About the Author

Relying on 20 years of research, Cara has a deep understanding of how nonverbal communication shapes the perception of leadership presence. She literally wrote the book on projecting credibility and confidence: the critically acclaimed The Credibility Code. In workshops, she’s known for delivering precision feedback with warmth and humor. On stage, she’s an energetic and compelling presenter, having won numerous national awards for public speaking.
As the founder of SpeechSkills, Cara has provided training to some of the world’s best-known companies, including Caterpillar, Google, PayPal, Pixar, Pinterest, Kaiser, Schwab and Facebook. A guest lecturer at UC Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, and UC Hastings College of Law, Cara has also worked with numerous top-100 law firms. She is a frequent media resource, appearing in Forbes.com, The Globe and Mail, USA Today, and countless other media outlets. A past board member of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), Cara has had the pleasure of speaking at more than 500 conferences, in 20 different countries. She’s currently a featured expert on the Lean In website with her video series Taming Adrenaline.
With a BA in speech communication and an MFA in theatre, Cara’s early career includes professional work as a voice-over artist and commercial actress. However, perhaps her best preparation for a career as a keynote speaker has been her years spent as a camp counselor for the YMCA.
When she’s not working, Cara enjoys cooking, hiking, and playing board games with her husband and two grown children in their hometown of San Francisco.
As the founder of SpeechSkills, Cara has provided training to some of the world’s best-known companies, including Caterpillar, Google, PayPal, Pixar, Pinterest, Kaiser, Schwab and Facebook. A guest lecturer at UC Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, and UC Hastings College of Law, Cara has also worked with numerous top-100 law firms. She is a frequent media resource, appearing in Forbes.com, The Globe and Mail, USA Today, and countless other media outlets. A past board member of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), Cara has had the pleasure of speaking at more than 500 conferences, in 20 different countries. She’s currently a featured expert on the Lean In website with her video series Taming Adrenaline.
With a BA in speech communication and an MFA in theatre, Cara’s early career includes professional work as a voice-over artist and commercial actress. However, perhaps her best preparation for a career as a keynote speaker has been her years spent as a camp counselor for the YMCA.
When she’s not working, Cara enjoys cooking, hiking, and playing board games with her husband and two grown children in their hometown of San Francisco.
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"A true master of public speaking, Cara Hale Alter is not just compelling and captivating; she shows you how to be compelling and captivating."
— Jeannine Yoo Sano, Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider LLP
WHAT’S AVAILABLE AT SPEECHSKILLS?
Live Courses
Our live workshops and seminars combine content-rich information with hands-on skill building. Whether for a small internal team or a large international conference, our expert trainers can travel to your location to provide interactive, personalized training options. LEARN MORE →
Open Enrollment Workshops
For individuals interested in live small-group workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area, the schedule of upcoming programs can be found here. LEARN MORE →
Online Training
In 25+ video lessons, Cara Hale Alter expands upon the core concepts from her book The Credibility Code – complete with behavior demos, skill drills, practice ideas, worksheets, and self-assessment tools – to give you a comprehensive self-study guide to cultivating your personal presence. LEARN MORE →
The Credibility Code Online Training
In 20+ video lessons, Cara Hale Alter breaks down the core concepts from her book The Credibility Code – complete with behavior demos, skill drills, practice ideas, worksheets, and self-assessment tools – to give you a comprehensive self-study guide to cultivating your personal presence. LEARN MORE →
Books & Games
In her book The Credibility Code, Cara Hale Alter outlines the specific “codes of conduct” that influence the perception of credibility. Additionally, our boxed set of SpeechSkills SoundBites cards provides an effective practice session in a box by combining fun with skill building. LEARN MORE →
One-on-one Coaching
Whether you want to increase your overall skill level or prepare for an upcoming event, one of our highly qualified SpeechSkills trainers can provide personalized coaching in hourly sessions via video chat or onsite in our San Francisco office. LEARN MORE →
Keynotes
With a focus on leadership presence and projecting credibility, Cara Hale Alter’s keynote presentations provide the perfect blend of substantive material and tangible takeaways, delivered in a playful, energetic style. LEARN MORE →
Train the Trainer Program
Our Train The Trainer certification enables corporate trainers and independent coaches to facilitate the SpeechSkills 1.5-day “Projecting Credibility and Confidence” workshop and provide one-on-one coaching support using SpeechSkills’ materials and methodologies. LEARN MORE →