About Us
We are two young professionals whose love of public speaking is matched only by our love of helping others with public speaking.
We have over twenty years’ experience providing coaching and workshops on communication and are passionate about helping others find their voice and learn how to communicate their messages effectively.
-
Amy Arbogast is an Associate Professor of Writing, Speaking, and Argument at the University of Rochester, as well as a professional historian. She founded the Speaking Fellow program at UR, which trains selected undergraduates to work as public speaking peer tutors. Over the past decade, she has developed and fostered the program to become one of the foremost college speaking centers in the country. She has trained over fifty tutors to work with students one-on-one and to deliver workshops for large groups on campus. She has presented several times at the annual conference of the National Association of Communication Centers and regularly works with colleagues nationwide to share resources and spread public speaking knowledge and tutoring strategies.
Amy first discovered her passion for public speaking in high school, where she competed in speech tournaments and took over coaching the team her senior year. She quickly realized that she found helping others with public speaking more exciting and satisfying than competing herself, and carried this enthusiasm to Allegheny College, where she worked as a speaking tutor for three years while pursuing her undergraduate degree, and to the University of Rochester, where she founded the Speaking Fellows while completing her PhD in American history. What Amy loves most about public speaking is the ability to connect with people in an authentic, dynamic way. She loves helping others find their confidence with public speaking above all else.
-
Maria Sepulveda trained as a speaking fellow under Amy Arbogast in Spring 2016 and served as a tutor for the next two years, setting a university record for speaking tutoring sessions. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Rochester, before beginning a career in marketing and higher education. In 2023, Maria obtained an MBA degree at Simon Business School, with specialties in Brand Management and Product Management.
Throughout various positions, Maria has continued to present, and has found her passion in public speaking. Her marketing background strengthens her ability to help speakers meaningfully connect with their audiences and effectively communicate their central messages. Maria most enjoys watching clients’ confidence grow as they develop their presentation skills.
About Spark Speak
-
We empower and equip speakers to reach their audience, tell their story, and forge meaningful connections through one-on-one coaching and larger seminars and workshops. We work with speakers of all experience and skill levels. We believe that effective public speaking starts with a spark, and we love helping speakers find theirs.
We can help with all kinds of public speaking, including presentations, formal speeches, interview preparation, and even conversation practice and interpersonal communication.
A critical component of successful public speaking is confidence. Confidence can make a speaker more engaging and can help audience members feel more comfortable and more connected to the speaker. Yet, confidence can also be the most difficult element to cultivate. We are passionate about working with speakers to overcome speech anxiety, both for specific presentations and for long-term growth. We can equip speakers with tangible strategies and work with them one-on-one to help them grow more confident and comfortable with public speaking.
We also make a point to stay up to date with shifting trends and emerging scholarship. The advice and feedback we give stems from our years of experience, but also the research and insights of our colleagues across the country. We pay particular attention to evolving strategies to improve accessibility in public speaking and to use inclusive language that shows respect for all people, regardless of background or identity.
For more details on our workshops and coaching sessions, see our Services page.
-
We value speech that is clear, accessible, and ethical.
Clear: Have you ever watched a presentation that is so jargon-heavy, you feel unwelcome in the audience or unable to fully engage with the speaker’s points? Clarity is a fundamental, and yet frequently undervalued, component of any effective speech. We can help you select language that your audience will understand and work to ensure that a speaker’s pace, tone, and volume contribute to the clarity of their message.
Accessible: Different audience members have different needs. Some have disabilities or impairments; others have different attention spans or methods of engaging with material. We help you reach as many people as possible by considering the accessibility of your language, speaking style, and visual aids. From projection to font choice, we help you make intentional choices to engage a variety of audiences as effectively as possible.
Ethical: We recognize that speech and speakers have power. We value speech that uses that power for good, that respects all humans as humans, that welcomes diverse perspectives, and that advances ideas that bring people together. We can help you ensure that your speech meets these standards.
Overall, we value language and ideas that bring people to the table and that allow speakers to convey their messages and meanings effectively. We value public speaking that fosters connection between speakers and audiences, that generates ideas and energy, and that builds meaning and shared understanding. We can help speakers reach these goals and work together to improve dialogue and conversation in our workplaces and even the larger world.
-
Spark Speak is pleased to offer a variety of ways to increase your public speaking skills and confidence. We can design workshops for large groups of people that include learning portions, activities, and time for discussion, reflection, and questions. We can also work one-on-one with individuals or small groups (up to four people) to teach specific skills or to give guidance or feedback on a particular speaking project. For more details, see Services We Offer.
