Archive for Events

Recent Events

There’s been several events lately that I’ve helped with, but I’ve been really bad about logging them here. So, here’s an all-encompassing post of what I’ve been up to around the East Valley for the past couple months.

Chandler Cupcake Camp

In early April, Katie Charland, Gangplank’s Director of Operations, headed up this sweet event held at the Chandler Senior Center.

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The day was filled with all things cupcakes, including baking tips, live icing demonstrations, and even a cupcake tasting at the end! My favorite: Spicy Chocolate vegan gluten-free mini-cupcakes from Sasha at 24 Carrots! The cayenne pepper flavor deliciously offset the rich chocolate ganache and sweet dab of icing on the top.

Gangplank Inaugural Volunteer Orientation

Local collaborative workspace Gangplank has been growing by leaps and bounds! So much, that they have put out a call for community volunteers.

Gangplank Inaugural Volunteer Orientation

This is a scene from our inaugural meeting where we did some brainstorming on the pieces of our lives that connect us all. Check out this Gangplank blog post for more info.

ASU Late Night Ready for the Real World

Gangplank and ASU collaborated to hold a career-readiness event for soon-to-be graduating college seniors on the evening of March 31st.

Ready for the Real World ASU

Students had several 30-minute stations from serious mock interviews to resume preparation. I was there helping with the latter.

LaidOffCamp Phoenix

Susan Baier and several area volunteers organized the biggest and best LaidOffCamp Phoenix the area has seen yet!

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The April 30th event at the Chandler Community Center provided hundreds of area residents with a free day of sessions to help with joblessness, career transitions, and starting a new business.

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Fighting Social Anxiety to Share Experiences

redfaceI hate speaking in front of groups of people. I always have, and I probably always will.

Ever since I was in elementary school and had to get up and speak in front of my class it has been relatively the same experience. I am brave enough to get up there, but then once I see all eyes are focused on me I feel a rush of blood to my head, then my skin pales and begins to fill with red blotches from my face to my chest. Sometimes, I’ll be so nerved up that I begin to break out in itchy hives over the blotches, which I’m sure is a lovely thing to witness.

Then the mind blanks out. Sure, I’ve prepared well thinking this time will be different and I’ll sound like a professional who knows what she’s talking about, but then the stammering starts. Read more

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Phoenix Storytellers Support Group

On the evening of Tuesday March 1st, Tyler Hurst and Jeff Moriarty, both members of The Domino Storytellers GroupProject Street Team, held a “Writer’s Event” to assess the creative and technical strengths and challenges of the Phoenix writing community. But rather than simply cater to writers specifically, this event asked for “storytellers” — those expressing ideas via written or spoken words.

Out of that event, a storytellers “support group” was born.

The premise of this group is to gather together to teach and learn all that we can from one another. Meetings will feature a specific speaker and topic each session, with open time set aside for networking, collective brainstorming, or collaborative work.

Whether you are a novelist, blogger, technical writer, journalist, podcaster, poet, or anyone else expressing ideas through words, you are welcome to attend and participate.

The first official Storytellers meeting will take place on Tuesday March 15th from 7PM-8:30PM at Gangplank in Chandler. The current plan is reconvene every other Tuesday thereafter, same time, same place.

Hope to see you there!

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