professional speaker
Since 2020, I've been educating digital teams, content creators, and marketing leaders about accessible best practices for social media through speaking engagements and expert interviews.
I've spoken to digital professionals at organizations, publications, and events around the world, including notable names like Adweek, John Deere, the World Health Organization, Sprout Social, the National ADA Symposium, Harvard University, MIT, Johns Hopkins University, and the U.S. Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Check out the places where I've presented and the media I've been featured in during my career.
request me to speak
After a brief hiatus, I will begin accepting new requests for speaking engagements and interviews in January 2025.
If you are interested in booking me as a presenter or interviewing me as a subject matter expert, please read the information provided below before contacting me with your request. It will help you better understand me as a speaker and the kind of presentations I normally give.
When you're ready to chat, fill out my speaker request form at the bottom of this page. I will respond to your request at my earliest convenience.
frequently asked questions
During my standard presentation, I go over:
- General Info on Disability and Accessibility
- The Impact of Accessibility
- How to Be Accessible with Copy and Formatting
- How to Be Accessible with Images and Visuals
- How to Be Accessible with Audio and Video
If there's something, in particular, you'd like me to discuss in my presentation, please let me know ahead of time. I'm always happy to make adjustments based on the needs of your team and how you use social media.
No. My area of expertise is creating accessible social media content, and I try to stick to that topic as much as possible when speaking. I want to be able to speak intelligently about something if I'm presenting it to other people who are relying on me for expert advice. However, a lot of the information I share is also applicable to other areas of marketing such as website management, email marketing, graphic design, and PDF creation.
Making your request at least 4–6 weeks before the desired presentation date is preferred. If I'm expected to travel more than 2 hours from Elgin (where I live in Illinois), then 2 months of lead time is appreciated. I work full-time for a college and try to be respectful of my colleagues when requesting time off or scheduling lunchtime speaking sessions.
Absolutely! Check out the Accessible Social video lesson. It offers a convenient way to receive a comprehensive overview on accessible best practices for social media content. You can also visit the Accessible Social website. It's a free resource hub I created for digital marketers, communication professionals, content creators, and everyday social media users who want to learn about making their content inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities.
I do not give presentations or accept guest speaker requests in November or December due to the winter holiday season. I use those months to recharge, spend time with my family, and get ready for the new year.
My presentation is suitable for any level of experience, from veteran marketers to everyday social media users. I've found that a lot of marketing professionals, both new and experienced, aren't very familiar with the idea of accessibility specifically for social media.
Additionally, all the information I share is very basic and easy to implement regardless of how you use social media in your day-to-day life. All are welcome and encouraged to attend my presentations.
My standard presentation is a PowerPoint slideshow that takes about 35–40 minutes to complete.
I do have a few variations of it, so if you need something shorter or longer, just ask. Most people book me for a full hour, leaving ample time for any questions or comments attendees may have after I'm done speaking. Keep in mind that the shorter my presentation has to be, the less in-depth the information will be.
I would prefer not to because it requires me to basically redo my entire presentation file. My deck is branded and formatted for me and my advocacy work.
I prefer that everyone hold their questions and comments until the end of the presentation only because sometimes an attendee will think of a question that will end up being answered in a later slide. Of course, if there's a chat function for the session, feel free to drop your questions in there, and I'll answer any that weren't covered during the presentation.
Sure! However, if you plan on having me co-present with someone, I prefer to know that as soon as you request me as a speaker.
It's rather jarring to be asked to give a presentation and then find out only after agreeing to speak that you're expected to co-present with someone you've possibly never met before.
Typically, no, but I can include some if you want the presentation to feel more like a training session. Let me know what you have in mind, and we can discuss the feasibility and logistics of including it in the presentation.
Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. I've presented on other platforms for certain conferences and events, but those are the three I typically present on, and I'm very familiar with them.
I'll need to be able to share my screen. I prefer to control my own slides, as I do have videos and animations that need to be manually triggered at specific points during the presentation. Zoom is my preferred platform, but most video conference services should work as long as I can share my screen and computer audio.
Absolutely! Feel free to record the presentation and share it with anyone who attended or planned on attending the session.
I do, but we can discuss fair compensation privately.
Yes, but only if my expenses for travel and accommodations are covered.
I live in Illinois, so my time zone is Central Time/GMT-6.
My pronouns are she/her.
I prefer to be addressed as Alex, but I sign most things as Alexa for professional purposes and so people don't default to assuming I'm a man.
Yes! You can find my bio — a short and long version — below as well as a few headshots to choose from. Feel free to use whatever works best for your promotional needs.
my short bio
Alexa Heinrich is an award-winning social media manager in Northern Illinois, the creator of the popular websites Accessible Social and Social Media Tea, and the author of Accessible Social: a beginner's guide to creating inclusive social media content. She is a passionate advocate for creating accessible and inclusive content for digital communications as well as educating others about the realities of working in social media.
my long bio
Alexa Heinrich is an award-winning social media manager in Northern Illinois, the creator of the popular websites Accessible Social and Social Media Tea, and the author of Accessible Social: a beginner's guide to creating inclusive social media content. She is a passionate advocate for creating accessible and inclusive content for social media and has given presentations on the subject to digital professionals at numerous brands, organizations, and events around the world including Harvard University, the National ADA Symposium, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Congressional Progressive Caucus.
my headshots
Feel free to download whichever headshot best suits your promotional purposes and crop as needed. Click any thumbnail for a high-res version.
