Posts - Tom Willner

Give It Away

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:22:15 +0000

I’ve been thinking about a song I wrote a while back called Give It Away. The article shares the story behind the song - and a lesson I keep relearning about holding on and letting go: Some of the most precious things in life don’t respond to effort, planning, or optimization. They respond to trust. Read the article (and listen to the song) here. (LinkedIn newsletter article)

The Miles Between: Why the Finish Line Isn't the Point

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:24:53 +0000

Click here to read this article on my LinkedIn newsletter, No Time Like Now.

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The Lens of Perspective

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 17:53:46 +0000

Click here to read this article on my LinkedIn newsletter, No Time Like Now.

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We Always Start From Here

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 21:01:45 +0000

A few weekends ago, I paused on a run at this sign. “You Are Here.” It struck me that no matter what we’re trying to accomplish—whether it’s running, losing weight, finishing a project, or even rebuilding after a setback—we always start from here. (LinkedIn newsletter article)

Rising Again: How Japan Redefined My Understanding of Resilience

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 19:55:04 +0000

Click here to read this article on my LinkedIn newsletter, No Time Like Now.

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Stories of Inspiration

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 20:14:44 +0000

With the launch of my newly redesigned website, I’m excited to get back to writing regular posts. Like I do with my speeches and my music, I hope to bring you stories that inspire us to:

transform adversity into resilience, creativity, and purpose
build connections, empathy, and understanding
develop new skills through consistency and perseverance

The topics will be wide open but always based on personal experience. These will likely include but not be limited to:

my experience with cancer and how it changed my life and perspective
the adventures and lessons of long-distance running
house projects - for learning, creativity, persistence, and with any luck, joy
music projects
technology, teams, and innovation
applying our learnings to everyday life

Stay tuned! Subscribe to my RSS feed or my email list to be notified of new posts.

Global Top 50: Government Innovators 2023

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:12:56 +0000

I'm honored to be in the Global Top 50: Government Innovators 2023 for Public Sector Network.

The 2023 Global Top 50 Government Innovators Report spotlights 50 dedicated and passionate individuals who prioritize citizen centricity, who strive for innovation in the design and delivery of quality public services, and who, through their work and candor, aim to improve public policy and rekindle public trust.

You can view the report here:

https://publicsectornetwork.com/insight/top-50-global-government-innovators-2023

#publicsectorinnovation #government #innovation #highereducation #goingglobal

Christmas A Cappella Major Mashup

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 01:53:28 +0000

https://youtu.be/ubfoES9RC-E

The holidays are my favorite time of year, so I wanted to ring in the Christmas season with music. I made this a cappella mashup of three Christmas carols - Hark The Herald Angel Sings, Angels We Have Heard on High, and O Come All Ye Faithful - because I was amazed at how well they worked together. They are all in a major key, and I bring in a new song after each verse. I hope you enjoy it! If so, please consider hitting that like button, subscribing, and ringing the notification bell for upcoming videos on my YouTube channel.

#ChristmasAcapella #HolidayHarmony #ChristmasMashup #FestiveMusic #HolidayCheer #AcapellaMagic #ChristmasCarols #HarmoniousSeason

Featured in Public Sector Podcast

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 14:57:35 +0000

Honored to be featured in the Public Sector Network (Certified B Corp) podcast speaking with Phil Ventimiglia about the innovative work at Georgia State University.

#studentsuccess #thestateway #publicspeaking #innovation

Want to improve your speaking?

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 19:04:01 +0000

Want to improve your speaking? I have some book recommendations and more.

2023 has been a good year for speaking for me. Starting from the most recent and going back:

Along the way, I received excellent coaching from Emma Yarbrough and Kristina Clement. Both Emma and Kristina really improved my talks and skills - many thanks to you both!

Lastly, I highly recommend the three books I read along the way:

1. The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie
2. TED Talks by Chris Anderson
3. The Successful Speaker by Grant Baldwin

and the one I'm reading now:
Speaker, Leader, Champion by Jeremey Donovan and Ryan Avery

#continuousimprovement #speaking #tedx #tedxspeaker
#tedxtalks #ted #tedtalks #storycollider #artsinhealth #storiesandmusic #publicspeaking #publicspeakingtips

Watch my TEDx Talk!

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:20:09 +0000

https://youtu.be/25fy5ZqVHSo?si=Zm_qe7oVMKQO5sxo

I’m super excited that my TEDx talk has posted to YouTube and wanted to share it with you. I talked about my experience with cancer and how I use my story and the music I wrote about it to help drive compassion and connection. You can help spread it’s reach - come check it out, and please click on “Like,” leave a comment, and share it with your network!

"The next time life throws a curveball your way, remember that each of us has the potential to turn our trials into tales of inspiration, and our challenges into a means of connection.

In a world often defined by its divisions, Tom’s journey reminds us of the power of unity, the potency of understanding, and the beauty of empathy. Through his talk, we’re invited to explore how the arts can intersect with technology and education, creating a tapestry that enriches lives and fosters deeper connections."

- TEDxGeorgiaStateU

The Total Student Engagement Dashboard

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 18:22:45 +0000

It is always fulfilling to be a part of Georgia State University doing innovative things to help our students succeed. The total student engagement dashboard is a solution we created to unify data from numerous sources across the university to improve our efforts with student success.

Click here to see the 2022 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report on data and analytics.

Super Flower Blood Moon

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Wed, 18 May 2022 00:18:16 +0000

I created a time-lapse using Gimp from photos I took with my Google Pixel 3 of Sunday's Super Flower Blood Moon. See it below on Twitter.

Created a #timelapse using #Gimp from photos I took with my #GooglePixel3 of Sunday's #SuperFlowerBloodMoon. #space #nerd pic.twitter.com/MP1ay9SICo

— Tom Willner (@tomwillner) May 18, 2022

ONS Congress Event

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 21:50:06 +0000

What a wonderful virtual session with a terrific group of over 300 oncology nurses at the Oncology Nursing Society ONS Congress last week. Anne McSweeney, LCSW and I of Center Stage Education had the privilege to present to an incredibly engaged awesome audience of the angels of healthcare! Many thanks to Tony Ellis from the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation. #ONSCongress #healthcareeducation #music #patientexperience

Podcast: Three Kids, a Musical, and a Book

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 22:45:37 +0000

I had the pleasure to speak with Joyce from the Max Mallory Foundation. Check out their latest podcast episode: "Three Kids, a Musical and a Book - After Testicular Cancer - Episode #14" at https://buzzsprout.com/1258517/7457122-three-kids-a-musical-and-a-book-after-testicular-cancer-episode-14

Happy Holidays 2020 Style

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 21:08:18 +0000

https://youtu.be/tmx44_r33to

My favorite Christmas song - THE Christmas Song! In this crazy year where I had to shift online for so many things, I wanted to do something purely creative using all these new tools. The recording was made in my studio, using OBS Studio with two Logitech webcams; Reaper for the sound with Addictive Keys for the piano and just the right amount of compression and reverb for the vocal; and finally, I played around with HitFilm Express to make the video with a little audio help from Audacity. Hope you enjoy!

ShoutOut Atlanta Article

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 19:38:23 +0000

Thanks to VoyageATL for the shout out and for supporting #entreprenuers, #artists, and #creatives.

https://shoutoutatlanta.com/meet-tom-willner-musician-educator-technology-director/

Georgia State University Tech Trends Conference 2019

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 21:20:36 +0000

I had the honor of speaking at the 2019 Georgia State University Tech Trends Conference with my colleagues Jaro Klc and Chris Burge. We spoke about our data-driven solutions to improve the student experience at GSU in a breakout session called "New Technologies and the Student Experience." Jaro and I talked about our project called the Student Engagement Report, and Chris showed how he was utilizing data in Salesforce to better serve our students. We were grateful to all who attended - it was standing room only.Jaro and I will be presenting an expanded version about the Student Engagement Report at the University System of Georgia's annual conference, interactUSG, in Savannah in September.

3rd Annual Healthcare Oncology Symposium

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 15:43:29 +0000

Today, I have the privilege of speaking at the 3rd Annual Healthcare Oncology Symposium by CEU Creations and Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Anne McSweeney and I will open the day with our presentation about the patient experience through storytelling and music, and I'll participate in the survivorship panel in the afternoon.

Testicular Cancer Conference 2018 Guest Speaker

tom@tomwillner.com (Tom Willner) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 20:10:00 +0000

I'm excited to be a guest speaker at the annual Testicular Cancer Conference in Devner, Colorado this year for the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation.I'm also excited to meet Dr. Lawrence Einhorn who revolutionized testicular cancer treatment. His research in platinum combination chemotherapy in patients with metastatic testicular cancer turned the research world upside down, and a disease that was almost universally fatal became eminently curable.You can find out more about the conference here:https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/tcc/and more about me speaking at the conference here:https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/blog/tc-conference-guest-speaker-tom-willner