The Playbill
Official News, Media Features, and Global Stage Dates.
This is the live chronicle of our ongoing movement to shatter hesitation and restore command to life productions around the world.
Welcome to our official archive of national press releases, featured media columns, podcast appearances, and upcoming global tour dates. Look through the rolling credits below to see where our structured silent tools are making noise next, or contact our media desk to book Dr. Conners for your platform.
Develop Taste Fund
Press Release
Launched 7/1/26
Dr. Conners Takes the Stage at
1 Million Cups KC 7/23/26
TravCon
Press Release
8/1/26
Top Host
Press Release
10/07/26
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Headline: Optimistic Theory Launches the Develop Taste Fund to Expand Access to Exposure Experiences
Sub-headline: Dr. Brittany Conners Introduces a Giving Initiative Built on the Belief That Discernment and Self-Trust Are Skills Everyone Deserves to Develop
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — July 1st, 2026
Optimistic Theory, founded by Dr. Brittany Conners, has announced the launch of the Develop Taste Fund — a giving initiative designed to fund exposure experiences for individuals who lack access to personal discovery opportunities that shape self-trust and discernment. Dr. Conners designed the fund for people trying something for the first time, working professionals, and entrepreneurs who want to discover what genuinely moves them.
The fund operates on a simple premise: taste is gated. The people who know what they love — art, music, design, food, literature, ideas — are typically those who were exposed to those things early and often. The Develop Taste Fund exists to close that gap by funding one person's exposure experience at a time, beginning with a $50 direct investment in something they have never had access to before.
The fund officially launches July 1, 2026 and is accepting applications and nominations immediately at developtastefund@gmail.com. The fund operates nationally with the goal of expanding globally. Optimistic Theory connects with each recipient after a brief selection process, purchases the experience directly, and documents what was learned in the experience with the recipient.
Supporting Details:
The Develop Taste Fund is the giving arm of Optimistic Theory's broader mission to teach people to trust themselves by using silence as a functional tool. The fund currently operates two giving streams: the Exposure Experience, which funds access to a personal discovery event, and the Taste Library, which funds books, albums, museum memberships, subscriptions, and other resources that expand a recipient's frame of reference.
The fund was inspired by a guest who experienced a silent retreat offered by Optimistic Theory through the support of a Silent Partner — someone who believed in the mission enough to fund another person's access. That recipient later donated $500 to become a Silent Partner herself, extending the same opportunity to someone else. She now dedicates every Saturday to spontaneously doing only the things she loves.
Dr. Conners describes the fund as both a giving initiative and a societal statement — a direct response to the systems that gate access to discovery and call the result a matter of personal preference.
Quote:
"Positioning others to discover what they like, love, and prefer is a priority for us as we set out to help our community develop a taste for their own lives. The knowledge, exposure, and refinement processes are crucial to understanding who we are and will become at this moment in history. We believe each person should be able to do, be, become, and belong."
— Dr. Brittany Conners, Founder & Chief Executive Optimist, Optimistic Theory
About Optimistic Theory
Optimistic Theory is founded by Dr. Brittany Conners, a licensed occupational therapist whose work sits at the intersection of self-trust, silence, and human function. Through workshops, consulting, and live experiences including Set Your Terms, Optimistic Theory helps individuals, teams, and organizations turn down the volume of life to experience it better. The Develop Taste Fund is the giving initiative that extends this mission beyond the room and into the world.
Media Contact
Name: Dr. Brittany Conners
Email: info@optimistictheory.com
Phone: 314-952-2497
Website: www.optimistictheory.com
UPDATE
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — July 23rd, 2026
On Wednesday June 24th, 2026...
The room didn't know what was coming.
Dr. Brittany Conners bounced into Kansas City's
1 Million Cups and left the audience with something they didn't expect...
A presentation that set the standard and raised the bar.
Watch quiet authority in action.
Headline: Optimistic Theory Joins TravCon 2026 to Celebrate and Empower Travel Healthcare Professionals
Sub-headline: The ultimate conference for travel healthcare professionals returns to Las Vegas September 13–16, 2026
KANSAS CITY, MO – August 1, 2026
Optimistic Theory is excited to announce our participation in TravCon 2026, the premier conference for travel healthcare professionals, taking place September 13–16, 2026, at The Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. TravCon brings together thousands of travel nurses, allied health professionals, and industry partners for four days of education, networking, and celebration.
As a proud partner, Optimistic Theory will be leading a workshop on silence as a tool on the road as a dedicated traveler, all in support of TravCon’s mission to celebrate, educate, and inspire the travel healthcare community.
“We're proud to return as a workshop facilitator for the second year in a row. I learned about TravCon later in my career as an OT. Travel therapy was one of my first career moves after graduation and I was excited to find a community like this for travelers as it is a unique experience. It's the kind of community I wish I knew about back then yet I've been able to tell others about the learning, connecting, and fun that is TravCon. Since I joined last year, I understand why travelers, sponsors, and vendors return year after year. Consider joining us!”
— Dr. Brittany Conners, CEO, Optimistic Theory
TravCon 2026 will feature:
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Dozens of CE sessions and workshops designed specifically for travel healthcare professionals
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The largest exhibit hall dedicated to travel healthcare agencies and resources
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Networking events, social gatherings, and giveaways
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The unforgettable TravCon AfterParty, celebrating the people who keep healthcare moving
Since its founding, TravCon has grown into a can’t-miss event where travel nurses and allied professionals come together to learn, connect, and recharge before their next adventure.
Register Today
Travel healthcare professionals can learn more and register at TravCon.org. Join us in Las Vegas and be part of the largest celebration of the travel healthcare community in the world.
October 7, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Help me lead my own podcast produced by iHeartRadio, take home $25,000, and be a guest on an episode of On Air with Ryan Seacrest!
Headline: Dr. Brittany Conners Joins The iHeart Radio Top Host Contest
Sub-headline: Dr. Brittany Conners is In the Running to be Top Host
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — October 7th, 2026
One charismatic voice will lead their very own six-episode podcast series produced by iHeartRadio, take home $25,000, and be a guest on an episode of On Air with Ryan Seacrest.
With your daily votes, that can be Dr. Brittany Conners. She's banking on it. We can do it.
In a time where the possibilities to connect are endless, Dr. Conners wants to take her talent on air. The 2026 Top Host will join Ryan Seacrest as a special guest on his morning show, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, where they can chat with the man himself and showcase their skills to America. The optimism will be on full display for millions to experience. Imagine that with us.
It's time for Dr. Conners to shine in a new way, like never before. The champion will host their very own six-episode podcast, professionally produced by iHeartRadio. The show will premiere on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere people listen to podcasts.
With 12 years as an Occupational Therapist and 7 years as business owner, Dr. Conners' career has been in beautiful motion with so many opportunities ahead. A new era is here for her and Optimistic Theory. Help kick start this new day. The Top Host will also take home $25,000 to help their career take off and equip them to broadcast their dynamic personality to the country—loud and clear.
Supporting Details:
What's your favorite part of hosting?
I love giving and receiving energy. It's an honor to direct, guide, and influence how something can happen. I like shedding light on the people and sections in the crowd who may be overlooked. Surprising and delighting people.
What unique perspective would you bring to your own iHeartRadio podcast?
My podcast would explore all the quiet parts in life. Underneath the products, glamour, and noise is who we are at the core. That feels untouched. In a world full of more, I want to lift up what's simple and true. I want to sit in silent moments with the leaders, movers, and shakers of today. Like how cool would it be to be in 5 minutes of silence with Cardi B? To see her exhale, maybe laugh or squirm, and then talk about why. That's visual and auditory permission for silence in every day life.
What would you do with $25,000?
I have a fund that I've started called The Develop Taste Fund where I provide access to activities that people have never tried, haven't done in a while, or haven't had the means to try. I'd like to expand the fund from one $50 to the award per month to multiple awards with larger increments. I also have a community called Front Row Folks where I deploy people to high stakes volunteering opportunities. I'd like to get merch and materials for the Stage Crew to support efforts across the world!
Quote:
"When each person who has ever encouraged me, affirmed their belief in me, or let me know that I was destined to make an impact on people across the world votes everyday online, we will win this by a landslide. I entered this contest on a whim and now I believe I need to see it through until the end. So much is coming from the Optimistic Theory ecosystem. I’m excited for us to kick off a new era together through iHeart Radio’s Top Host opportunity. Help me get to this new stand so that I can shine bright for all and be a voice of optimism in a time of haziness."
— Dr. Brittany Conners, Founder & Chief Executive Optimist, Optimistic Theory
About Optimistic Theory
Optimistic Theory is founded by Dr. Brittany Conners, a licensed occupational therapist whose work sits at the intersection of activity, silence, and human function. Through silent retreats, event openings, workshops, consulting, and live experiences, Optimistic Theory helps individuals, teams, and organizations turn down the volume of life to experience it better. The Develop Taste Fund is the giving initiative that extends this mission beyond the room and into the world.
Media Contact
Name: Dr. Brittany Conners
Email: info@optimistictheory.com
Phone: 314-952-2497
Website: www.optimistictheory.com
