About Chris

Christine Jahnke was a pioneering speech coach for women, author, and advocate for social justice and other progressive causes.

Over three decades she helped political and non-profit leaders improve their public speaking abilities and shape core messages on issues concerning gender equity, reproductive rights, racial justice, poverty, public health and the environment.

In 1991, Chris founded her firm Positive Communications and began her work as a speech coach and media trainer dedicated to advancing the role of women in public life.  Her early coaching contributed to the election of a record number of women to the U.S. House and Senate in 1992. Over the course of her career, Chris provided speech coaching to some of the nation’s most prominent political voices.  Today, her contributions can be seen in the diverse women now holding positions of power and influence as state governors, U.S. senators, House members, and as state and local office holders across the country.

Leading non-profits and philanthropic organizations focused on the environment, human health, poverty, and other issues also turned to Chris to train their leaders, advocates and organizers to further their missions.  She also worked with organizations working to promote science in public policy. Chris focused her energies on those people, organizations and social justice causes that aligned with her values. 

Chris authored two widely acclaimed books. The Well-Spoken Woman published in 2011 profiled prominent women speakers to share insights and advice on effective public speaking techniques. Her second, The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out published in 2018 empowered a new generation of diverse leaders, advocates and organizers working to drive change following the 2016 election.  Chris had deep empathy for the challenges facing woman of all races, ethnicities and ages working to improve their communities.  Often at the forefront of emerging social and political change, Chris served as a frequent source for journalists covering women’s leadership.

Chris maintained long-standing relationships with leading women’s organizations, including the Women’s Media Center, Emily’s List, Emerge, and the Center for American Woman and Politics at Rutgers University. Through organizations like Vital Voices and the National Democratic Institute, Chris brought her coaching skills to women leaders in Latin America and Eastern Europe who were working to promote women and strengthen democracy.  She also served on the board of the Maasai Girls Education Fund (MGEF), a non-profit dedicated to supporting the education of Maasai girls in Kenya.

Christine was born and raised in Albert Lea, Minnesota. She graduated magna cum laude from Winona State University in 1985 and earned a Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University in 2012.  Shortly after moving to Washington DC, she met and later married her husband of 25 years, Paul Hagen.

Chris was diagnosed with an aggressive colon cancer in early 2019 and died at her home in Washington, DC at the age of 57 on August 4, 2020. She is survived by her husband, parents Wayne and Sharon Jahnke, sister, brother, and nieces and nephews.