Evan Brunell is available for speaking engagements and can speak on digital media and deafness. Evan can discuss: self-advocacy, leadership, the advent of new and digital media, and sports journalism. Contact him here.

Deafness

483812_10100822885986699_904693534_nEvan is profoundly deaf, wears two cochlear implants, and was raised with the listening and spoken language method espoused by Clarke School for the Deaf (now Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech). You can learn more about Evan’s background here.

Evan can discuss: self-advocacy, leadership, shared upbringing, adapting to the workforce, transitioning life/education phases, legal/political/nonprofit engagement to advance rights, and the dynamic of oral (LSL) deaf people in traits, struggles, and personal experience.

Examples of speeches he can give include:

“The past conferences I have went to with [Evan] teaching us how to advocate for ourselves in both public and workplaces stuck with me… I have a job now, because of [his] presentations!” – Brianna Davidson, student

Coming from a variety of mainstream schools, many of the teens who attend do not have peers with hearing loss at school and/ or have never met an adult with hearing loss. Introducing them to role models like Evan gives them a safe place to share their experiences, ask questions, and make connections that last well beyond the one-day workshop. Being a leader of this program requires a variety of skills to make the day fun, informative, and easy to follow. Evan and his co-presenter planned a day that was well balanced with opportunities for students to socialize as well as ask questions about managing life in the mainstream. Evan’s willingness to share his memories and advice from his high school and college years was well received. He addressed both his successes and challenges with humor, honesty and a positive attitude. … In my years of knowing Evan as a young student and most recently in observing his interactions with teens, I have seen him approach his work with high standards for excellence. – Melissa Griswold, teacher of the deaf

Speaking History on Deafness

  • Seminars, panels, and lectures on a wide variety of topics to parents, educators, professionals, and children at the 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, and 2014 Alexander Graham Bell Convention, held across the United States. Topics have included transitions into high school and/or college, advocacy, leadership, personal experiences, relationship dynamics, and more.
  • Seminars and workshops for Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech. His work here involves leading Making Connections! an all-day workshop for deaf students in high-school, focused on leadership and advocacy-based efforts annually from 2010-2014. He also served as summer camp counselor in Explore the Outdoors in 2012 and 2014, visiting the camp in 2013 and 2015 for workshops as well.
  • Traveling to Nebraska in 2014 and 2016 to speak about strategies and advocacy in the workplace for deaf teenagers and adults on behalf of the Lincoln Public School system. The 2014 talk was held with three different age segments of deaf students in 30-minute presentations. (See PowerPoint used as part of his presentation.) The 2016 discussions were with a parent and professional audience in two 45-minute presentations.
  • From 2013-present, a speaker for Understanding Our Differences, a disability education organization that spreads awareness about various disabilities to students in the Newton public school system. Schools that he has spoken at are Cabot Elementary School, Countryside Elementary School, and Angier Elementary.
  • Seminars for deaf teenagers and children, discussing advocacy-based efforts in school at the 2015, 2013, and 2011 New England Cochlear Implant convention in Massachusetts.
  • A litany of panels and seminars throughout his life, stretching back to when he was flown to Dallas, TX as a seven-year-old to speak at a deaf professional conference.

Digital Media

Evan founded the first online sports media network as the Most Valuable Network. MVN achieved over 15 million unique page views monthly at its peak. He oversaw 10 paid employees and 300+ contracted journalists writing or podcasting across the network. He established the business vision, devised global brand strategy, implemented, and executed business plans. At the forefront of the emerging digital age, Evan was there every step of the way. In addition, he oversaw the transition of MVN to new platforms as the digital age transformed from Web 1.0 to 2.0, providing more capabilities and resources than ever before.

Evan can speak about the advent of the internet changing media,the dynamics of creating a blog, website, and network online, old vs. new media,  the development of podcasts, social media, and baseball journalism. Since 2003 and continuing to this day, Evan advises journalists and professionals on social media, digital marketing practices, creating effective blogs, and more.

Through MVN, his work as a baseball journalist, and present position in business, working on brand and marketing, Evan can also discuss social media and its growth as a central part of any business’ strategic plan. He can speak as to the nascent beginnings of Facebook and Twitter, and how he tapped into these platforms early on. For CBS Sports, he was part of the original baseball blog team, helping launch the structure and concept of a platform that still endures to this day for CBS. Through his work as a baseball journalist, Brunell can also lend insight about the field.

Examples of speeches Evan can give include:

  • The emergence of new media, and the disruptive effect the internet had on old media
  • The advent of digital and social media, how it changed an industry, and how it is still changing life as we know it
  • Understanding how to create, effectively promote, and/or monetize a website and/or blog
  • Effective digital marketing practices, and how certain practices may or may not work for specific industries, sectors, or interests
  • An examination of what it was like to run an online media network, particularly during the burgeoning days of the internet, and the transition from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0
  • Insight into the career of journalism, sports journalism, and/or sports journalism
  • Challenges of being a young adult and suddenly being thrust on a national landscape, responsible for managing a significant property and managing others
  • The experiences and challenges of entrepreneurism