Who do we coach?

We coach managers, directors, vice presidents, presidents, and C-suite executives who seek to be more effective in their communication.  We have worked with hair stylists, professors, attorneys, advertising agents, insurance agents, IT professionals, broadcasters, and the U.S. Armed Forces.  Our clients are exceptional people who are seeking to improve their image by developing sharp and polished communication skills. No matter how long we work together, we enjoy hearing about you and your progress, breakthroughs, challenges, and triumphs.  Please think of us as partners and teammates.

Who are we?

 We are a team of coaches who act in Chicago ’s professional theatres and teach in university communication and theatre departments. We are coaches who have their master’s degrees in either communication or theatre. We are curriculum designers who delight in assisting clients in developing specific skills, achieving desired behavior changes, or adopting new approaches to situations. 

Stephanie Bickel, Founder and Director

University of Notre Dame, BBA Marketing

Roosevelt University, MFA Acting

Stephanie founded Speak by Design in 2000.  She is a former faculty member and curriculum designer for Roosevelt University’s Business Communication and Public Speaking courses.  She has also been a faculty member of Wright College and the Hinsdale Center for the Arts.  She was hired by a large international consulting firm to prepare enterprise-wide communications and training 2002-2005.  She spent most of 2006 living in Amsterdam and supporting a senior executive by leading multiple global communications and training initiatives.  She has been featured twice in the Chicago Tribune, and her articles have appeared in many publications.  Stephanie is the proud mother of three and no longer maintains a private coaching practice.  She is responsible for customer relations, curriculum design, and recruiting coaches.  In a former life, she was an actor and dialect coach and performed at Berkshire Theatre Festival, Northlight Theatre, Court Theatre, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Shawnee Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, and First Folio, to name a few.  She has dialect coached numerous productions including those at Timeline Theatre, Eclipse Theatre, Shattered Globe, and Piccolo Theatre.  Although she no longer dialect coaches, she is still active with VASTA, the Voice and Speech Trainers Association.

Deborah Davis, Coach

BS, Purdue University

MS, CCC-SLP, Vanderbilt University

Debbie is a Speech and Language Pathologist who completed her Bachelor's of Science at Purdue University.  While completing her Master’s degree at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, she was able to participate in accent studies and dialect modification.  Debbie has had over 25 years of experience as a speech therapist and nearly 10 years experience as a corporate trainer and consultant, particularly in direct sales industry. 

        Catherine Glynn, Executive Coach

College of St. Benedict's & St. John's University, BA Humanities

University of Delaware, MFA Acting

University of Texas, MFA Acting

Catherine is a seasoned public speaker, executive coach, and professional actor.  She has led small group training programs to companies and personnel from all over the world.  In addition to her private coaching practice, she delivers group trainings on presentation skills, connecting with clients, professional presence, and cross-cultural communication topics.  She works with a wide variety of levels and industries.  She routinely helps leaders of companies prepare for their most important meetings and presentations.  Her clients come from advertising, broadcasting, consulting, cosmetics, education, engineering, financial services, information technology, insurance, research, retail, and telecommunications industries.  As an actor, Catherine has worked at the New American Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Chicago Humanities Festival, Riverside Shakespeare Festival, Creede Repertory Theatre, Austin Shakespeare Festival, and she was an active member of the Rude Mechanicals Theatre Company for over four years. While in Austin she earned over nine Austin Critic's nominations and won the 2000 Austin Critic's Circle Award for Best Actress in a Comedy.  She has been seen in national commercials for Sears, Kitchen Aid, Assurant Health, and is the 2007-2008 Stella Cheese spokesmodel.

Kate Harris, Coach

BA, Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts

MFA, University of North Carolina

Kate is a seasoned public speaker, executive coach, and theatre professional.  She has been coaching for over 10 years, and her methods can be described as rigorous and in-depth, while providing an environment of warmth, openness, humor, and consistent communication. Kate has been a faculty member of Roosevelt University, Loyola University, Northeastern Illinois University, and Wright College leading courses such as Business Communication, Cross-Cultural Communication, Public Speaking, and Interpersonal Communication.  As an actor, Kate has been acting in Chicago since 1979 and has worked not only here in Chicago but regionally as well.  Some of the theatres include Steppenwolf, The Hypocrites, Pyewacket, Griffin Theatre, Stage Left, Bailiwick, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Playmakers Repertory Theatre, The Duplex-Off Broadway and 29th St. Rep.-Off Broadway.  She is also the proud recipient of three Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Principal role and won in this category in 2004.

Mark D. Hines

UCLA, BA Theatre

University of Delaware, MFA Acting

Mark is an executive coach, voice and speech trainer, and professional actor.  Aside from his private practice, he also delivers small group trainings on presentation skills and vocal image.  He has been a faculty member for the Texas Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespearean Festival, and California Theatre Center. As an executive coach, he stresses the importance of connection with your audience and understanding how your messages are being heard.  Most of his clients have come from Professional Services, Financial Services, and Bio-Tech industries.  Mark has extensive experience with commercial and voice-over work and has performed across the country at the theatres such as  Berkeley Rep, Eastenders Rep, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre as well as the Illinois, Utah, and Texas Shakespeare festivals.

Jeremy Van Meter, Executive Coach

Milligan College, BA Theatre

University of Iowa, MFA Acting

Jeremy has delivered training for Speak by Design all over the midwest working primarily with executives from aviation, professional services, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and telecommunications industries.  Whether he is leading a media training for politicians or leadership training for consultants, Jeremy finds a way to use a mixture of role playing and demonstration in his coaching practice.  Aside from his private coaching practice, he leads group training focused on topics such as improving confidence, vocal image, interpersonal communication, and cross-cultural communication.  Jeremy has been involved as an actor with dozens of theaters in the Chicago area including Victory Gardens Greenhouse, Remy Bumppo, Noble Fool Theatricals, Steep Theatre, Infamous Commonwealth, Caffeine Theatre, and Backstage Theatre, to name a few. He has worked regionally at the Lexington Children's Theatre (KY), Barter Theatre (VA), Riverside Shakespeare Festival and was an actor in Residence at the Riverside Theatre (IA) from 2002-2003. He has also served as a faculty member for both Cornell College and Columbia College of Chicago.  

Barbara Zahora, Executive Coach

Bowling Green State University, BAC Theatre and Communications

Roosevelt University, MFA Acting

Barbara is an experienced executive coach, voice and speech trainer, and actor.  She has coached business professionals from consulting, engineering, information technology, insurance, retail, and other service industries.  Whether she is working with a client privately or leading group trainings, she uses a combination of demonstration, role playing, improvisation, and repetition exercises to help her clients advance to the next level.  She has provided accent modification services since 2000.  As an actor, she has performed at Shakespeare's Globe in London, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Writers' Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Colorado Shakespeare Festival and many others. She has dialect coached for Blindfaith and Side Project.