova Scotia and has had a decorated career in the Canadian government. We chatted about what work he did
while in Department of National Defense, what led him to Engineers Nova Scotia, and how public speaking has benefited him thus far.
Want to get in touch with Pal? Find him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharminderpal-singh-mann-cd-fcsse-p-eng-icd-d-50b523a
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.

Jun 7, 2023 • 29min
EP. 258: Dr. Amy Beaird - engineering resources for deserving businesses
Dr. Amy Beaird - engineering resources for deserving businesses
In a nutshell, Dr. Amy Beaird works with companies to get them the resources they need to be successful. This wasn’t what she dreamed of doing when she was younger, so we delve into what got her into this line of work, especially as someone with a couple of Engineering degrees.
Want to get in touch with Dr. Beaird? Do so at https://www.linkedin.com/in/abeaird
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.

May 31, 2023 • 30min
EP. 257: ASEE's Dr. Jacqueline El-Sayed's journey to the top
ASEE's Dr. Jacqueline El-Sayed's journey to the top
Dr. Jacqueline El-Sayed is the CEO of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). For years before that, though, she was a professor and administrator. Tune in to learn about her interest in Engineering, her years in academia, and her plans for ASEE.
To get in touch with Dr. El-Sayed, her email is j.elsayed@asee.org.
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TEACH THE GEEK (teachthegeek.com)
Subscribe and rate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube
Follow @teachthegeek (Twitter) and @_teachthegeek_ (IG)
Get Public Speaking Tips for STEM Professionals at http://teachthegeek.com/tips.
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