LOADING
2
HOURS PER WEEK FOR
6 weeks

Storytelling to Influence Change

Hosted by
Altay Sendil

Senior Staff Researcher, Pinterest

Learn storytelling frameworks and methods to get buy-in, gain alignment, set your design critiques apart, create better presentations, and translate research findings into a compelling story.

UPCOMING COHORT

October 20, 2023

Join the WaitlistENROLL NOW
Last day to enroll:
October 19, 2023
Leslie-Yang-RETHINK
Develop practical storytelling skills

Learn the techniques of expert storytelling to craft communication that builds influence and drives action.

Accountability & Feedback

Complete the program alongside a group of peers who will keep you accountable and inspired. 

Work the program around your schedule

2.5 hours a week for 6 weeks. Lifetime access to video lessons and a workbook.

Workshop Curriculum

MODULE 
2
:
Storytelling with data visualization to improve decision-making
PDT
MODULE 
3
:
Mental models for storytelling & effective collaboration
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MODULE 
4
:
Methods to tell better stories in presentations
PDT
MODULE 
5
:
Impactful storytelling in design critiques
PDT
MODULE 
6
:
How to get buy-in with a great story
PDT

Trusted by 10.000+ design professionals who work in companies such as

COURSE OVERVIEW

Develop your storytelling skills

The 6-week curriculum covers tangible ways to tell more compelling stories. Learn from experienced design leaders from Pinterest, Google and Microsoft. We've designed the content to be actionable and the concepts, strategies and frameworks are meant to help you develop practical storytelling skills to more effectively collaborate with your teams.

We believe that the human dimensions essential to start any successful project and that this is where splendid emotional relationships between the company and people are born.

Meet your trainers

Learn by doing & practice with a small peer group. You'll practice with real-world situations - via breakout rooms on Zoom. You will be part of a cohort of product design professionals and participate in live group coaching sessions to apply your learnings, but also discuss your challenges.

MODULE

1

Altay Sendil

Senior Staff Researcher

Pinterest

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

  -  

Altay is a seasoned qualitative design researcher that loves to geek out on creative methodologies that best provoke deep insight and opportunity around any topic of interest. His day-to-day involves investigating areas of top strategic curiosities across the company, discipline leadership, qualitative methods mentorship, narrative development, and workshop facilitation. Particular domains of passion & expertise are identity development, product strategy, UX & usability, health & wellbeing, cultural inclusion and diversity.

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1

MODULE

2

Kent Eisenhuth

Staff UX Designer, Data Visualization

Google

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

  -  

A Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, Kent has developed visual languages that improve collaboration, comprehension and decision making across a wide array of Google products. As a data visualization lead, he currently focuses on data accessibility. Kent started the first advanced visualization library at Google, and co-authored the data visualization specs for Material Design. Before that, he led the design of Loon’s data visualization program. 

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MODULE

3

Alan Walker

Design Manager

Pinterest

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

  -  

Alan is currently a design manager at Pinterest, working on tools for creative expression and meaningful content. His design work has spanned everything from identity for national CPG brands, user experience in fintech, and educational programs for non-profits. He is most proud of his work with Traveling Stanzas, a poetry app ecosystem, used for the Library of Congress and local classrooms alike for teaching English as a second language and facilitating cross-cultural dialogue.

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3

MODULE

4

Liz Heidner

Senior Product Designer

Microsoft

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

  -  

Liz Heidner is currently a Sr. Product Designer on the OneNote team at Microsoft. Before joining Microsoft, she worked in client services to help big and small companies create new or revive existing products. Past clients ranged from Fortune 50 companies to tiny, local non-profits.

Liz believes that success is a team sport, and healthy communication and team cultures are essential for producing quality work. To that end, she is always hungry to learn and share knowledge with others.

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4

MODULE

5

Cintia Romero

Product Designer, Design Systems

Pinterest

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

  -  

Cintia is a designer with over 10 years of experience. She currently works at Pinterest as a Product Designer on the Design Systems team. She works on multiple strategic projects to establish design guidelines and patterns within Pinterest. She loves working with color systems, design documentation, performing accessibility training, and giving design-related workshops. 

Besides, she advocates for human-centered design and is fond of spreading best practices for diversity, and inclusion.

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5

MODULE

6

Kelly Anneken

Content Design Manager

Pinterest

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

  -  

Kelly is a content design manager at Pinterest with expertise in enterprise advertising, analytics and e-commerce experiences. She’s also a standup comic, podcaster and comedy curator who's programmed laughs for Pandora, Audible, LaughRadio and the National Center for Comedy. 

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What's included?

Our cohort-based programs have produced some incredible results for our participants. They create higher accountability, career growth, building relationships, and deeper learning.

  • Discuss your specific challenges with storytelling experts from Pinterest, Google, Microsoft
  • 1 workshop per week for 6 weeks to level up your storytelling skills
  • Get matched with an industry expert and 23 design peers to work on your struggles
  • Lifetime updates and access to program content & video recording
  • Access to a curated community of design leaders across 80 countries around the world
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Meet Your Trainer

Altay Sendil

Senior Staff Researcher, Pinterest

Altay is a seasoned qualitative design researcher that loves to geek out on creative methodologies that best provoke deep insight and opportunity around any topic of interest. His day-to-day involves investigating areas of top strategic curiosities across the company, discipline leadership, qualitative methods mentorship, narrative development, and workshop facilitation. Particular domains of passion & expertise are identity development, product strategy, UX & usability, health & wellbeing, cultural inclusion and diversity.

Testimonials

What attendees are saying

Soren Iverson
Designer
 * 
CashApp

I was navigating the transition from Sr. to Staff level and looking to figure out how to grow without transitioning to management. Frank was transparent, clear, and concise in the way that he codifies his advice on how to expand your role within an organization. It articulated a lot of loose ideas that had been floating around in my head. I feel more confident and secure in my capabilities as a product designer that can lead without needing to go down the traditional management path.



Connor Blacksher
Senior Product Designer
 * 
West Monroe

"I am more confident and comfortable being vulnerable at work, to advocating for myself and I have a much better understanding of how to engage in discussions about career promotions with my manager. It is important to always be advocating for where you want to be. In this program, I got a toolbox of resources and lots of support from design leaders like Frank Bach and the community."

Shaina Silver
Lead Product Designer
 * 
Hulu

I am very glad my manager encouraged me to take this course. I more recently was promoted as a Design Product Lead and Imposter Syndrome really sunk its claws deep. Being part of this immersive workshop felt like "Design Therapy" with fellow designers. I now know I'm not alone in this journey. Creating a safe space together, Frank and our cohort have already provided the awareness of this Lead Foundational Toolkit I didn't realize I had within me all along.

Priyanka Kodikal
Principle Product Designer
 * 
Ableton
Elliott Aldrich
Senior Design Manager
 * 
Amazon

I took the UX leadership workshop with Courtney Kaplan. I found the workshop to be full of useful guidance, interactive conversations and frameworks for improving my design leadership presence. The ongoing follow-up coaching workshops and discussion forums have been especially powerful for me to check back in and hear from peers in a similar space.

Yen Pham
Senior Product Designer
 * 
Walmart eCommerce
Cammy W Lin
Design Manager
 * 
Everlaw

RETHINK's coaching programs are the most thoughtful and structured I have ever experienced. They matched me with the best mentor I could have ever asked for.I am forever thankful for the structure that was put in place to foster fruitful conversations and to connect more meaningfully allowing a friendship to grow from it.

Sue Candelier
UX Design Director
 * 
CaliforniaColleges

“Developing Confidence to Influence and Lead, with Frank Bach helped me ask those hard questions, understand perspective in my career and how to value my diverse background.”

Aniruddha Kadam
Design Manager
 * 
Google

Becoming a RETHINK member has been the best boost for my career as a design leader, helping me build my brand across the industry. I was able to leverage the resources on the platform, connect with the design community and get shared perspectives from other leaders on design management and more. I found a safe space for connecting with the community in a meaningful way. It has helped me to foster meaningful relationships, some of them turned into a friendship

Sarah Scussel
Manager, Product Design
 * 
Scribd

Becoming a member of and mentor with RETHINK has been such a boost to my confidence as a growing manager. I was inspired by an in-person event in SF to become a mentor, which was scary and exciting as someone transitioning from IC to manager. I was so nervous to take on that role with other senior designers, but Julie and her team created a perfect match — so perfect, in fact, that I ended up hiring my mentee after the program ended and I consider her a close friend!

Since then, the RETHINK community has been an incredible resource for me. I love that I can turn to this group of talented and vulnerable leaders when I need inspiration or help with the struggles of managing a remote creative team. I really can't say enough good things about RETHINK!

Parker Simon
Lead Product Designer
 * 
Torch
Sanchita Chamberlain
Product Designer
 * 
Hashicorp

I didn't have the mentorship or support I needed for career growth. I longed for a design community outside of the design team at work. I felt like I was hitting a dead end. I don't have a traditional design background and was tired of justifying my design experience and skills. The workshop validated I've come a long way as a designer in the short period of time I've practiced. My previous experience made me a better designer. I also have learning and growth to do and I was given the tools to improve.

Difficult conversations with my manager and stakeholders came easier when I applied the framework I learned through the workshop. I was able to ask the hard questions to understand what was specifically holding me back from growing and identified what was out of my control. It gave me the confidence boost I needed to start looking for a new job. After working with Courtney Kaplan & RETHINK I was able to land a product design role on a new design team. I absolutely love my new team and the work culture. I am working on impactful projects and feel confident as I navigate a new company culture and product team.



Neek Zanfack
Senior Product Designer
 * 
NextDoor

I became more self-aware about my skills and how to approach areas of improvement.I learned how to properly track my work, measure my progress and ways to manage my career growth.

Bingrui Tang
Design Lead
 * 
Store No.8

I was in the process of preparing for job interviews, and the storytelling tactics we learned about both data visualization and presentation frameworks really helped. I am now in charge of driving a new initiative for my team, and the storytelling skills I learned from the workshop has been immensely helpful in terms of getting the team on the same page and excited about the vision. I really enjoy the diverse background and experience of the speakers as well as the breadth of the topics we covered



Carly Johnson
Design Manager
 * 
eBay

RETHINK programs gave me great insight into the next steps of my career, as well as many resources to help carry me through the next few months.I feel like I left the program with exactly what I needed - a plan to upgrade my career over the next few years.

Communicate with impact using storytelling

Enhance your storytelling skills so you can influence decisions, get buy-in, gain alignment, set your design critiques apart, create better presentations and translate research findings into a compelling story.

UPCOMING COHORT
Join the WaitlistEnroll Now
Last day to enroll:
October 19, 2023

October 20, 2023

ACCESS OUR MEMBERSHIP COMMUNITY

Be part of the private community of
transformational leaders

You have to make difficult decisions every day with imperfect information on problems you’ve likely never faced before. Learn from the experience and mistakes of other product and design leaders who’ve been there, done that.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK

How will you learn?

Leadership Academy is a 6-week professional growth program investing in the next generation of design leaders. You'll get matched with a mentor and a group of 2--3 design peers for mentorship, accountability and discuss challenges. You'll also join workshops and live sessions (six live sessions, one each week) to learn from experienced design leaders.

Learn from Experienced Leaders

Attend an intimate workshop-style program that will enhance your perspective on better collaboration. Join practical sessions (one per week) to solidify what you're learning and apply the frameworks and concepts in action.

Learn with a Small Peer Group

This program is designed to facilitate peer learning and interaction. Going through a program, you will connect with a group of curated design peers facing similar challenges like you is the best way to ensure transformation for your career. We're keeping the cohort small to ensure you master the concepts we're teaching, learn and get support from peers.


Accountability & Personalized Feedback

Get personalized feedback from other learners in intimate design peer groups. For the 6 weeks programs you get matched with a mentor and a small group of 2-4 design peers with complementary skills and knowledge for mentorship and ongoing structured meetings for peer learning, to support you and keep you on track to achieve your goals.

Join a Private Community

Join our member-only community. Get 1 year access to Leadership Circle where you'll continue to be supported via ongoing events and accountability after the program.

Ask Questions

Get support on your challenges

Build your network

Learn by Doing

This program is structured as: “Learn → Practice → Get Feedback". Each week you get a worksheet to practice, actionable methods and tactics to summarize the concepts and help you immediately put them into action.

Frameworks, worksheets and resources

Lectures, homework and practice sessions

FAQs

Frequent questions

How does the program work?

Leadership Academy is a 6-week professional growth program investing in the next generation of design leaders. After you apply, your application will be reviewed and you will find out in 5 - 7 days if you qualify. You'll receive next steps and a link to pay for the program.

When the program starts, you'll get matched with a mentor and a group of 2--3 design peers to for mentorship, accountability and discuss challenges. You'll also join workshops and live sessions (six live sessions, one each week) to learn from experienced design leaders.

Additionally, you'll be part of our Leadership Circle for 12 months. There you'll get to connect with other design leaders, and peers for advice, guidance, accountability, and much more.

What is my time commitment per week to finish the program?

To make the most out of this program recommend to set aside 2 hours a week to attend the workshops, complete the homework. Once every two weeks you'll meet with your mentor and your group.

- Meet with your group: 1 hour/ every two weeks. A total of 3 meetings.
- Attend Live Workshops: 2 hour/ week.
- Apply the Concepts: 20 - 30 minutes / week to reflect on materials and practice on your own.

You are welcome to put into it as much time as you can. This is an investment in your career growth.

What time are the workshops?

Most live sessions will happen on Thursdays at 9:30am PDT. Click here to convert that time to your own time zone.

There will be 6 live sessions with one per week, for 6 weeks. Although recordings of the talks are available we highly recommend you join live for the full experience.

How much does the program cost?

Attending the program is an investment of $1,395 USD which includes access to all workshops from the program and an annual membership to access RETHINK Leadership Circle. If your company would like to purchase 8 or more tickets, please contact us at hello@rethinkhq.com. We can provide an invoice if needed.

Will I be able to expense this to my company? 

Yes. Many of our program applicants are able to expense the program tuition to their company. The return on investment compared to a conference or other opportunities is much greater. You get structured content, hands-on learning, lasting community, and actionable strategies to help you develop practical leadership skills for effective collaboration with your cross-functional teams. Contact hello@rethinkhq.com for further questions.

Do you offer certificate of completion? 

Yes. A certificate of completion is available after the program. That requires you to attend all 6 live sessions and meet with your small group 3 times over the course of 6 weeks. Contact hello@rethinkhq.com for questions.

Do you offer scholarships?

We offer scholarships for underrepresented groups or people who need financial support to attend. This is possible because of partnership with Pinterest and also kind people who donated to the scholarship fund: Aniruddha Kadam, Al Hertz, Liz Heidner, Shara Rosenbalm. If you need financial support to attend this program please reach out to hello@rethinkhq.com.

How long will I have access to the program resources?

You’ll have lifetime access to the program materials to help you successfully lead and influence at work.

Starting with the 6-week live program, you’ll also have access to Leadership Circle, the talk recordings from the events in the program, member-only events, and our community for ongoing support for a total of 12 months.

Add new event
Storytelling to Influence Change

Program Curriculum

Watch the video recording of the lecture and the exercises that are part of the program.
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
Module
1

Designing UX research to craft compelling stories

Altay Sendil
Senior Staff Researcher, Pinterest
storytelling-with-data-visualization
Module
2

Storytelling with data visualization to improve decision-making

Kent Eisenhuth
Staff UX Designer, Google
mental-models-for-storytelling-collaboration
Module
3

Mental models for storytelling & effective collaboration

Alan Walker
Design Manager, Pinterest
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
Module
4

Methods to tell better stories in presentations

Liz Heidner
Senior Product Designer, Microsoft
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
Module
5

Impactful storytelling in design critiques

Cintia Romero
Product Designer, Pinterest
how-to-get-buy-in-with-a-great-story
Module
6

How to get buy-in with a great story

Kelly Anneken
Content Manager, Pinterest
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
mental-models-for-storytelling-collaboration
how-to-get-buy-in-with-a-great-story
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
storytelling-with-data-visualization
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
mental-models-for-storytelling-collaboration
how-to-get-buy-in-with-a-great-story
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
storytelling-with-data-visualization
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
mental-models-for-storytelling-collaboration
how-to-get-buy-in-with-a-great-story
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
storytelling-with-data-visualization
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
mental-models-for-storytelling-collaboration
how-to-get-buy-in-with-a-great-story
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
storytelling-with-data-visualization
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
mental-models-for-storytelling-collaboration
how-to-get-buy-in-with-a-great-story
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
storytelling-with-data-visualization
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
mental-models-for-storytelling-collaboration
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
storytelling-with-data-visualization
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
mental-models-for-storytelling-collaboration
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
methods-to-tell-better-stories-in-presentations
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
designing-ux-research-to-craft-compelling-stories
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
impactful-storytelling-in-design-critiques
Storytelling to Influence Change

Action Items

Here you will see the most up to date tasks you have to complete for this Program.
This Program does not contain any additional tasks.
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Storytelling to Influence Change

Calendar

Here you will see the lectures coming up in the program.

All the workshops in the program

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Designing UX research to craft compelling stories
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PDT

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Altay Sendil, Pinterest

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Storytelling with data visualization to improve decision-making
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PDT

-

Kent Eisenhuth, Google

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Mental models for storytelling & effective collaboration
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PDT

-

Alan Walker, Pinterest

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Methods to tell better stories in presentations
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PDT

-

Liz Heidner, Microsoft

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Impactful storytelling in design critiques
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PDT

-

Cintia Romero, Pinterest

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How to get buy-in with a great story
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PDT

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Kelly Anneken, Pinterest

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Storytelling to Influence Change

Mentorship

Here you will find resources and templates for the mentorship program.
Article
How to Be a Career-Changing Mentor
How do you know when to share your own perspective and when to listen? How do you plant the seed of trust, then tend that relationship over time?
Template
Meeting Agenda Template
You can use this guiding document to prepare for each meeting. Share with your Mentees to fill it in.