At a moment when public trust is collapsing and institutions are struggling to reach real audiences, many organizations are asking the wrong questions about storytelling. The stakes are no longer abstract: narrative breakdown now carries real political consequences, shaping who is believed, who is erased, and whose realities are allowed to circulate unchecked.

This keynote draws from Hendel’s decade-long work building narrative audio projects during one of the most volatile political periods in modern U.S. history. His experience reveals how stories actually circulate under pressure, how leadership emerges before recognition, and how creative judgment — not technology — determines whether narratives endure, disappear, or are distorted.

Rather than focusing on platforms or production, the talk reframes storytelling as democratic infrastructure. It challenges leaders to reconsider how creative labor is valued, where trust is built when formal authority falters, and what is quietly lost when institutions prioritize efficiency over human stewardship.

Audiences leave with a sharper understanding of the choices shaping public imagination — and what it will take to protect it in a moment when narrative failure carries democratic risk.

Featured Keynote: Audio, Democracy, and the Architecture of Connection

Who This Talk Is For

This keynote is designed for audiences navigating moments of institutional pressure, public scrutiny, or civic uncertainty, including:

• Media and podcast organizations facing trust erosion, creative turnover, or strategic recalibration

• Philanthropic institutions funding narrative, democracy, or civic engagement work

• Universities and journalism programs examining public trust, participation, and media power

• Conferences focused on storytelling, culture, democracy, and institutional leadership