Sylvia has been a professional public speaker for over two decades, beginning with teaching students at the US Air Force Special Operations School about terrorism in Latin America while on active duty as a Special Agent. Then as a civilian, she began training law-enforcement officers on Mexican drug cartel history and tactics, and speaking to organizations all across the US about Mexico’s drug war and border security. As a published author on these issues, she has spoken to numerous World Affairs Councils, at the Google INFO Summit, on C-SPAN’s BookTV at The Mob Museum, the Texas Book Festival, and at dozens of other speaking engagements.
When she transitioned out of drug war analysis into accessible travel writing, Sylvia began speaking at numerous AbilitiesExpos across the country and to organizations that advocate for people with disabilities. She was the keynote speaker at the Women of Vision event in St Augustine FL, has presented to hotel executives as part of an Expedia Group conference, and has testified before the Florida legislature supporting an amendment she helped create with her representative on the importance of accessible parking. Most recently, she was selected as a speaker for TEDx Orlando in October 2026, where she will speak on how eliminating the fear of disability can lead to greater human connection.