Hi, I’m Hannah.
As a chemical engineer and organizational psychologist, I help women in STEM develop the communication strategies needed to thrive in male-dominated industries.
My keynote, The Psychology of Communicating in Male-Dominated Industries, combines real-world engineering experience with psychological science to provide practical tools for increasing influence, visibility, and leadership effectiveness.
I am passionate about getting women in stem to the top.
Hannah Burns Dunham is a chemical engineer, industrial-organizational psychologist, and proud girl mom. She spent 10 years in pulp and paper manufacturing before leaving the industry to focus on motherhood and start her own consulting business.
In four years of owning Climbing Trees Consulting, she has coached dozens of women across multiple STEM industries, consulted in manufacturing plants throughout the South, and become a sought-after speaker, teaching The Psychology of Communicating in Male-Dominated Industries to women’s groups and at industry networking events.
She currently works as a corporate engineer for a global manufacturing company, but her passion for equipping women in STEM with practical tools for succeeding in male-dominated industries remains strong. She is the founder of an online community for women in STEM called The 28% Club and serves as the Membership Director for Women in Manufacturing – Alabama Chapter.
Hannah has a 4-year-old daughter named Delilah, two cats named Socks and Post Malone, and a dog named Riley. She lives in Birmingham, AL.
The Psychology of Communicating in Male Dominated Industries
I believe that learning the tools to communicate with confidence is an absolute game changer when working in male-dominated industries. I created this keynote to provide practical strategies for mastering four critical components of communication: mindset, emotions, presence, & speech.
Mindset
Learn how to quiet self-doubt, overcome impostor syndrome, and rewire the thought patterns that undermine confidence - using evidence-based, no fluff tools that actually work.
Emotions
End the drive-home-from-work doom spiral. Stop replaying conversations, second-guessing yourself, and staying silent in meetings you deserve to be heard in.
Build the tools to trust yourself, own your expertise, and maintain confidence—even when work gets hard.
Presence
You are communicating before you ever say a word. Science shows that people are judging your competence and authority just by how you show up.
Learn how to optimize your presence so it reinforces your credibility, instead of undermining it.
Speech
Transform the way you communicate by dropping qualifiers and reframing negative speech into positive, authoritative messaging.
When your words actually reflect your expertise, you'll finally stop asking yourself, “Why doesn't anyone take me seriously?”
Speaking engagements
Women in Manufacturing - Summit 2025
National Association of Women in Construction - Ohio
JE Dunn Women’s Conference
California Moving and Storage Association Women’s Conference
Manufacture Alabama NexGen Summit
Women in Manufacturing - Michigan
Auburn University, 100+ Women Strong & Society of Women Engineers
Greenheck Women’s Network
Alabama Forestry Association Women’s Day
Women in Manufacturing - Iowa
The 28% Club
University of North Alabama
(Fe)male Dominated Podcast
Let’s chat.
