Don’t just show your impact.
Record stories that make audiences feel it.

I’m Jacqueline, an Impact Story Strategist and Trainer.

I train organizational storytellers to record the real, human stories at the heart of their work.

Specializing in narrative strategy and person-centered practice, I help professionals across Communications, Development, Programs, Training, and Evaluation tell stories with the emotional truth and staying power to rivet even their toughest audiences.

  • "Jacqueline is beyond a rockstar. She's inspiring, practical, available, warm, welcoming, strategic, and inclusive. You simply could not imagine having a better ambassador."

    Kari Anderson, Senior Vice President for Audience & Community
    Vermont Public

  • "I really admire Jacqueline's artistry, skill and passion in this work. Thank you for sharing with Maine nonprofits!"

    Jennifer Hutchins, Executive Director
    Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP)

  • "JVM is a superstar - that cannot be stressed enough."

    Linda Wei, Chief Content Officer
    Alaska Public Media

Why Person-Centered Storytelling?

For impact stories to feel truly authentic and alive, you have let go of centering your organization and shift instead, to centering your people.

Ethically Collected, Unforgettably Told

Person-centered storytelling builds emotional connection with audiences by putting the storyteller's lived experiences at the heart of the narrative -- grounded in authentic context, real relationships, relatable motivations, and genuine, human stakes.

To draw out these stories, we center the storyteller's agency and experience not just in the narrative, but throughout the storytelling process itself. They lead the sharing experience on their terms, defining what and with whom its most important to share, and co-constructing the framing that is truest and most meaningful to them. The result?

  • A foundation of trust — built through storytelling experiences that are affirming and connecting

  • Seeds for a storytelling culture — rooted in that foundation as more people feel safe and empowered to share

  • Stories that ring with real emotion — bringing the joys, struggles, systems, and solutions in your communities vividly to life.

I offer both public workshops and custom organizational trainings on person-centered story work. You can pursue comprehensive training (covering end-to-end methodology) or targeted skill-building tailored to your team's existing skills and communications needs.

Areas of Focus

  • Strategy — Developing your storytelling goals and building an intuitive, trust-based context for sharing

  • Story Structure — Crafting narrative structure and interview questions that invite authentic reflection

  • Ethical Facilitation — Tone-setting, affirming participant agency, directing collaborative storytelling, and drawing out powerful details

  • Informed Consent — Building consent collection practices that are clear, responsive, and ensure participant safety

  • Production Skills — Recording and editing stories for maximum impact

How It Works

Workshops are always grounded in real-world applications and goals. You don't just learn concepts; you build something you can immediately use. Training combines skill-building with actionable resources and hands-on exercises, so your team walks away confident and equipped.

Workshops & Trainings

Join a Workshop

Interested in bringing a custom training to your organization? Email me to discuss scope and rates.

  • “Jacqueline is such an engaging teacher. She gives amazing real-time feedback."

    Emilie Swenson, Research Associate
    Catherine Cutler Institute, University of Southern Maine

  • “Immensely valuable. Very impressed with the content, the supporting tools, the clarity of communication.”

    Parlin Meyer, Managing Principal & Board Secretary
    BrightBuilt Home     | Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)

  • "After every session, I felt rejuvenated. Creating audio stories doesn't feel nebulous now — it's actionable."

    Kathryn Ravenscraft, Director of Development & Communications
    Bangor Humane Society

  • "Very knowledgeable. Jacqueline's course was amazing; it inspired so many ideas for me as well as a sense of validation about the need to share and document the voices we hear."

    Assistant Director, Institutional Research
    A private New England liberal arts college

  • An exceptional teacher and facilitator."

    Amy Senatore, Development & Communications Associate
    The Opportunity Alliance

  • "Jacqueline is generous with her knowledge and beautifully articulated the value of participant agency and the magic that can happen when authentic relationships are centered in narratives."

    Willa Needham, Communications Specialist
    The UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

Training Success Story:

The Opportunity Alliance

How a Nonprofit Anniversary Campaign Unlocked a Storytelling Culture

“What this experience highlighted for me is that if it’s done right, I can pull more people out, and start to shift our culture to one where people feel more comfortable and engaged in telling the organization’s story.”

— Aimee Senatore, Communications & Marketing

Read Aimee’s story.

Consulting & Production

I also provide consulting & production services to organizations as they grow and implement their storytelling initiatives — including strategic and operational planning, facilitating recording sessions, editing stories, and strategizing how to share them with your audiences.

How It Works

Consulting is flexible and responsive to your actual needs. I partner with you to ensure your storytelling work integrates seamlessly into your operations, adapts as you learn what works, and hits your communications goals.

Schedule a Free Consultation

  • ON STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP: "I am in awe of Jacqueline's organizational skills and how well she encouraged us, walked alongside us and helped us achieve our goals."

    Amy​ Cummings, Managing Producer of Programs & Specials, ideastream

  • ON STORY FACILITATION: "Jacqueline created such a safe, beautiful space for us to share our story, setting the stage and guiding the ship. It was a really meaningful experience that we both cherished. Grateful for this opportunity, and for the work that you do."

    Suzanne Fox, Co-Founder and Director of Global Initiatives
    The Yellow Tulip Project

  • ON MULTIMEDIA EDITING: "Editing at that level we couldn’t have done without Jacqueline. The way she wove all the voices together to align and respond is brilliant. She really has a skill, a talent, and an ear for the story."

    Emilie Swenson, Research Associate
    Catherine Cutler Institute, University of Southern Maine

Client Success Story:

The Catherine Cutler Institute, University of Southern Maine

How Youth Stories on the Family Court Experience Became a System-Wide Resource

“People have been moved every time we’ve shared the videos and find them so compelling and engaging. And there’s just so many ways that stories like these can be used.”

— Emilie Swenson, Research Associate

Read Emilie’s story.

Meet Jacqueline

I’m an Impact Story Strategist and Trainer based in Portland, Maine
(unceded territory of the Wabanaki).

My storytelling work spans 7+ years at the national nonprofit StoryCorps, most recently as the inaugural Creative Operations Director for the award-winning fee-for-service brand studio, StoryCorps Studios. I also served as a national Train-the-Trainer Program Manager for StoryCorps’ divide-bridging One Small Step initiative, and as Field Production Supervisor for the StoryCorps Mobile Tour, where I spent a full year traveling the country leading community workshops and recording hundreds of stories in an Airstream trailer. You can view a portfolio of highlights from my time at StoryCorps and other past production projects here.

Prior to StoryCorps, I spent 3 years in Buenos Aires as an ESOL instructor, teaching high-performing executives to express themselves authentically in a new language and honing critical skills that I continue to draw from in storytelling facilitation: reading the room, meeting people where they are, and creating safe spaces for vulnerability. My teaching experience also honed my ability to design tailored learning programs to meet priority goals - both personal and organizational. Before that, I began my career with 7 years in integrated marketing and brand management for technology startups across Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

When not working, I’m hiking, pedaling, and paddling the state of Maine, or in hot pursuit of live music. A new bandmate recently declared that I was “both the most - and least - type A person” she’d ever met, and I couldn’t help but wonder: Had I ever felt more seen?

The magic is in the details, and I bring relentless detail orientation to getting the magic-making done right, but always with a collaborative style that keeps collective inspiration high and moving toward the mission. I suspect my beloved StoryCorps colleagues (who know I love a montage) would tell you the same (#sniffle).

So. Let’s make some magic, shall we?

Speaking & Media

The strategic advantages of community-led storytelling (9 min)

For the Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP)

January 2025

Opening and closing speaker for MANP’s inaugural 2025 webinar series, addressing one of the nonprofit sector's most pressing challenges - effective impact storytelling.

[Watch the full webinar.]

Ethical storytelling practices for Communications teams (14 min)

For The Communications Network

December 2023

Sharing frameworks developed through directing branded content partnerships for StoryCorps Studios clients.

[Watch the full webinar.]

Video by: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga