Stef Bautista
Educator, Speaker & Program Design Consultant (they/them)
I help educators, mental health professionals, schools, and organizations use pop culture, storytelling, and fandom as tools for connection, learning, and healing.
-
Stef Bautista is an educator, speaker, pop culture enthusiast, and program design consultant who believes the stories we love can help us better understand ourselves and one another.
With a background as an elementary school teacher and years of experience managing student programs and developing engaging educational experiences, Stef brings a unique perspective to the intersection of education, mental health, identity, and fandom.
As a co-host of Happiest Pod on Earth, Stef explores Disney and pop culture through the lenses of mental health, education, identity, and personal experience. They have also spoken on numerous panels at San Diego Comic-Con and WonderCon, covering topics including education, mental health, representation, storytelling, and the ways fandom can create connection.
Through consulting, workshops, speaking engagements, and creative programming, Stef helps professionals thoughtfully incorporate familiar characters, stories, fandoms, and cultural touchstones into their work.
That might mean using Inside Out to start conversations about emotional literacy, Encanto to explore family dynamics and identity, or X-Men to help young people think about belonging and conflict. At the heart of Stef’s work is the shift from “I love this character” to “this character helped me understand myself.”
And when Stef isn’t talking about Disney, education, or pop culture, you can probably find them behind a DJ booth—because sometimes the best way to create connection is simply to play the right song at the right moment.
-
Pop Culture Strategy Session: $200
A one-on-one consultation for educators and mental health professionals looking for thoughtful, practical ways to incorporate pop culture, storytelling, and fandom into their work.Custom Pop Culture Toolkit: Starting at $600
A customized collection of activities, discussion prompts, media recommendations, and resources designed around your audience, setting, and goals.Professional Development Workshops: Starting at $1,000
Interactive workshops for educators, mental health professionals, schools, and organizations exploring practical ways to use pop culture as a tool for learning, connection, and engagement.Keynotes & Conference Presentations: Starting at $1,500
Engaging talks exploring the intersections of pop culture, education, mental health, identity, storytelling, and fandom.Organizational Consulting: Starting at $1,500
Ongoing support for organizations looking to thoughtfully integrate pop culture into programming, engagement, curriculum, or professional development.
Interested in Working With Stef?
Whether you’re looking for a fresh approach to professional development, a customized resource for your team, or a speaker who can make meaningful connections between pop culture and the work you do, Stef can help.
