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Let trans kids thrive
When I came out as transgender early into high school, I did not know a single trans person — let alone an older queer mentor who could guide me through the perilous waters of being the first openly trans person in my Iowa public school. When I came out as gay in late elementary...
Beyond numbers: creating a sense of belonging in a sea of students
It was my first week of college, everything and everyone was new. I assumed other first-year students were feeling the same anxious excitement I felt, and that was confirmed at the Cal Club Soccer tryouts. There was a clearly heightened desire among first-year students to make...
Spitfire presidential transition to spark change
When I started Spitfire, almost 21 years ago now, I had a lot to learn. I had run someone else’s company but not my own. Taking the next step was an enormous challenge and, frankly, a little scary. My father, the man who made me who I am, took a bit of that weight off for me when...
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frank makes welcome mean more
Several of my colleagues have shared reflections on frank, the gathering and community we’ve helped build for public interest communicators. As I consider the gathering and my work in our field, I celebrate 10 years of frank, look forward to the world we want to live in and know...
frank brings the utopia into view
Imagine this: You just arrived at a conference and are preparing yourself for a few days of PowerPoint presentations, panel discussions and lengthy talks on something related to your work. But instead of that scenario, you’re met with a chance to learn, possibly become inspired...
Grappling with pop culture storytelling and personal identity
A frank Presentation on the Power, Performance and World-Building of Pro Wrestling “If this be play-acting, then it is play-acting of the highest order and comes close to being the best entertainment in town. To cavil at it for being play-acting is to cavil at a Booth or a...
Standing up to big tech companies in the age of online hate speech
This blog was written by Omar Letson, intern at Spitfire Strategies Numb - that's the overwhelming consensus of Americans when headlines arise of yet another horrific mass shooting. With this demoralizing clockwork of news becoming painstakingly common, who we are as a country...
Protecting and uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community through communications
This blog was written by Marilyn Ojo, intern at Spitfire Strategies On Saturday, June 12, 2016, Shane Evan Tomlinson performed at the Blue Martini nightclub in Orlando, Florida. He was the lead vocalist of his band, Frequency, and known as an ever-moving presence on stage. He and...
What young professionals can gain from frank
As young professionals get started in their communications careers, they can become overwhelmed with opportunities. From incredibly knowledgeable colleagues to new and emerging communications strategies, there are so many things to explore and places that foster a genuine...
Comedy as a social justice superpower: Interview with producer, researcher and writer Caty Borum
As we close out Comedy Month at Spitfire, we want to share an insightful interview with Caty Borum, Executive Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact and Associate Professor of Communication at American University, on comedy as a superpower for advancing social justice...
Communicating through comedy
This March, Spitfire is celebrating all things funny. Well, more specifically, we’re celebrating the power of comedy to spark change…AND laughs. In our work as communicators, we often lean towards the serious, dramatic and factual. But humor has the power to connect to people in...
Roe is the floor. But the world we’re reaching for is possible.
Last month marked what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. At Spitfire, we’re reflecting on what’s needed to protect real access to abortion — in practice, not just on paper — for the next 50 years. We join advocates who are looking to a future that decades from...