Dropping The Veil
A 3-Day Virtual Event About Being More Of Yourself
So often we are given the story that we have to hide ourselves and be palatable, easily figure-outable, and as homogenous as possible. However, here at Pause on the Play, we know that all the things that make you unique and different are the exact traits for you to choose to amplify. And that’s not always easy. It is incredibly important to be shown what is possible in order to know that it is possible for you too. So let’s take a journey on what being more of yourself can really do.
We love to shatter expectations and recreate boundaries…and this event is here to do just that. Because when we get together to drop the veil collectively we can dismantle oppressive systems and create better ones.
Dropping The Veil is a 3-day virtual event focused on how to be more of who you are and how it can create impact. During the event, you’ll listen in to:
A diverse panel of individuals that have chosen to be more of who they are out loud in order to demonstrate what’s possible
An individual that chose to be more of who they are in their brand visibility and has taken up the charge to amplify visibility for others like them
An individual that’s taken it a step further to create impact in the work they do by prioritizing the stories of underserved communities
Taking in info is great, but when you don’t pause to process + integrate what you’ve learned it can be so much harder to hit play on these lessons in life.
And the magic of all of this is that you will not only listen in, but you’ll also get to participate (something most events never do). Each day will include time to connect and chat with one another because that conversation is what will really get the momentum going. After all, the goal is to create impact and keep the dialogue going.
So let’s make it happen, together!
Ps: We know you may be beaching or traveling on these dates, so we are giving you 7-days of access to the replay videos with your purchase.
The Speakers
Amenah Arman (She/Her/Hers)
Founder of Sane In The Membrane
Amenah Arman is a holistic therapist, community organizer, advocate, and artist. As a nationally certified counselor, she supports creatives, marginalized communities, and those who feel like outsiders in their own life. Taking a nontraditional approach to therapy, she helps her clients cultivate self-acceptance and identify what they need to thrive.
Amenah specializes in narrative exposure therapy and has been sought out for her approach to addressing anxiety in adolescent women of color. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Georgia State University.
When she’s not engaged in clinical work you can find her running, baking bread, and spending time with her 9 year-old daughter. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia where she regularly seeks out solitude, sunshine, and a smooth cup of French Press coffee.
Cher Hale (She/Her/Hers)
Founder of Ginkgo Public Relations
Cher Hale is the founder and director of Ginkgo PR, a boutique agency that believes in using public relations to help historically-excluded authors and entrepreneurs take back their narratives.
As a Taiwanese-Black American woman, Cher is passionate about leveraging the power of media to tell diverse stories through online, print, TV, and podcast mediums so she can play a role in reshaping how our society views social justice, feminism, and multiculturalism.
Erica Courdae (She/Her/Hers)
Founder of Pause On The Play + Erica Courdae
Erica Courdae has dedicated her life to expanding how others interact with the world through powerful conversations. As an entrepreneur and certified coach, her work is focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), imperfect allyship, and imposter syndrome. This work has taken her into communities and onto national stages as a speaker and educator at noteworthy industry events like AltSummit, ShePodcasts Live, and Being Boss.
Erica is also the owner of an inclusive beauty salon, Silver Immersion, and the host of Pause on the Play, a podcast that features open dialogue on topics like company culture, visibility, and mindset. She lives in Maryland with her two children
India Jackson (She/Her/Hers)
Founder of Pause On The Play + Flaunt Your Fire
India Jackson is the CEO of Flaunt Your Fire and co-founder of Pause on the Play The Community, helping entrepreneurs amplify their influence without changing who they are. From beauty model and bodybuilder to published photographer, for ten years India watched as talented professionals were forced to adopt identities that were sellable but not authentic. Her brand visibility agency and podcast now help clients ditch stale marketing, break out of industry molds, and build authority by being themselves.
India is a first-generation college graduate, earning a Bachelor of Art and Design while working full time and launching a business. She’s been featured by Forbes and She Podcasts Live and is trusted by leading brands across North America, including Christian Dior and Martha Beck, Inc.
Jeff Harry (He/Him)
Founder of Rediscover Your Play
Jeff Harry combines positive psychology and play to help teams/organizations create psychologically safe workspaces and assist individuals in addressing their biggest challenges through embracing a play-oriented approach to work. For his work, Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 and has been featured in the NY Times, Mashable, Upworthy, & Shondaland. Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day.
Shannon Collins (They/She)
Founder of Youthphoria + Photographer
Shannon Collins has been aiming to capture joy as resistance for 12 years as the owner of Shannon Collins Photography. They connect clients with affirming vendors and advocate for safer, more diverse, inclusive, and accessible industry standards.
In the past year, Shannon came out publicly as nonbinary, queer, and disabled. Shannon recently founded Youthphoria, a project dedicated to celebrating and photographing trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming youth in the Philadelphia area at no cost. Shannon volunteers for The Trevor Project every week as a crisis counselor.
Shannon lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with their partner, two children, chinchilla, dachshund, and 38 patient houseplants.
Steve Disselhorst (He/His/Him)
Founder of Steve Disselhorst Coaching and Consulting
Steve Disselhorst specializes in personal & professional leadership coaching and consulting for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and is the author of the memoir Determined To Be Dad: A Journey of Faith, Resilience, and Love. Before founding his firm, Steve worked for Genentech, a biotech company, and is a veteran healthcare marketer.
Currently, he serves on the San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission and is a speaker for the San Francisco LGBTQ Speaker’s Bureau. Steve is the father of two wonderful children who are the center of his world.
The Schedule
Day 1 | Thursday, August 12, 2021
5:30 pm - 5:50 pm ET / 2:30 pm - 2:50 pm PT | Opening Event with Erica Courdae + India Jackson
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm PT | Identity Panel with Amenah Arman, Jeff Harry, and Steve Disselhorst
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PT | Identity Community Conversation Facilitated by Erica Courdae + India Jackson She/Her
Day 2 | Friday, August 13, 2021
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm PT | Visibility With Shannon Collins
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PT | Visibility Community Conversation Facilitated By Erica Courdae + India Jackson She/Her
Day 3 | Saturday, August 14, 2021
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET / 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm PT | Impact With Cher Hale
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PT | Impact Community Conversation Facilitated By Erica Courdae + India Jackson She/Her
8:00 pm - 8:30 pm ET / 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm PT | Keep The Dialogue Going with Erica Courdae + India Jackson She/Her
Ps: We know you may be beaching or traveling on these dates, so we are giving you 7-days of access to the replay videos with your purchase.