Hi, I’m Sumedha Bahri. I am a communication strategist, senior patent attorney, former stand-up comic, keynote speaker, and the founder of Highest Speak Pro, which I launched in 2019.
I started Highest Speak after witnessing something that deeply troubled me. I kept seeing brilliant, highly educated professionals, often with more advanced degrees than my own, being quietly passed over for leadership roles and career opportunities. It was not because they lacked intelligence or ability. It was because they struggled to speak up, volunteer for presentations, lead teams, or even give impromptu status updates in meetings.
They were not less capable.
They were less heard.
I have always loved public speaking and communication. While many people fear it, I found myself drawn to it from courtrooms and corporate boardrooms to classrooms and comedy stages. Early in my career I realized that the ability to communicate with confidence is not just a professional skill. It is a career and life advantage.
That realization became my life’s work and passion!
Today I help professionals, executives, government officials, and individuals transform anxiety into confidence so they can land their dream jobs, stand out in interviews, and show up powerfully in every part of life, including high-stakes presentations, leadership moments, everyday conversations, relationships, and media interviews.
I also created Highest Speak for Kids because I believe confident communication should start early and last a lifetime.
My background includes a J.D and B.S in Biomedical Engineering, where precision, clear, and confident communication matters! I also have also been a stand-up comic (and a finalist in multiple comedy contests) where presence and connection matters.
Over the years I have coached leaders and teams at organizations including Microsoft, Meta, CACI, Peraton, SAIC, Serco, Maximus, and Booz Allen Hamilton, among many others, helping them elevate their executive presence, successfully win competitive bids valued up to $2 billion, and communicate with clarity and impact.
Executives and clients often call me “The Magician” because together we turn even the most nervous speakers into confident, compelling communicators. The work blends strategy, psychology, humor, and real-world practice so that confidence becomes not just a skill, but a way of being.
I am especially passionate about helping women step out of self-doubt and into their voice, though I work with anyone who is ready to grow, lead, and be heard.
I believe confident communication does more than change careers. It transforms relationships, reshapes self-image, and expands what people believe is possible for themselves.
My mission is simple.
To make confident communication second nature in every situation, not just on stage.
Through Highest Speak Pro, I offer
• Customized one-on-one coaching include Everyday Confident Communication Strategies
• In-Person (Reston, VA) and/or Virtual Group Classes, and workshops (Check Events page)
• Interview and high-stakes presentation preparation
• Speech preparation consulting and delivery coaching
• Executive and leadership communication development
• Federal Oral Presentations Coaching
• Team communication workshops (These can be FUN and a GREAT team builder as well!)
Media, press training, and interview preparation
Whether you are preparing to lead, present, or simply speak with greater confidence, my goal is to help you not just be heard, but be remembered.
Highest Speak Pro works with professionals, executives, emerging leaders, government professionals, teams, and organizations that want to communicate with greater confidence and impact. Coaching is customized to each client’s goals, whether you’re preparing for a major presentation, stepping into a leadership role, interviewing for a new position, or simply wanting to feel more confident speaking in everyday professional situations.
Not at all. Confident communication goes far beyond giving speeches. Highest Speak Pro helps clients with meetings, interviews, presentations, executive presence, difficult conversations, impromptu speaking, media interviews, team communication, and other situations where how you communicate matters.
Absolutely. You don’t need to already be a confident speaker to begin. In fact, helping people transform speaking anxiety and self-doubt into confidence is a major focus of Highest Speak Pro. Coaching provides a supportive environment where you can practice, receive personalized feedback, and build skills you can use in real situations.
Yes. Private coaching is customized around your individual communication goals and can include executive presence, interviews, presentations, everyday confident communication, speech preparation, leadership communication, media interviews, and other high-stakes situations.
Yes. Highest Speak Pro offers customized workshops and team communication training for corporations, government organizations, and other professional groups. Programs can be tailored around presentation skills, executive communication, team communication, leadership presence, and other organizational needs.
Yes. This is an especially valuable differentiator for Highest Speak Pro. Sumedha has coached teams preparing for competitive presentations and oral evaluations, including work connected to bids valued as high as $2 billion. Coaching can focus on delivery, executive presence, message clarity, team consistency, Q&A preparation, and communicating confidently under pressure.
Yes. Highest Speak Pro offers virtual options as well as in-person programs in Reston, Virginia. The best format depends on whether you’re looking for individual coaching, a group class, workshop, or customized organizational training.
Start with a discovery call. You’ll have an opportunity to discuss what you’re preparing for, where you’re feeling challenged, and what you’d like to accomplish. From there, Highest Speak Pro can recommend the coaching or training option that best fits your goals.
Contact us today to start your journey towards confident and impactful communication.