Speakers Bureau - Become a Speaker
Why become a Weave speaker?
Weave speakers spread hope at a time when many Americans feel despair. People wonder if our country can come together, celebrate all that we share, embrace the strength in our differences, and live the ideals that attract so many to America. Our speakers show that we can live those ideals. They inspire hope by telling stories of communities coming together in shared purpose and dignity.They also give practical lessons to inspire others to join in weaving an inclusive social fabric. They aren’t the usual experts, relying on books and credentials and telling us what to do. They are experts in inviting us into their way of living and showing us how to heal ourselves, our communities, and our nation, as you’ll see from their stories.
Who should apply to be a Weave speaker?
If you answer yes to these three questions, you are a good candidate.
- Are you actively weaving trust where you live or work?
- Weaving is local. It is about people coming together because they want to live in a place that is strong, safe, and welcoming. Weaving happens mainly in person. Learn more about what weaving is here.
- Do you have a powerful story to tell about your reasons for weaving or what you have learned helping people come together in your neighborhood, workplace, faith community, etc.?
- Speakers connect with audiences when they are willing to be honest and vulnerable about their life experiences and lessons.
- Is your goal in joining the Bureau to inspire others to weave?
- If you want to spread weaving, great! If your goal is to advocate on an issue or build a socially-responsible enterprise, that is wonderful, but not a great fit.
What benefits do I get as a speaker?
As a member of the Weave Speakers Bureau, you will have a public profile, so event organizers and media can learn about you. Weave will work to find you opportunities to speak or be interviewed. We support you with training and personal coaching and teach you how to seek local speaking opportunities yourself.
Some engagements will be paid, while others will offer mainly experience, exposure, and impact. Weave is a matchmaker and advocate, not a middle person. We connect you to opportunities. We don’t collect fees. Almost all our speakers have at least one engagement in their first year and most opportunities have paid speaker honoraria and expenses.
What will I commit to as a speaker?
As a Weave speaker, you will share your story with a variety of audiences with the aim of inspiring people to weave and explaining the resources available from Weave. You will need to sign this Weave speaker agreement to show you understand the commitment you make, just as we make a commitment to train, pitch, and support you. You will also need to be an active member of the Online Weave Community and share your experience with other weavers as your time allows. Finally you must attend the training outlined below.
What is the onboarding process?
You don’t have to be an experienced speaker, though experience helps. We will provide training and support to get you ready. That means about 10 hours of required preparation including:
1. Onboarding Trainings: You will have to attend four one-hour onboarding sessions on Zoom. If necessary, we allow one absence:
- Speaker Orientation: Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
- Story of Self Workshop: Wednesday, May 29 at 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
- Weave Message Workshop: Wednesday, June 5 at 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
- Pitching Workshop: Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
2. Speaker Trainings: You will need to complete two additional 2-hour workshops on Zoom, if your schedule permits. Otherwise you will watch the recordings and do the exercises yourself. Registration will be posted soon within the Public Speaking module in the Weave Learning Center. Here are the upcoming session dates:
- Option 1: Training on Friday, May 10 at 12:00pm - 2:00pm ET / 9:00am PT and Workshop on Friday, May 17 at 12:00pm - 1:00pm ET / 9:00am PT
- Option 2: Training on Friday, July 10 at 12:00pm - 2:00pm ET / 9:00am PT and Workshop on Friday, July 17 at 12:00pm - 1:00pm ET / 9:00am PT
3. Crafting Your Bio: You will work with an editor to create your speaker profile that will be listed publicly on the website. An additional resource, if you’re interested, is Weave’s six-part training series called Becoming a Great Speaker: How to Weave With Words, available online at your own pace in the Weave Learning Center.
How do I apply?
You will fill out an application that includes information about you, your community, and your experience. You will need to record a 2-3 minute informal video of you talking to your phone and sharing a story of your weaving. Weave staff and community advisors will select speakers. The process may include an interview, which would be scheduled for either April 24 or April 26.
Anyone can apply. Weave will select 12 people for our next cohort of speakers, and we are especially interested in people who can add to the diversity of our current 28 speakers, which include people:
- 18-35 years old
- from diverse ethnic backgrounds or in communities of diverse backgrounds
- in rural communities
- in the US South, Southwest, Midwest, and Mountain West
- with experience creating public spaces for locals to gather and meet or welcoming those often marginalized, such as returning citizens, people experiencing homelessness, or immigrants
Applications are now closed. If you applied, you will receive a response from us by Monday, May 13, 2024.
