We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole Gress a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nicole, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
Being the only one in the room” is a position I know well, not just as a trans person, but as someone leading a company in an entirely new category. There’s no blueprint for what I do. I’m often the only one who understands the stakes of trans voice, the weight of voice dysphoria, and the systemic failures that brought us here.
I started my career as a licensed speech-language pathologist working in traditional healthcare. I saw trans patients being misgendered, dismissed, and offered voice training approaches that simply didn’t work. After four years of working with patients and not a single one graduating our program feeling good about their voice, I kept waiting for someone to build something better. No one did. So I left and created it myself.
Through that journey, I’ve learned that being the only one doesn’t mean being alone. It means being first. I lead with clarity, not compliance. I’m not trying to fit into systems that were never built for us. I’m reshaping the room.
The more rooted I am in my values of access, autonomy, and affirmation, the more effective I become. People might not share my lived experience, but they can feel the clarity of the vision. That’s what moves the conversation forward and creates space for the next person like me to walk in.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m the founder of Undead Voice, a trans-owned company that helps trans and gender-diverse people transform their physical voice so it aligns with who they are. Voice is often overlooked in conversations about gender-affirming care, but it’s one of the most powerful and vulnerable tools we have. For many, having a voice that doesn’t match their identity can mean silence, misgendering, and daily harm. We’re changing that.
Our flagship program, Undead Voice Lab, is the first and only scalable voice training program designed specifically for trans people. It’s accessible worldwide, requires no insurance or referrals, and includes lifetime access to expert coaching, courses, and community. We’ve helped over 100,000 voices across 20 countries, and we’re just getting started.
This year, in response to growing restrictions on gender-affirming care, we launched Jumpstart Your Voice Transition, a free, live three-week program open to any trans person who needs it. Our goal is to reach 50,000 voices in 2025.
At Undead Voice, what makes our work special isn’t just the vocal transformation. It’s watching people find themselves. We see members step into their confidence, connect with one another, and move through this process with real joy. People cry, laugh, and celebrate together as their voices begin to reflect who they are. That sense of shared growth and liberation is what makes Undead Voice Lab unlike anything else.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Clarity of purpose
Knowing why I started this work has kept me grounded through every challenge. When the path isn’t clear, purpose is what keeps you moving. For anyone early in their journey, don’t worry about having it all figured out. Just get crystal clear on what matters to you and who you are doing it for, and return to that every time you get lost.
2. Willingness to unlearn
I was trained in systems that didn’t serve my community. Letting go of what I was taught and learning to trust my lived experience was one of the hardest and most freeing parts of building Undead Voice. If something you learned feels out of alignment, investigate that. You’re allowed to change your mind. That is where growth lives.
3. Community-centered thinking
Nothing I have built was built alone. Listening to my community, building with them instead of for them, and staying open to feedback has shaped everything about how we operate. My advice is to not build in a vacuum. Let the people you are serving shape the thing you are building. That is how you stay relevant and rooted.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes! We are actively partnering with organizations that want to support trans and gender-diverse people in tangible, affirming ways. Right now, we are focused on expanding access to Jumpstart Your Voice Transition, our free, live, virtual voice training program available to anyone who needs it throughout 2025.
We are especially excited to connect with community orgs, LGBTQ+ nonprofits, healthcare providers, unions, and affirming employers who already have trust with their communities. All we need from partners is help getting the word out. We handle everything else.
If you work at, volunteer with, or are connected to one of these organizations, we want to hear from you. And if you are trans or gender diverse yourself, we would love for you to join the program. You can register at undeadvoice.com/joinjumpstart. To connect directly, reach out to us at contact@undeadvoice.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.undeadvoice.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/undead.voice
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/undeadvoice
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/nicolegress
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@undeadvoicelab
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@undead.voice
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
