Silicon Valley Communication Skills Bootcamp

The information below is from our 2015 bootcamp. We will be announcing 2016 bootcamp dates in December 2015.

Silicon Valley Communication Skills Bootcamp™

for International Entrepreneurs and Professionals

Every Wednesday Evening, May 6 – June 10, 2015

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Location: Plug and Play Tech Center, 440 N. Wolfe Rd., Sunnyvale, CA 94085

Ovient, together with the Plug and Play Tech Center, is excited to announce the first ever SILICON VALLEY COMMUNICATION SKILLS BOOTCAMP™ for International Entrepreneurs and Professionals.

Learn the fundamental skills that you can use to communicate effectively in Silicon Valley.

If you are an entrepreneur or professional from overseas and want to build a successful company or career in Silicon Valley, there are few things you should know:

1. Communication is important. Everything you do in Silicon Valley requires effective communication: Presenting, Networking, Emailing. You need to do these things effectively.

2. There are rules to communicating effectively in Silicon Valley. If you don’t know the rules, you can miss out on important opportunities.

3. Americans are often indirect in their communication. If we cannot understand you, we probably won’t tell you. If you cannot communicate effectively, we may avoid you.

4. You must be clear. To be successful, you must be able to clearly and confidently explain who you are, what you do, and what your company or product does.

5. Small communication mistakes make a big (negative) impact. Resumes are rejected for small grammar errors. Using the word “you” in the wrong way can kill business opportunities. “Please” is not always polite.

In the SILICON VALLEY COMMUNICATION SKILLS BOOTCAMP™ for International Entrepreneurs and Professionals you will learn fundamental communication skills in six areas:

Week 1: Networking Skills (May 6)
Effective Networking and Interpersonal Communication in Silicon Valley

Week 2: Clear Speech (May 13)
The Secret to Being Understood the First Time

Week 3: Effective Meeting Communication (May 20)
How to Ask, Suggest, and Disagree Effectively

Week 4: Effective Email Communication (May 27)
Common Email Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Week 5: Effective Public Speaking (June 3)
How to Speak with Clarity and Confidence

Week 6: Effective Presentations (June 10)
How to Design and Deliver Your Presentation Slides Effectively

Bring in your questions! We will dedicate a portion of every session to answering your specific and individual questions. The seminar will be taught by two instructors, so one instructor will always be available to address your individual questions.

The bootcamp has a dual emphasis on both strategy and practice. You will learn and practice the skills you learn.

What is included?

About the Instructors:

Blythe J. Musteric, M.A. TESOL
Co-Founder, CEO, and Executive Coach
Ovient, Inc.

Blythe is an experienced communication consultant, a skilled educator, and an expert in curriculum development for the professional workplace. She has personally logged over 10,000 hours instructing individuals, small groups, and classes on professional communication skills. She has coached nonnative English-speaking executives and senior managers at many of Silicon Valley’s top companies. In addition, Blythe has developed and taught management seminars on working effectively with nonnative speakers. She has developed full courses based on original content in the areas of confident professional communication, presentations, polite communication, pronunciation and accent reduction, grammar, writing, vocabulary development, email and professional writing, and professional networking and small talk. She regularly gives presentations and leads workshops for English teaching professionals at TESOL conferences in California and around the country. Blythe is the author of the book, The Accent Diet: A Daily Program for Improving Your American English Pronunciation.

Marc J. Musteric, M.A. East Asian Languages
Co-Founder, COO, and Executive Coach
Ovient, Inc.

Marc has coached CEOs, CFOs, Senior VPs, and other senior managers at major technology firms throughout Silicon Valley, including Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies. He developed Ovient’s 5-step presentation development framework, co-authored The Accent Diet: A Daily Program for Improving Your American English Pronunciation, and wrote or co-wrote Ovient courses on spoken fluency, spoken communication, email communication, and business communication fundamentals. Marc is an advisor to the Fukuoka Center for Overseas Commerce in America, a Japanese government agency, and regularly reviews presentations from Japanese startups planning to enter the US market. Before co-founding Ovient, Marc worked in consulting and international relations, supporting international companies seeking to build a market presence in the U.S. Marc has logged over 5000 hours coaching professionals in Silicon Valley on improving their communication skills.

About Ovient:

Ovient, Inc. was founded in 2006 with the goal of improving communication skills in the professional workplace. Our services include training programs in presentations, public speaking, professional spoken and written communication, cross-cultural communication, and English language and American English pronunciation/accent development.

Ovient has trained executives, senior managers, engineers, and sales and support staff from more than 100 companies in Silicon Valley, including individuals and teams from more than 30 different countries. We regularly provide training and consulting services to Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies, including major companies in the IT, professional services, and healthcare industries.

About Plug and Play:

Plug and Play Tech Center is a business accelerator that specializes in growing tech startups. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, Plug and Play’s global network includes 300+ tech startups, 180+ investors and a community of leading universities and corporate partners. From unique industry networking events, education and immersion programs to M&A, Plug and Play has everything tech startups need to get organized, connect and grow.