BIO

Kalina Silverman is a documentary journalist, entrepreneur, speaker, and creator of Big Talk (@makebigtalk)—an award-winning viral media project that highlights meaningful conversations to foster empathy and human connection. She is also an upcoming author, with a Big Talk book set for release under Penguin Random House (Tarcher) in 2026.

A Fulbright Scholar, Ambassador, and Public Speaker, Kalina has traveled globally to deliver Big Talk workshops and presentations, including at Fortune 500 off-sites, universities, and mental health organizations. Her TEDx talk on Big Talk has 7 million views, and her social media content has reached 500,000 followers and 125 million+ views. Big Talk has been featured by Good Morning America, TIME, People, PBS, USA Today, KTLA, NBC, and more.

Most recently, Kalina partnered with GoFundMe to interview survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires, Hurricane Helene, and the Texas Floods, creating viral videos that helped raise over $2 million in relief funds and garnered international attention.

A Northwestern University broadcast journalism graduate, Kalina worked on documentary films in Ecuador and Germany focused on education and the Holocaust. As a Fulbright Research Scholar in Singapore, she studied how to establish cross-cultural empathy through Big Talk. She also co-founded MIXED, Northwestern’s first-ever Mixed Race Student Coalition.

Beyond journalism and advocacy, Kalina is a model and commercial actress, having appeared in campaigns for Nike, Upwork, Adidas, Coca-Cola, Google, Meta, Sony, Delta, and more.

Kalina is passionate about bridging cultures and communities through media, education, and the arts, as well as combating modern-day loneliness and disconnection. An adventurer at heart, she stays active through surfing, Taekwondo, tennis, and dance while also nurturing her creativity through painting, songwriting, and playing piano and guitar.

To join Kalina’s Newsletter, subscribe at https://buttondown.com/kalina

TIMELINE

2025 (US) Big Talk Instagram videos creator (@makebigtalk). Preparing for Big Talk Book Release in 2026 (Penguin Randomhouse - Tarcher Perigee).

2021-2024 (US) Fulbright Ambassador leading Big Talk workshops for 1500 PhD and Master’s students worldwide. Recipient of the City of Santa Monica Art of Recovery Grant. BIG TALK educational program development and video content creator. Public Speaker. Model for Minelli Management.

2019-2020 (US/Australia/Central Asia) BIG TALK public speaking engagements worldwide (including WeWork, Elite SEM, Adobe, and Google). BIG TALK educational program development, and documentary filmmaking for the “New Silk Road.” U.S. Fulbright Alumni Ambassador presenting on Capitol Hill. Speaker.

2017-2018 (Singapore)  U.S. Fulbright Research Scholar in Singapore. Model with Basic Model Management (Singapore). Artist in Residence at Vagabond Hotel with Un-canned Art.

2017 (Los Angeles)  Creative Resident at 72andSunny. Created the “Big Talk Question Card Game.”

2016 (San Francisco) Facebook Stories intern.

2015 (Los Angeles)  USC Annenberg Innovation Center Researcher. TEDx Speaker for BIG TALK. Model.

2014 (Chicago) Broadcast Journalism student at Northwestern University. NU in Qatar Ambassador. Founder and President of MIXED. Created Big Talk.

IN THE NEWS

• PBS and @BriefbutSpectacular feature Kalina Silverman

• @Good Morning America features @makebigtalk interviews with Fire Victims

• @People features Kalina’s @makebigtalk interviews with Fire Victims

• @Time features Kalina’s @makebigtalk interviews with Fire Victims

• Big Talk in Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper

• The Forward

• My San Antonio

• Los Angeles Times

• Quora Sessions Host featured on Forbes

• Huffington Post

• USA Today College

• Right This Minute

• Business Insider Germany

• Lifehacker

• BIG TALK Featured in TARA, Norwegian Magazine

• Kalina Silverman for Icebreaker Southern Chronicles

• NBC News Asia America

• A Sharks Perspective Podcast Interview

• Big Ten Network

• The Mixed Show

• Northwestern Sophomores form group for Mixed Race Students

• TEDx with over 6.5M YouTube views

• Washington Post Article on the Big Talk Question Card Game

AWARDS

• Commendation - Big Talk for the Community from Santa Monica’s Mayor

• Grantee - Fulbright Research Scholarship & Alumni Ambassadorship

• Semifinalist - McKinsey Women’s Impact Awards

• Winner - Northwestern Creative Arts Festival

• Semifinalist - Adobe Design Achievement Awards for Social Impact Design

SPEAKING CLIENTS

Speaking Inquiries: kberner@penguinrandomhouse.com

• TikTok’s AAPI ERG

• Postmates

• FYI, Will.I.Am’s Creative Space

• NAMI WLA (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

• Johnson & Johnson Ethicon

• Watson Institute

• The Lighthouse Venice

• Chai Ventures

• U.S. State Department

• Foundation for Social Connection

• California Marital and Family Therapist Association

• Healthcare Management Administrators

• Institute of International Education

• WeWork Melbourne, Australia

• Acelero Learning

• US Embassy Tashkent, Uzbekistan

• NYU Shanghai

• Adobe Women

• Elite SEM

• Fulbright / US Embassy, Singapore

• National University of Singapore

• USC Trojan Support

MEDIA PARTNERSHIP CLIENTS

Media Partnerships: KalinaSilvermanTeam@unitedtalent.com

• GoFundMe

• NWSL / Angel City Soccer

• Delta

• Spectrum

• Fanatics

• Climate Power

• Direct Relief

• Pasadena Humane Society

• Upwork

• Anti-Recidivism Coalition

• FireAid Los Angeles Concert

• Instacart

• City of Santa Monica Art of Recovery Program

• Santa Monica Civic Well-Being Partners

• Smile Train

• Narxoz University in Almaty, Kazakhstan

• "Take a Northwestern Direction" - Northwestern Global Outreach Video Campaign (Hero Student)

• Edovo Jail Education Solutions (Big Talk Education partnership)

• USC Annenberg Innovation Lab