Elise (they/them) believes that safe spaces are the most important element in helping people grow and change. During their 20 years in the public health and sexuality education sector, Elise has helped countless companies and organizations build safer communities for LGBTQ folks, develop empathetic leadership skills, manage volunteers, and more.
Elise is currently the Co-Founder and Executive Director of a tech non-profit called OkaySo that connects young people with questions about sex, relationships, and identity to vetted experts who provide personalized support and information. In this role, Elise oversees all aspects of the organization, which has answered over 13,000 questions on a wide variety of topics from folks across the United States.
Prior to founding OkaySo, Elise worked at The Door, running professional development and building a training institute for people working with marginalized youth. Elise also holds a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University.
Explore the basics without judgment with educator Elise Schuster. Did you know that over 15% of Generation Z identifies as being part of the LGBTQ+ community? Gen Z is redefining how we think about gender and sexuality. And as they enter the workforce in larger numbers, it will be more important than ever for employers and co-workers to understand this topic that goes beyond just knowing what LGBT stands for. This session is focused on helping participants examine their assumptions about LGBTQ+ history and community, gain knowledge that goes beyond the acronym, and build empathy for LGBTQ+ co-workers and people in their lives.
Key Takeaways:
• Explore the history of gender and sexuality and how it shapes our current world.
• Learn gender and sexuality terminology that goes beyond LGBT.
• Reflect on their own relationship to these issues and ways to create a more equitable future.
More adults than ever identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community, and with Generation Z in the workforce, this will only continue to increase. To attract the best talent, employers must be able to create safe, affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ employees. This goes beyond understanding gender and sexuality to think about all aspects of the working environment including hiring, training, policies, physical space, forms and more. Building on the Gender and Sexuality 101 session, Elise Schuster focuses on simple and effective best practices any workplace can implement to create a truly safe and affirming space for LGBTQ+ employees.
Key Takeaways:
• Understand the impact of supportive spaces for LGBTQ+ employees.
• Evaluate current policies, forms and onboarding procedures, staff training and more.
In this interactive session, Elise Schuster will teach you the secrets social workers and therapists use to help people feel heard and validated. You'll walk away with skills you can use immediately to transform your relationships.
Key Takeaways:
• Discuss common ways leaders don't listen and why deep listening is effective.
• Learn concrete skills like active listening and reflection that really work.
• Practice each skill so that you're ready to use it immediately.
Let Elise Schuster help you make sure you never lead a boring meeting or training! This interactive session will teach you the basics of great meeting and training facilitation - basic skills you can use anywhere to build psychological safety, keep things moving, engage participants, and level up your events.
Key Takeaways:
• Understand adult learning and how to effectively work with adults.
• Develop a framework for planning successful meetings and trainings.
• Practice facilitation skills, including managing difficult situations.
