In an effort to connect with fellow alumni, I attended an inspiring workshop by Joya for our upcoming college reunion. Joya offered a thoughtfully designed flow, making the session interactive. She posed challenging questions to participants, asking us to face our fears about seeing old friends and to reframe the stories we tell ourselves. She also peppered in her own personal anecdotes, lending a relatable touch to the materials. Although I am unable to attend the reunion, I still found the session helpful and thought provoking. I’ve come away with the inspiration and confidence to bring my authentic self into both professional and personal settings. Thank you, Joya!

As a leader of Women in Tech at Stanford Healthcare, I have a front row seat on what women leaders in digital are struggling with. How do I share my brand in 15 seconds or less? How do I socialize it when I'm in front of different audiences? How do I even create a personal brand and know that it's working? and most importantly, Why do I even need a personal brand? Joya hosted a workshop Dec 3rd (from Paris!) for a 100 leaders and shared exercises to help answer these questions. It was fast paced. Actionable. It helped our students think critically about what sets them apart in a competitive workplace where their narratives will be written for them, if they don't write it first.

As a leader of Women in Tech at Stanford, I have a front row seat on what women leaders in technology facing fields are struggling with. How do I share my brand in 15 seconds or less? How do I socialize it when I'm in front of different audiences? How do I even create a personal brand and know that it's working? and most importantly, Why do I even need a personal brand? I asked Joya to host a workshop Dec 3rd. She shared exercises to help answer these questions. It was fast paced. Actionable. It helped our students think critically about what sets them apart in a competitive workplace where their narratives will be written for them, if they don't write it first.

"As a member of Stanford WIT+, we initially struggled to grasp the concept of creating a personal brand and why it was so important. The workshop completely transformed our understanding. It provided us with practical tools and insights on building a brand that reflects our career goals, aligns with the environments we want to thrive in, and is driven by our passions. The session was eye-opening and empowering, giving our community the confidence to present ourselves authentically and strategically in our professional journeys. We're so grateful for this invaluable experience!”

As the Director of Events and Experience at Bucknell, I’m always looking for ways to help our alumni feel more connected to the University and each other, especially as they prepare to come back for Reunion. I’ve heard from alumni who say they’re hesitant to return because they haven’t kept in touch with classmates and worry it might feel awkward. And I get it. So often we want to do things like attend a Reunion or reach out to someone we haven’t spoken to in 15 years but we don’t always have the tools or even the mindset, to make that move. That’s why I was excited when Joya proposed this session as a way to help alumni get Reunion-ready. I appreciated the work she put into her presentation. It was clear she had thoughtfully designed every minute. She made it interactive, got the audience involved, and kept the energy up throughout. In just 30 action-packed minutes, she shared tools that helped shift our thinking. She guided us to reflect on the stories we tell ourselves, those quiet narratives that often hold us back and gave us practical, approachable conversation starters. But the biggest thing I took away, is our everyday lives are enough. The things we do, think about, read, or experience daily can all be great entry points for conversation anytime, anywhere. I am thankful I was able to work with her. Thanks and please let me know if you would like me to condense it. Thank you for working with us!

So often we want to do things, like attend a reunion or engage someone we haven't spoken to in 15 years, but we don't have the mindset to reach out confidently. Joya offered an action packed 30 minutes of tools that helped our college reunion audience. She invited us to dig deep, and understand what stories we might be telling ourselves. Now we are prepared to initiate conversations with confidence and interest. My takeaway is that these tips can be fodder for a personal or professional conversation. Thank you, Joya, for sharing your expertise and practical insights with us!

February 8th, we were hosting a panel of smart professionals from the architectural, hospitality and commercial industries for our clients, vendors and team in New York City. The key to success of any panel is an able moderator. Joya was that moderator. She connected with each panelist ahead of event day. She established talking points specific to each panelist's zone of genius. On event day, she kept the conversation moving in a way that was engaging and informative for everyone who attended. She recalled specific details from the panelists preliminary calls that flowed into the discussions as well as engaging with questions from our audience. We were so lucky to have her.

Joya Dass brought an unforgettable mix of honesty, expertise, and heart to our Ms President US NYC public speaking workshop. She didn’t just talk about authenticity, she modeled it. Drawing from her years as a TV anchor and public speaker, she shared moments from her own journey that made our girls sit up a little straighter and lean in a little closer. It’s rare to find someone who can connect so naturally with middle- and high-school girls, but Ms. Dass did it with ease. Her stories weren’t just inspiring; they were deeply relatable.* *What truly stood out was her gift for demystifying public speaking. Ms. Dass broke it down into practical, confidence-building strategies the girls could start using right away—from finding small moments to practice every day, to recording themselves, to embracing the power of pause. She made storytelling feel accessible and exciting, showing how vivid details can bring any message to life.* *By the end of the session, our students weren’t just listening, they were actively participating, trying out new techniques, and discovering their own voices. Ms. Dass left them not only more skilled but also more courageous. It was an empowering, energizing experience that will benefit the students for the rest of their lives.

On November 5th, Joya Dass led an exceptional public speaking workshop for thirty Ms. President members, girls in grades 4–8. Over the course of our session, which consisted of a fireside chat, an elevator pitch worksheet, and role-play public speaking scenarios, Joya transformed public speaking from something intimidating into something exciting and accessible for middle school girls. During her fireside chat, Joya spoke openly about learning to claim her voice, and the girls immediately connected with her story. She introduced concrete tools they could use right away, including her TEDx framework for identifying a clear message, understanding one’s audience, and speaking with intention. In small-group elevator pitch practice, the girls applied these ideas and learned how to pitch themselves. One of the most meaningful moments came during the role-play scenarios. Joya asked the girls to script and perform situations where they often feel talked over or ignored, encouraging them to practice real life self-advocacy. When one student asked how to be heard when a louder personality dominates the conversation, Joya taught the group a simple script for restating an idea clearly, taking ownership of the message, and never placing blame. It was the kind of practical advice that girls can use at school, at home, and in future leadership roles. The entire workshop embodied Ms. President’s mission: helping girls find, use, and trust their voices. We are deeply grateful for Joya’s warmth, clarity, and the public speaking tools she shared with our community.

Joya was one of the two speakers who addressed our Asian American Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group at Celgene on the topic of ‘Communicating Directly and Asserting Your Opinion’. We were on the brink of a merger with a bigger pharma company, and it was apparent that we needed to support our colleagues in becoming their own best advocates in the workplace. Joya shared her personal story to becoming a TV anchor. She then hosted a compelling workshop where employees’ role played scenarios such as asking for a raise or saying 'no' to additional work. The workshop was well received with great accolades. Members were really pleased with the role-play based approach to learning.

Joya was a speaker at my company’s Asian American Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group (ERG). She co-designed a workshop on communicating assertively and effectively in the workplace. In addition to generously sharing her own experience, Joya led us through a series of hands-on activities where employees had the opportunity role play scenarios such as asking for a raise or saying 'no' to additional work. Joya also presented real life scenarios and examples that resonated with employees and shared tangible tips that the audience could take away and start to implement immediately.

Joya is an amazing person with an incredible background and ability to connect with others. Joya was referred to me by her former broadcast colleague when I was seeking a speaker for our Women's Leadership Forum (WLF) at Heineken. The WLF seeks impactful and relevant speakers each year to discuss a variety of topics and Joya did not disappoint with her session on branding yourself and best networking practices. She was an absolute hit and the feedback on her session was overwhelmingly positive.

Joya was our keynote speaker for the women's luncheon at the 30th annual trade show and convention for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. Our women hoteliers, who are largely South Asian, number in critical mass and we wished to bring in a compelling speaker who could really inspire the motivate the room. Joya told her own personal story and struggle to become a television anchor. She left the audience not only feeling inspired but was able to connect with close to 1,200 women hoteliers ranging from the ages of 25-65. Planning events and finding the right speaker is a make it or break it, but Joya definitely made it!

I really appreciate how thoughtfully you put together the discussion. I was completely blown away.

Because of the risks you encouraged me to take, I've gotten new clients. I've been able to grow my business.

On behalf of all of us, I wanted to thank you again for leading such an engaging and dynamic session today. It was a pleasure to work with you on this workshop!

Separately, I have been hearing great feedback on your scripts throughout the afternoon... Your messages – and easy to digest scripts – really resonated across levels and business units, a hard to accomplish feat!

We greatly appreciate your prep and thoughtfulness in customizing this session to Evercore’s audience. It really made a big impact and the session a success.

In an effort to connect with fellow alumni, I attended an inspiring workshop by Joya for our upcoming college reunion. Joya offered a thoughtfully designed flow, making the session interactive. She posed challenging questions to participants, asking us to face our fears about seeing old friends and to reframe the stories we tell ourselves. She also peppered in her own personal anecdotes, lending a relatable touch to the materials. Although I am unable to attend the reunion, I still found the session helpful and thought provoking. I’ve come away with the inspiration and confidence to bring my authentic self into both professional and personal settings. Thank you, Joya!

As a leader of Women in Tech at Stanford Healthcare, I have a front row seat on what women leaders in digital are struggling with. How do I share my brand in 15 seconds or less? How do I socialize it when I'm in front of different audiences? How do I even create a personal brand and know that it's working? and most importantly, Why do I even need a personal brand? Joya hosted a workshop Dec 3rd (from Paris!) for a 100 leaders and shared exercises to help answer these questions. It was fast paced. Actionable. It helped our students think critically about what sets them apart in a competitive workplace where their narratives will be written for them, if they don't write it first.