What People Are Saying

Testimonials

“I would love to have you all come back and go even further into these activities. The joy and energy you both brought to the room was so special and you both made me feel so relaxed, valued, and understood. I am immensely grateful for your knowledge and own modeling to be vulnerable. Thank you so much.”

Educator, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
Team-Building Program

“I've participated in many diversity trainings over the years at other employers, typically the silly videos that with the best intentions, never feel very realistic. The live scene that Impact Interactive did was incredibly powerful. You could FEEL the discomfort with what was being said by the actors which I'm sure was the intention. 10 out of 10 would recommend! I hope RIT uses them as a resource across the campus community.”

Workshop Participant, Rochester Institute of Technology Controller’s Office Level Up Leadership Academy, Uncomfortable Conversations: Racism and Bias in the Workplace

“Loved the interactive exercises- I generally am pretty quiet. The activities were done in a way that I didn’t stress about being a part of them. Many activities allowed for individual interpretation and it was so great hearing the perspectives of others.”

Workshop Participant, Delphi Rise
Team-Building Program

“I had never been involved with theatre based training before. Wow! It was so powerful. I thought about this workshop every day afterward, and made important strides towards mending broken family relationships.”

Workshop Participant
Uncomfortable Conversations: Confronting Privilege, Bias & Racism

“The unique learning session facilitated by the team at Impact Interactive helped employees recognize microagressions and understand how these seemingly small actions can have such a significant impact on their coworkers.”

Tanya Meisenholder
Deputy Commissioner of Equity and Inclusion, NYPD

“Jodi and Allison met with our leadership team, students, and parents to design an individualized scene connected to our school. They listened closely, asked questions and shared their own thoughts and experiences. Their facilitation and the incredible work of the performance educators made for a profound staff development workshop. All of the participants walked away motivated to have the discussion and be part of the change. I have repeatedly heard from teachers and staff about it being the best PD they have ever been a part of. In the end, it is all about doing the best for our students and this helps us with that precious mission!”

Joshua Walker
Principal, Calkins Road Middle School

“Impact Interactive has performed training for Niagara County Community College twice in the past three years. As the Chief Diversity and Equity Officer I felt this year’s training was both informative and heartening! Many of my colleagues responded positively to the training, and I believe the strength of their message to be so timeless, that I wouldn’t hesitate to ask them to return in the near future. We very much appreciate what they bring to the table!”

John Strong
Chief Diversity and Equity Officer, Niagara County Community College

"I had the privilege of participating in an Impact program at the CENTILE Conference at Georgetown. Allison and Jodi did a masterful job of creating a safe space and using theater techniques that helped workshop participants powerfully tune in to the feelings of others with communications through physical images and discussion." 

Helen Riess, MD
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School & Director of Empathy Research and Training in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital

“Thank you so much for an exceptional GVC SHRM program! The scene on Generational Conflict in the Workplace was crisp and well written, the actors did an amazing job, and the facilitation was excellent! The participants were clearly engaged and impressed. Theatre-based training is very effective for sensitive topics like diversity & inclusion. I highly recommend Impact Interactive!”

Betty Richardson
Founder and President, Rewarding Solutions, LLC

“Impact Interactive’s identity workshop allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of identity. I reflected for days afterward about the assumptions I make without thinking, and guided myself to put those assumptions aside.”

Kathi Albertini
Participant in ”Defined by Others,” sponsored by Levine Center to End Hate

“As a leadership educator, I was looking for new and creative ways to engage student leaders on issues of diversity and inclusion. Impact Interactive gave me everything I was looking for: the activities were meaningful, fun, well-structured, and applicable. Jodi and Allison created an atmosphere where we could be open, vulnerable, and accepted. The performance educators helped us ease into the activities with great playfulness, empathy, and sense of humor. I left feeling elated by a sense of possibility for the radical, deep change that sets you on a new course without looking back, and just want more of this for our community. THANK YOU Impact Interactive! I will do everything I can to have you back!”

M. Cecilia Barone
Assistant Director and Academic Coordinator, University of Rochester Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

“Impact Interactive has contributed invaluable training to physicians and other health professionals as they struggle to rediscover meaning and flourishing in their work. Jodi Beckwith and Allison Roberts along with their team of professional actors have regularly helped our Mindful Practice program participants deepen the experience of empathy and compassion, and develop concrete skills to remain present with their patients.  I endorse their work without reservation.” 

Mick Krasner, MD
Co-director Mindful Practice & Professor of Clinical Medicine at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

“I was looking for something more meaningful than a Power Point to present sexual assault education to our students. I wanted to create an opportunity for continuing dialogue. Thanks Impact Interactive! I have had countless students say that the workshop was “real.” The theatre-based performance was an amazing addition to our program!”

Karen Vicks
Title IX Coordinator, Nazareth College of Rochester

“This is the first kind of training that got people to talk honestly about harassment from all perspectives."

Recreation Supervisor
NYC Parks Department

“Going into this session, I was skeptical about using role playing as a source of conflict resolution or demonstration of ideas. All the role playing I have been a part of has been cheesy and ineffective, but this was not the case in this class. When done effectively, it can be a great way to work through problems and I anticipate using this idea to begin the school year with my students.”

MA Student from “Topics in Teaching and Learning” class, Warner School of Education, University of Rochester

“After George Floyd’s murder, I was inundated with calls and messages from my white friends and family members who were asking me for help, saying, ‘I’m ready to use my privilege and speak up, but I’m afraid I’ll say the wrong thing or I won’t be as effective as you.’ Or ‘How do I confront the racists in my family without burning down my own house?’ Given my own life experience [growing up in an interracial family and having to quickly discern and navigate racist attitudes and behavior—often as a means of survival], I wanted to help white people move their own needles from being comfortable and quietly non-racist to being uncomfortable and vocally anti-racist. And I wanted a way to share my experiences without repeatedly injuring myself or other people of color. I reached out to Impact Interactive for help and their amazing team more than delivered! Uncomfortable Conversations: Confronting Privilege, Bias & Racism allows audience members to watch racist scenarios unfold, pinpoint challenges and suggest opportunities to affect change. If you [or someone you know] are looking for ways to be a better ally or accomplice to people of color and help build an antiracist society, this compelling workshop is a MUST!”

Sherry Jackson
Co-founder, Rochester Anti-Racism Action Coalition

“Recently, I had the group Impact Interactive come into my Business Ethics class. Their theatre-based learning exercises really engaged us and provided a thought-provoking and relevant experience. I thought it was a really effective way to get at some ethical issues in an organization."

Jacqueline Ebner, PhD
Sustainability Engineer, Professor, Consultant

“I thought it was great that Impact allowed individuals in the room to come forward with their own personal experiences in a safe and comfortable space. Sometimes when speaking about identity politics, groups are presented as a homogeneous blend of ideas, and individual perspectives can be lost. Impact allowed us to see those individual stories from real people.”

Workshop Participant
University of Rochester 2018 Annual Diversity Conference

“Impact Interactive conducted two workshops as part of the College at Brockport’s Diversity Conference. The workshops were engaging, thoughtful, and challenging. The planning and organization that went into the preparation for the workshops was apparent. And the teaching was thorough, energetic, and relevant to the conference. I felt lucky to be able to participate!” 

Ruth Childs, Associate Professor
Department of Theatre and Music Studies, The College at SUNY Brockport

“Impact Interactive is one of the most compelling and powerful communication tools I’ve ever experienced. I’d enthusiastically suggest it for a Superintendent’s Day presentation. Teachers would be engaged, refreshed and intellectually stimulated. Visually, it demands and holds your attention. It is effective yet fun…. LIVE “animation” with many opportunities to feel empowered.”

Phyl Contestable
Integrated Arts & General Music Teacher, Churchville Chili Middle School

“This is a powerful way for teachers to explore difficult-to-talk-about classroom challenges. I highly recommend it to any university or college wanting to raise the quality of teaching in their classrooms.”

Stuart Jordan
Senior Lecturer Department of Political Science, University of Rochester