Storytelling
As founder of The Purple Thread, Danielle is a speaker and partner for schools, organizations, and private clients.
Driven by her experience with dating violence at age 19, Danielle’s enlightening presentation focuses on the power of self-trust. Danielle gently brings light to the astonishing prevalence of toxic relationships while empowering students to listen to those gut feelings in any scenario, and seek help when needed. Prioritizing a collaborative approach, Danielle encourages the tie-in of in-school/local counseling resources so that students are left equipped with available support.
Based in the NYC area, Danielle’s live audience reach exceeds 8,000 individuals including students from sixth grade through college, nonprofits, corporations, partner campaigns, and more. Engagements are always customizable and collaborative to fit the audience and program format, virtual included.
“What is the story we are telling ourselves? I told myself that I got into this mess and I’d have to get myself out. I was too overwhelmed and ashamed to let anyone else in.”
— Danielle DeZao
Offerings
Keynote
For larger audiences usually in an auditorium-style setting for schools and/or an inspiring addition to business meetings and off-sites.
Small Group
Perfect for rotation programs within schools, or for private, eye-opening discussions at home with close friends/family.
Collaboration
Opportunities to partner via panel, workshop, event, donation drive, etc. There are endless possibilities to collaborate on leaving an impact.
From the Organizers
“Danielle has been supporting our Learning Community over the past few years with her insights and perspectives of empathy, resiliency, and healthy coping mechanisms through the sharing of her powerful story of overcoming a toxic relationship. Furthermore, Danielle’s health coaching experience, her courage, and the ease in which she details her adversity have helped our students at Ramsey reflect and grow into young adults that gain an awareness of listening to/trusting their gut, dating violence/toxic relationships, and their overall well-being.” — Supervisor of Education, Ramsey High School, NJ
“Thank you for coming in and sharing such a personal experience with us! Everyone mentioned how moving it was, so we thank you profusely.”
— Unilever, Dove Men+Care Team
“Thank you very much for being a guest speaker in my entrepreneurial class last night. They really enjoyed your talk and insights and found it very moving and valuable.”
— Professor & Entrepreneur in Residence, SUNY New Paltz
“I left feeling…
shocked, impressed, educated, justified, aware, heard, understood, calm, at peace, refreshed, enlightened, united.
I felt more aware of myself.”
— Collective Feedback from High School Students
From the Students
“Thank you for sharing your story. I was in an abusive relationship. Even though it has been two years since our relationship, it still affects me some days and I carry it into new relationships. I felt like I was able to relate to a lot of the feelings you had. Thank you for helping me realize that I am not alone and can move past this.”
“You mentioned self-worth, something that I never struggled with before the relationship, but during and since have struggled with greatly. Even after I realized that I was in this type of relationship, the lack of self worth I had developed kept me in it. I cannot thank you enough for creating this and starting a much-needed conversation. I am so inspired by you!”
“Danielle spoke with great poise. It is a heartfelt story that I will remember forever.”
“I’ll never forget listening to Danielle’s story and how many lightbulbs that set off in my head.”
Past Engagements
Schools
Fieldstone Middle School, Todd Middle School, Columbia High School, Ichabod Crane High School, Monroe-Woodbury High School, Ramsey High School, Smithtown West High School, Somers High School, Stuyvesant High School, Ursuline High School, Manhattanville College, Marist College, New York Institute of Technology, Pace University, Quinnipiac University, Ramapo College, SUNY New Paltz, Vassar College
Collaborations
Dutchess County Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Awards, Grace Smith House Awards Gala, Hudson Valley Magazine Best Of – College Do-Gooder, ABC’s "What Would You Do?" with John Quinones, CosmoGirl Feature, DoSomething, Dove Men+Care “Impact” Marketing Meeting, Futures Without Violence - The Y Factor, Hoboken Shelter, Hope's Door Symposium, Joyful Heart Foundation Panel, Love Is Not Abuse App Launch with Tim Gunn, Mentors In Violence Prevention, No More, One Love Foundation, Regional News Network "Ending Domestic Violence: Survivors Share Their Stories", Ruder Finn, Scarsdale Women’s Club, Set the Expectation, Seventeen Magazine Feature, The White House - Round-Table Discussion, Walk a Mile In Her Shoes, White Ribbon Campaign
“One in three teens in the US will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from someone they’re in a relationship with before they become adults.”
— Love Is Respect