NSB Logo Jennifer Hollett Jennifer Hollett

Jennifer Hollett

Speaker

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Leader In Tech, Media And Politics - Former Head Of News And Government, Twitter Canada

Jennifer Hollett is a smashup of digital, journalism, and politics. Energetic and encouraging, sassy and smart, she is the former head of news and government at Twitter Canada. Jennifer inspires and engages audiences to get involved in social and political issues by giving them simple how-tos around using technology to build community momentum for the issues that matter.

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynotes & Webinars
Contact us for more information about this speaker & their virtual presentations. Click here for some of the most popular formats for virtual events.
Leadership | How To Be More Persuasive

Everyday we’re placed in situations that require the ability to influence another person or group. It could be a business meeting, a political or issues driven campaign, even a personal conversation. While many of us think a pile of facts should do the trick, there is actually an art and science to persuasion. Drawn from Jennifer’s work on the teaching team of Harvard Kennedy School’s persuasion course, this presentation dives deeper into the proven principles and techniques of effective persuasion. This presentation is ideal for all levels of an organization: from C-Suite leadership teams to entry level employees. The insights provided by Jennifer can be applied to various types of communication: from public speaking to one-on-one interactions, from online video to branded tweets & more. 

Key Takeaways:
• The 10 proven, key principles of persuasion.
• The salience chart to understand the other party’s point of view.
• How to make a presentation, pitch, or conversation more effective.

 

Engagement | The Power of a Hashtag

#MeToo highlights the power of social media to shift culture and demand change by bringing people together. A hashtag is more than a way to follow a conversation online. It’s a way to connect with more people to get involved. Hashtags can break down the barriers to engagement, gain access to a specific audience, and increase visibility around a message. In this presentation, learn about the history of hashtag movements and social media listening.

Key Takeaways:
• How to seed a hashtag & build a following.
• Different social platforms for different purposes.
• Techniques for engaging in important but often sensitive conversations. 

 

Innovation | Working, Living Tech

The future is here. While there may not be flying cars, self-driving vehicles are already hitting the roads and very powerful computers are in our pockets. Technology is often associated with coding and automation, but anyone can embrace the spirit and shift of tech. This presentation can also highlight how underrepresented groups (women,people of colour, older generations) are breaking into this space.

Key Takeaways
• New pathways to incorporate tech in your day-to-day work.
• How to grow a skillset that encompasses creativity, agile learning and problem-solving.

 

Productivity & Self-Care | JOMO: The Joy Of Missing Out

The average person now checks their smartphone an average of 52 times, a day! From text messages, email, social media, apps, using the camera, the ever-connected nature can be overwhelming. In many cases, the root cause is the desire to avoid FOMO: the Fear Of Missing Out. Could you go a day or a week without your phone, embracing JOMO: the Joy Of Missing Out? This counterintuitive presentation looks at how to disconnect from devices, to be able to reconnect to work and our larger lives. Presenter Jennifer Hollett spends most of her time online, but embraces digital breaks on vacation and other tricks throughout the day.

Key Takeaways:
• How JOMO can help employees focus and be more productive
• Self-care tips by setting personal and professional boundaries to improve mental health
• Mobile phone hacks to be more proactive, not reactive at work and life

Jennifer also offers customized presentations on community storytelling and more. View a full list of her presentations here.

Jennifer also offers customized presentations on community storytelling and more. View a full list of her presentations here.

Platform Plus Presentations

Unique formats and ways to connect with audiences.
Event Moderator
Successful panels are dependent on seasoned moderators, who ask the right questions, manage time, and keep things moving along. Jennifer has over two decades of experience working as a moderator on TV, radio, and at conferences and special events. She receives great feedbackon Twitter about her ability to get the best questions out of audiences.
Workshop | Using Social Media for Movement Building
Take a quick look around and you’ll see everyone is on their phones. As a cross-platform journalist, Hollett explains how to use social media to engage grassroots supporters. She shows you how to grow your audience through both traditional & social media platforms. Key Takeaways: • The strategic opportunities & tactics presented by Twitter, YouTube, and blogs. • How to tailor your messaging to improve the appeal for traditional media.
Twitter Live Broadcast
Take part in a live Twitter video discussion with Jennifer on the hot topics with your audiences. Broadcast a live event or a host a Q&A. By going live on Twitter at industry events, special launches, or product tutorials, you can give people a sneak peek of what your brand is really like. Jennifer is comfortable not just talking to a live audience, but has tremendous skills to interact with them and boost your overall engagement.
Host/MC
As a broadcast journalist who has worked as a TV host and reporter at CBC, CTV, and MuchMusic, Jennifer is a host who brings experience, energy, and engagement. She shines in live spaces with large crowds.

Audience reviews:

  • Jenn's keynote address connected with everyone present and, what is more, she made it seem effortless. Everyone was impressed at how approachable and honest Jenn was and with how she was able to engage a diverse crowd with her savvy understanding of culture, her straight-from-the-hip answers to questions and her honest, searching and surprisingly practical talk about children and youth in Africa.

    - Graeme Burk, Serve!
  • The event organizers and performers, as well as the diverse audience, were blown away by her incendiary energy, sharp wit and engaging, approachable manner. Jenn's presence focused and balanced the show, and her bubbly, yet intelligent personality shone throughout. I would be happy to have Jenn speak at any future event!

    - World Urban Forum & Youth Organizing Committee
 

Speaker Biography

Jennifer Hollett loves and lives digital. An award-winning broadcast journalist, Jenn uses social media to build community and create change around important political and social issues. She delivered a TEDxTalk on “How To Hate Politics” that outlined how technology is offering new ways to see and connect with politics. She uses her voice to support to promote local democracy, championing local issues of affordable housing and transit, believing one of the key issues in Toronto is making space for everyone.

A leading digital expert and visionary, Jenn developed the critically acclaimed ‘Super PAC App’ at the MIT Media Lab, which helped make television campaign ads more transparent to viewers during the 2012 U.S. election. Technologically savvy, Jenn has worked in digital communications since the late ‘90s, when she became the youngest manager ever at Sony Music Canada and developed new media strategies for the label’s top artists.

As a television host and reporter, Jenn has worked for the CBC, CTV, and is a former MuchMusic VJ. In 2002, Jenn traveled to Kabul to host A MuchMusic Special: Afghanistan, a Gemini nominated documentary. She hosted the CBC’s G20 Street Level blog during the 2010 G20 Summit in Toronto which won a Canadian Online Publishing Award and was recognized by Amnesty International Canada with a 2009 Media Award for her CBC radio reporting from Israel/Palestine. It was her work in the media that inspired her recent move into politics, looking to move from asking questions to finding answers. She is using her platform to connect with her community, working together to ensure everyone is involved in building a city that makes them proud.

Human rights and social justice have been a consistent focus in Jenn’s work. She previously managed e-communications for Plan Canada, worked with Journalists for Human Rights to train journalists in Sierra Leone, and volunteered to create YouthCARE, a youth engagement program with CARE Canada. She is a strong advocate for women’s and girls’ rights and has been proud to moderate the G(irls)20 Summit in Toronto (2010), Paris (2011), Mexico City (2012), and Moscow (2013).

Jenn has a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in Journalism and Communications from Concordia University in Montreal, and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University. Jennifer was the 2015 federal NDP candidate in University-Rosedale, one of the country’s top races to watch. She studied public policy at Harvard University, obtaining her MPA, and was the digital director on Olivia Chow’s 2014 Toronto mayoral campaign.