long bio
Dawn J. Fraser is a performer, educator and national speaker from San Jose, California. She is the Creator and Host of Barbershop Stories, which features some of New York's bravest storytellers, comedians, and memoirists, as they tell live stories... while chopping off their hair. Dawn was featured as a speaker amongst some of the nation's top innovators and change makers at TED@NYC, and currently teaches storytelling to students through The Moth’s Community Program. Dawn is a nationally acclaimed speaker, and delivers speeches and workshops to students, entrepreneurs, and business owners to develop stories that engage and inspire. Her own stories about growing up as a twin and a first generation Trinidadian have been featured on storytelling shows including The Moth, Story Collider, The Soundtrack Series and RISK! She also works with as a speech coach, training individuals to be their most impactful selves.
Dawn is one of the Co-Founders of the Oakland based nonprofit ‘Art in Action’ (currently a division of United Roots Oakland) and has worked on performance and cultural advocacy programs in countries including Brazil, Jamaica and Ghana. She has consulted major media organizations including Hot 97, 98.7 Kiss FM, and MTV Tempo to develop marketing and business development campaigns, and was a writer and performer with the Brooklyn based sketch comedy troupe American Candy. She is also the Founder of Envision Admissions which has worked with prospective college and graduate school candidates to utilize elements of storytelling and personal narratives as part of an application strategy.
Dawn received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA, and a Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University, where she was the recipient of the Barbara Jordan Award for Women’s Leadership due to her commitment to building community and serving as a role model for women aspiring to be leaders.