Jonathan Paul
As the former director of debate at Georgetown University, Jonathan Paul has built a historic career teaching the art of persuasion to students and professionals. In less than a decade, he coached four national championships in competitive debate: two at the college National Debate Tournament and two at the high school Tournament of Champions. These add to a college national championship he won as a debater at Northwestern University.
His well-reviewed classes for U.S. government employees have changed hundreds of careers for the better.
These results were built on skills instruction, practice speeches, and strategy sessions — a formula that now provides the model for Speech Labs. Jonathan has appeared as a television commentator and works as a professional, political, and legal consultant.
Seth Gannon
As co-founder of Speech Labs, Seth Gannon has coached CEOs, celebrities, public intellectuals, and thousands of others, helping them with speeches, pitches, and media appearances. He has prepared clients for segments on Good Morning America, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS Sunday Morning, Squawk Box, and other TV shows and podcasts. He has led hundreds of workshops in written and spoken communication for the Food & Drug Administration, the Department of Defense, and the private sector.
His writing has appeared in Slate, The Paris Review Daily, Pacific Standard, and a number of literary journals. His 2017 video interview with Vox received over 25 million views.
Seth coached the 2012, 2014, and 2019 National Debate Tournament champions, after he and his partner won the tournament in 2008 and finished second in 2009. He is an adjunct fellow in global health at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and in 2011 served as a staff liaison for the President’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy & Negotiations.