About Story Bridge

Our Mission

Story Bridge was created with a simple yet powerful idea: stories connect us. In a world that feels increasingly divided, Story Bridge offers a way to break down barriers, spark curiosity, and build communities of belonging—one story at a time.

Through our programs, people from all walks of life come together to share personal stories in a safe, inspiring environment. The result is laughter, empathy, trust, and meaningful connections that form the foundation of lasting community.

The Story Bridge Experience

A Story Bridge session isn’t a lecture—it’s an experience. With humor, energy, and care, facilitators Jennifer De Leon and Adam Stumacher guide participants step by step:

  1. Discover
    Explore your own life for meaningful stories that deserve to be told.

  2. Shape
    Craft your story into a narrative that’s clear, compelling, and true to your voice.

  3. Share
    Bring your story to life in front of others, in an intimate circle or larger showcase.

  4. Implement
    Storytellers develop a plan on how to harness story to strengthen connection in classrooms and teams.

By the end, every participant has not only shared a story—they’ve been part of building a community.

What to Expect

Whether it’s a single workshop, a multi-week program, or a long-term coaching partnership, every Story Bridge experience is designed to:

  • Feel welcoming — no writing or performance experience required.

  • Build trust — participants are supported every step of the way.

  • Encourage laughter and discovery — stories reveal both what we share and what makes us unique.

  • Create connection — participants leave with stronger bonds and a deeper sense of belonging.

Why It Matters

When we share our stories, we see each other more fully. Story Bridge helps schools, companies, and organizations foster empathy, openness, and connection across differences—skills that matter as much in the classroom and workplace as they do in our daily lives.

Your Story Bridge Facilitators

Jennifer De Leon

Jennifer De Leon is the award-winning author of the YA novels, Borderless, featured on the TODAY show, and Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From. She is also the author of White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, & Writing, which won the Juniper Prize from the University of Massachusetts Press. Jenn is the editor of Wise Latinas: Writers on Higher Education, an International Latino Book Award-winning anthology. As an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Framingham State University and faculty member for the Newport MFA Program at Salve Regina University, she has published prose in over a dozen literary journals including Ploughshares, Iowa Review, and Michigan Quarterly Review, and her work has appeared on NPR. She is is a dynamic and experienced speaker who connects with audiences of all ages and has delivered keynote addresses and facilitated workshops at conferences, universities, and forums across the nation.

Connect with her online @jdeleonwriter or jenniferdeleonauthor.com.

Adam Stumacher

Adam Stumacher is an author, educator, and storyteller whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Granta, Narrative, The Kenyon Review, The Sun, The Southern Review, and others, is a multiple notable recipient from Best American Short Stories, and won a Nelson Algren Award and the Raymond Carver Short Story Award. He holds degrees from Cornell University and Saint Mary’s College and was the Carol Houck Smith fellow at the University of Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. He has been awarded scholarships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, as well as residencies from the Vermont Studio Center, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Spiro Arts, and others. He is a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and has taught at MIT and in prisons. A longtime teacher, leader, and consultant in public schools, he has been awarded the Sontag Prize in Urban Education and a fellowship from the Lynch Leadership Academy at Boston College. His storytelling has been televised on Stories from the Stage and his commentaries air on NPR.

Learn more at adamstumacher.com