Photo Credit: Cloe Shasha
For five and a half years, Cloe Shasha has worked at TED, where she is now a Content and Program Producer, helping to find world-class speakers and working with them to develop their talks at various versions of the TED conferences.
She also co-produces TED's newest podcast, Sincerely X, which consists of anonymous speakers with impactful ideas who need to remain in hiding.
Recently featured among other inspiring millennials in Jared Kleinert's 3 Billion Under 30: How Millennials Continue Redefining Success, Breaking Barriers and Changing the World, Shasha has a lot of experience with helping others articulate their most meaningful stories.
I spoke with her about her experience as a producer of TED events, and how she and her team ensure speakers and attendees have diverse backgrounds, specifically representing the LGBTQ community. I also asked her for tips on how other organizations running events can learn from her team’s experience.
Brian Honigman: How can conference and event planners diversify their roster of speakers?
Cloe Shasha: It is not as easy as it should be. As a queer woman, I care deeply about having diversity on the stage. And everyone on my team at TED feels the same way. We always have the goal of curating a balance of genders, sexualities, races, ethnic groups, nationalities and social classes.
The way we think about inviting speakers is to first consider, who is the best person to give a particular talk? Is this person really the one doing the work behind the idea? Is this idea relevant right now? Is this person able to speak in a compelling way? If not, do we think we could work with them to get them there?
Often, there is more than one person out there who would be an amazing fit for the stage around the same topic. There are many angles to explore on each subject. So we are conscious about who we choose within a field when it comes to who they are as well as what they do.
When we dig into the research, there are so many more experts than a quick Google search would lead one to assume -- beyond the usual suspects on the topic.
Another way to find powerful speakers of diverse backgrounds is to create your own RSS feed of news websites, art blogs, science journals and beyond -- including organizations’ blogs that focus on the achievements of specific demographics, such as GLAAD for the LBGTQ community.
Having articles arrive in your inbox that are tailored to your curation interests will help you gather lots of great ideas for speakers -- and these articles can sometimes be more useful than what Google results will bring up in response to keyword searches.
Honigman: How do you recommend conference producers find LGBTQ speakers in a respectful manner?
Shasha: There isn't a simple way to search online for a queer speaker on a specific topic unless that person is both already well known and out.
You have to be more proactive. Try being engaged in the community, checking out events that cater to LGBTQ individuals and reaching out to other queer-focused organizations for recommendations.
For instance, I attend Lesbians Who Tech and other LGBTQ-focused conferences and meetups to get a sense of the people who are at the forefront of their industries, whether they are speaking there or attending.
I also talk with the organizers there and at other conferences about speakers they recommend. Word-of-mouth is one of the best ways to find talented speakers within the queer community, as the queer network is strong and transcends geographic boundaries.
Honigman: How would you recommend diversifying the attendees of an event?
Shasha: Try creating an outreach program to provide discount tickets to a variety of people doing amazing things in their fields who may not be able to afford the price of admission.
At paid conferences, offering scholarships can have a lasting impact on the attendees’ lives too -- connecting them with people who are not already in their circles.
Another way of attracting different demographics is to bring in one or two celebrities within an industry.
Honigman: Any other tips for cultivating a meaningful event with diverse ideas, speakers, attendees and perspectives that a company can be proud of?
Shasha: Don’t underestimate the power of videos. Obviously you don't want a whole conference of people staring at a screen, but videos can be nice palate cleansers since they provide a different way of engaging with ideas.
The use of video within your overall programming also allows you to get a presentation from speakers who aren't able to attend your event. You can ask a person who lives far away to record a ten-minute video where they walk through their lab, around their office, down the street or elsewhere as they discuss a relevant topic.
It's a fun way to showcase that person's world as well as a private behind-the-scenes view for the audience.
I'd also recommend adding interactive video chat stations to your event where experts are on call at certain time slots to answer questions and brainstorm with attendees during the breaks. It's a fun way to give the audience permission to talk with someone amazing who may not be able to make it to the event in person.
When it comes to the audience experience, we hear over and over that people really want time to mingle and meet each other. Packing a program is tempting, but reduce your overall number of speakers and performances on stage to give attendees time to connect and engage with each other during breaks. The breaks are an opportunity for people to reflect on what they've learned and deepen their experience at your event.
