My mother Joyce died by suicide with a gun when I was 20 months old. This talk brings the human cost of gun violence into the room in a way statistics cannot.
My mother Joyce completed suicide with a gun when I was 20 months old. I did not learn the full story until I was an adult. For decades, my family did not talk about it. Neither did I.
When I finally spoke publicly about what happened, at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, I discovered something that changed my life: people needed to hear from survivors, not just policy experts. The human cost of gun violence gets lost in statistics and political arguments. Someone has to stand in front of a room and make it real. That is what I do.
I have spoken at the Democratic National Convention twice, in 2016 and 2020. I was featured in TIME Magazine, appeared on CBS News, and was part of the Bloomberg Super Bowl campaign across 12 states. I served as an Everytown for Gun Safety Wisconsin Fellow and spent years working alongside advocacy organizations fighting for change.
This is not a policy lecture. I do not stand on a stage and quote numbers, though I know them. I tell the story of a family that lost a mother, a boy who grew up carrying a wound he did not understand, and a man who decided that silence was no longer an option.
My perspective bridges the personal and the political. I show audiences why gun violence prevention is a human issue, not a partisan one. I talk about what it means to grow up in the aftermath of gun violence, how survivors navigate a world that often does not know how to talk about their loss, and what it looks like when someone decides to turn that pain into action.
Every audience responds differently. Some are quiet. Some are angry. Some cry. All of them leave understanding that gun violence is not an abstract problem. It is a personal one that touches millions of families. And understanding that changes how people engage with the issue.
Moving beyond statistics to the lived experience of survivors. What it means to grow up in the aftermath of gun violence and carry that loss into every part of your life.
From silence to advocacy
The journey from private grief to public voice. What it took to break decades of family silence and what happened when I did. Practical lessons for anyone turning personal experience into public purpose.
Why this is a human issue, not a political one
Reframing gun violence prevention as a public health and human dignity issue. How to have productive conversations across political lines by leading with personal truth instead of policy arguments.
What survivors need and what they can offer
How organizations, communities, and leaders can better support gun violence survivors, and how survivor voices strengthen every aspect of prevention work.
Yes. Gun violence affects every community, and many in your audience have been touched by it, whether they have spoken about it or not. I deliver this talk in a way that is honest and impactful without being graphic or politically divisive. Corporate audiences consistently tell me it is one of the most meaningful talks they have experienced.
I lead with personal truth, not political talking points. My mother died from a gunshot wound. That is not liberal or conservative. It is human. By telling my story and the stories of other families, I move the conversation past partisan lines and into the space where real understanding happens. I have spoken to diverse audiences across the political spectrum and the response is consistently positive.
Absolutely. My gun violence prevention advocacy and my leadership career are deeply connected. The resilience I built from losing my mother shaped how I lead. The courage to speak publicly came from the same place as the courage to build businesses. I can weave these threads together into a single talk that covers both dimensions.
Yes. I have worked with Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, and numerous local and state advocacy organizations. I speak at fundraisers, conferences, community events, and strategy sessions. Nonprofit rates are available.
People are moved. Some cry. Many come up afterward to share their own stories, stories they have never told publicly. That is the power of this talk. It creates space for honesty. Event planners consistently tell me that it was the most impactful session of their program.
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“text”: “People are moved. Some cry. Many come up afterward to share their own stories, stories they have never told publicly. That is the power of this talk. It creates space for honesty. Event planners consistently tell me that it was the most impactful session of their program.”
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Bring this talk to your event
Gun violence prevention starts with understanding the human cost. Let me bring that understanding to your audience.