Welcome to Schmooze with Suze!
Where you'll get your dose of culture, values and we'll tackle the topics others may consider off-limits.
Hi, I'm Suze!
A little about me, I’m a "Gen-X" Mom who wanted to grow up like the Brady Bunch... But how could I being raised in the shadow of Schindler’s List?
Speaker. Moderator. Event Strategist. Community Connector.
My Background
Some people work a room. I’d rather build the room, bring the right people into it, and create the kind of conversation they’re still talking about on the way home.
My professional career has lived at the intersection of communication, community engagement, nonprofit leadership, education, philanthropy, events and relationship-building. Fo
Some people work a room. I’d rather build the room, bring the right people into it, and create the kind of conversation they’re still talking about on the way home.
My professional career has lived at the intersection of communication, community engagement, nonprofit leadership, education, philanthropy, events and relationship-building. For more than two decades, I’ve helped organizations turn ideas into experiences, audiences into participants, and connections into meaningful partnerships.
As the host and producer of Schmooze with Suze, I’ve interviewed nonprofit executives, elected officials, civic leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, philanthropists and community changemakers. The show has surpassed 100,000 downloads, but the number I care about most is harder to measure: the conversations and relationships that continue after the microphones are turned off.
Whether I’m standing at a podium, moderating a panel, designing an event or helping an organization figure out how to engage its community, my approach is the same:
Curate. Educate. Activate.
WHAT I BRING TO THE ROOM
I’m a strategist who loves people, a communicator who asks a lot of questions, and an event person who understands that sometimes the most important conversation happens five minutes after the official program ends.
My professional toolkit includes public speaking, interviewing, facilitation, strategic communications, nonprofit leadership, fundraising, sponsorship development, donor stewardship, event production, community engagement, media relations, executive communications, volunteer leadership, board engagement, CRM management, storytelling and partnership development.
But the skill underneath all of them is relationship building.
Because people rarely remember your spreadsheet.
They remember whether you understood why they were there.
My Philosophy
SPEAKING & KEYNOTES
I speak about the places where personal experience, community and civic life intersect.
My presentations are conversational, thoughtful and audience-centered. I’m particularly comfortable tackling subjects that require both candor and nuance, without turning disagreement into combat.
Topics can include civic engagement an
SPEAKING & KEYNOTES
I speak about the places where personal experience, community and civic life intersect.
My presentations are conversational, thoughtful and audience-centered. I’m particularly comfortable tackling subjects that require both candor and nuance, without turning disagreement into combat.
Topics can include civic engagement and civil discourse, community building, leadership and service, storytelling as a tool for impact, Jewish identity and combating antisemitism, philanthropy, women and reinvention, nonprofit engagement, and the importance of remaining curious in an increasingly polarized world.
Presentations can be customized for conferences, nonprofits, professional associations, schools, leadership programs, community organizations and corporate audiences.
MODERATOR & CONVERSATION FACILITATOR
A great moderator shouldn't be the most interesting person on the stage.
They should make everyone else more interesting.
After hundreds of interviews and conversations, I know how to prepare beyond the bio, listen for what wasn't said, ask the follow-up question, redirect gracefully, manage competing personalities and keep a conversation moving without making it feel scripted.
I’m available to moderate:
- Panel discussions and fireside chats
- Leadership and civic conversations
- Community forums and town halls
- Nonprofit and philanthropic discussions
- Conferences and professional programs
- Interviews and live podcast-style conversations
- Conversations involving complex or sensitive subjects
The objective isn't simply to fill the allotted time. It’s to create a conversation worth having.
My Offerings
My Offerings
EVENT CREATION & MANAGEMENT
I love the moment when someone says, “I have an idea…”
That’s where I start.
My experience includes fundraising events, cultural programming, community initiatives, donor and sponsor engagement, volunteer leadership, educational programs and special events involving multiple stakeholders, vendors, committees and
EVENT CREATION & MANAGEMENT
I love the moment when someone says, “I have an idea…”
That’s where I start.
My experience includes fundraising events, cultural programming, community initiatives, donor and sponsor engagement, volunteer leadership, educational programs and special events involving multiple stakeholders, vendors, committees and community partners.
I can help take an event from concept to curtain call, including:
Concept Development • Event Strategy • Program Design • Run of Show • Speaker & Guest Coordination • Sponsorship Strategy • Community Partnerships • Vendor Coordination • Volunteer & Committee Leadership • Audience Engagement • Event Communications • Fundraising Integration • On-Site Management • Post-Event Stewardship
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
This may be the simplest way to describe one of my strongest professional skills:
I connect people to people, and people to purpose.
My work throughout Northeast Florida has brought me into relationships across the nonprofit, philanthropic, educational, civic, business, media and arts communities.
I help organizations identify potential partners, cultivate relationships, create meaningful collaborations and communicate their mission in ways that make people want to participate rather than simply observe.
That work can include stakeholder engagement, partnership development, donor and sponsor cultivation, community outreach, communications strategy, storytelling, campaign development and nonprofit consulting.
I work with organizations, agencies and individuals whose missions and values align with my own commitment to community, curiosity, integrity, service and meaningful dialogue.
Speaking • Moderating • Event Creation & Management • Strategic Partnerships • Community Engagement • Nonprofit Consulting