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Focus Statement: Translating expertise into effective people and performance leadership
This career band supports professionals who are responsible for leading teams, managing performance, and turning strategy into results through others. This career band is for those that have people directly reporting to them, at an organizational level.
Learning in this track focuses on:
Learning in this track focuses on:
Developing and coaching talent for performance and growth
Building trust, accountability, and engagement within teams
Navigating feedback, conflict, and change with confidence
Common STEM roles may include:
Common STEM roles may include:
Engineering Manager
Manufacturing or Operations Manager
R&D Manager
Project or Program Manager
Quality or Reliability Manager
IT or Data Team Manager
Hope Yin
Hope Yin
Supercharge Your Strategic Communication and Public Speaking with AI
As leaders progress in their careers, communication expectations shift. Public speaking is no longer just about delivering updates—it becomes a critical tool for shaping thinking, aligning stakeholders, and influencing decisions across teams and organizations.
At the manager level, public speaking becomes the essential translation layer that turns high-level corporate strategy into clear, actionable direction for teams. Managers are expected to communicate complex ideas, present to diverse audiences, and advocate for their team’s priorities. When done well, this skill not only drives alignment but also enables leaders to influence stakeholders, secure resources, and create the clarity that builds psychological safety and accelerates decision-making.
Yet translating technical or detailed information into compelling, high-impact communication remains a common challenge. Without clear structure and intentional messaging, teams often experience a “fog of war,” where unstructured communication leads to confusion, wasted effort, and constant shifts in direction. When managers struggle to influence effectively, their teams may lack visibility, resources, and alignment—while the absence of modern tools like AI can further widen the gap in communication speed and effectiveness.
In parallel, the rise of AI is transforming how leaders prepare, structure, and refine their communication. However, the value of AI is not in replacing leadership voice—it is in enhancing clarity, structure, and intentionality in how ideas are communicated.
In this session, participants will explore how to use AI as a strategic co-pilot to strengthen public speaking and communication effectiveness. Moving beyond surface-level tools, this session focuses on practical ways to integrate AI across the full communication process—from ideation and structuring to narrative development, rehearsal, and delivery refinement. Participants will learn how to translate complexity into clarity, tailor their message to different audiences, and elevate their communication from tactical updates to strategic influence.
Led by Hope Yin, a seasoned professional speaker and former technology executive, this session also highlights how public speaking shows up in everyday leadership—not just in presentations, but in meetings, stakeholder conversations, and moments of alignment. When done effectively, it becomes the operational glue that connects strategy to execution, a protective shield for advocating team needs, and a cultural tool for reinforcing shared values. Participants will also examine common pitfalls, such as overloading audiences with data, avoiding difficult messages, or failing to adapt communication to different audiences.
This session serves as the first step in a development pathway. Participants who choose to continue will have the opportunity to participate in two follow-up group coaching sessions, where they will apply these tools to real presentations, refine their communication approach, and strengthen their ability to communicate with clarity and confidence in high-stakes situations.
Participants leave the session with a practical framework for using AI to enhance communication, increased confidence in structuring and delivering messages, and clear next steps to strengthen their influence—ultimately becoming leaders who create clarity, drive alignment, and act as force multipliers for their teams.
Sarita Vasa
Sarita Vasa
Achieve Your Aspirational Brand through Communication
Many high-performing managers lead effective teams and consistently deliver results, yet still receive feedback that they do not speak up enough—or that when they do, their message does not fully reflect the leader they aspire to be.
At the manager level, leadership credibility is shaped not only by results but also by how leaders communicate, advocate for ideas, and represent their values in conversations with peers and senior leaders.
This session explores the connection between voice, values, and leadership brand. Participants will examine when they choose to speak up, when they hold back, and how those patterns influence how others perceive their leadership.
Guided by executive coach and presentation skills expert Sarita Vasa, participants will explore how credibility is built through intentional communication—aligning what they say, how they say it, and the leadership presence they bring into the room.
Through reflection and practical tools, participants will identify the gap between their current leadership brand and their aspirational leadership brand, and begin practicing ways to speak with greater clarity, authenticity, and influence.
This session serves as the first step in a development pathway. Participants who choose to continue will have the opportunity to participate in two follow-up group coaching sessions, where Sarita will help participants apply these tools to real workplace conversations, strengthen their leadership voice, and develop greater credibility in how they show up and communicate.
Participants leave the session with greater awareness of how their voice shapes their leadership presence and practical steps to begin aligning their communication with the leader they aspire to be.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Communicate with Clarity and Structure by turning complex ideas into concise, action-oriented messages.
Eliminate the Fog of War by mastering structural models like BLUF and the Pyramid Principle to ensure team directives are never lost in a data dump.
Structure for Speed: Practice using the "What? So What? Now What?" framework to facilitate faster decision-making during daily stand-ups and project updates.
Influence Stakeholders Effectively by tailoring communication to drive alignment and secure decisions across the organization.
Use the IMPACT model to identify the unique motivations of different stakeholders, from technical teams to the C-suite.
Shift from dry reporting to narrative-driven influence by leveraging strategic storytelling.
Leverage AI to enhance communication by improving clarity, confidence, and impact by using AI as a strategic co-pilot.
Use AI design tools to rapidly transform unstructured text into high-impact visual narratives, saving time while increasing professional polish.
Utilize AI coach to practice a natural and impactful by identifying potential stakeholder objections and refining vocal delivery.
Create a repeatable AI workflow for the full communication lifecycle.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Understand how communication shapes leadership credibility
Recognize how what leaders say—and how they say it—affects trust, influence, and leadership perception
Understand the role communication plays in shaping a leader’s professional brand
Increase awareness of personal communication patterns
Reflect on when they choose to speak up and when they hold back
Identify how these patterns influence how others perceive their leadership
Clarify their leadership brand
Identify the gap between their current leadership brand and their aspirational leadership brand
Explore how voice, values, and communication style contribute to leadership credibility
Recognize mindsets that influence leadership voice
Identify beliefs or habits that may limit their willingness to speak with confidence and clarity
Explore alternative mindsets that support stronger leadership presence
Practice aligning voice, values, and leadership presence
Apply practical techniques to communicate ideas with greater authenticity and clarity
Identify one leadership situation where speaking up intentionally can strengthen credibility and influence
Post-Conference Coaching Sessions
Post-Conference Coaching Sessions
May 22, 2026, 11am -12pm PT (1pm - 2pm ET)
June 4, 2026, 10am - 11am PT (12pm - 1pm ET)
Participants who continue into the two follow-up group coaching sessions will have the opportunity to:
Master the Art of Strategic Storytelling: Move beyond data dumps by adopting frameworks like the Hero’s Journey to wrap technical metrics in compelling human narratives that drive immediate buy-in.
Command the Room with Executive Presence: Refine your physical and vocal "instrument" using the 4Ps of Delivery (Pace, Pitch, Pause, and Power), ensuring you project authority and warmth whether in-person or in virtual environments.
Navigate High-Stakes Interactions: Build the mental and verbal agility to handle difficult conversations using the ARC Method, allowing you to maintain composure and credibility under pressure.
Build a Repeatable Leadership "Voice": Develop a personal library of signature stories and a tech-augmented rehearsal workflow that eliminates filler words and distraction habits, making you a speaker people truly want to listen to.
Post-Conference Coaching Sessions
Post-Conference Coaching Sessions
May 8, 2026, 11am -12pm PT (1pm - 2pm ET)
May 22, 2026, 11am - 12pm PT (1pm - 2pm ET)
Participants who continue into the two follow-up group coaching sessions will have the opportunity to:
Apply communication tools to real workplace conversations
Practice speaking with greater clarity and confidence in leadership settings
Refine how their leadership brand shows up in meetings, presentations, and stakeholder discussions
Receive feedback and perspective from peers and the trainer
Hope Yin's Bio
Hope Yin's Bio
Hope Yin is an award-winning Tech Executive who has become a Coach, Speaker, and Advocate for Holistic Leadership. She partners with global companies and executives to elevate their leadership presence, foster team cultures, and drive business growth.
As a sought-after speaker, Hope has inspired over 10,000 individuals, including at the world's largest conference for Women in Computing, SASE STEM Connect, and Society of Women Engineers. Her mission is to support leaders to become more influential.
As an ICF PCC-certified Executive Coach, Founder & Owner of Blueprint Coaching, Hope works with leaders to build powerful personal brands, lead high-performing teams and organizations, and achieve strategic career success.
With a proven track record at two Fortune 200 companies, Hope's journey from an immigrant to an established tech executive has given her unique insights and strategies for supporting others.
Hope holds three M.S. degrees in Engineering.
Sarita Vasa's Bio
Sarita Vasa's Bio
Sarita Vasa is a Bay Area-based coach and facilitator who has guided thousands of leaders in executive presence, team development, women’s leadership, and high-impact communication.
A second-generation Indian American, Sarita is deeply committed to supporting the Asian community in both breaking through cultural barriers and embracing their unique strengths. For the past five years, she has been a coach and facilitator for McKinsey’s Asian Executive Leadership Program, helping leaders rise with authenticity and confidence.
Sarita’s work is anchored in a singular purpose: to help her clients meet challenges with courage and capacity. Known by clients as The Velvet Hammer, she brings a powerful blend of warmth and directness that supports transformational growth.
With 25 years of business experience, Sarita has spent half her career launching and leading a social enterprise, and the other half coaching, training, and facilitating across industries. She’s also a proud parent of two teenagers and brings her full, authentic self into every aspect of her work.
In her spare time, Sarita is either writing chapters of her future books, trying new workouts, traveling, or enjoying meaningful conversations with friends from all walks of life.
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