Meet Lyric Sampson

My mom loves to tell people that I was speaking full, eloquent sentences at the age of one. She still brings it up at every family gathering.

I've been building the skill of public speaking longer than I realized.

Growing up, I was in theater, improv, and performance spaces. What I thought was just learning how to act was actually training how to communicate, how to hold attention, and how to connect with a room.

By the time I got to college, that showed up clearly. Whether it was pitch competitions, presentations, or speaking in front of groups, I noticed I moved differently. I knew how to deliver, and it worked. That's when I started to understand this wasn't just a talent — it was something I had been developing for years.

But everything shifted for me during one of the hardest moments of my life — the loss of my grandmother.

Speaking at her funeral, I was grieving, but my voice didn't waver. It carried, it connected, and it held the room. That moment showed me the strength and control I had built, and made me realize this was something deeper than just being "good" at speaking.

That's where the Presence Project began.

I started asking how I could help other people build this same confidence and control — especially those who have the potential but haven't had the space or practice to develop it. Now, I work with NPHC chapters, HBCU students, and young professionals to help them show up, speak with intention, and own their presence.