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Mariana Atencio

Peabody Award-winning Journalist, Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur, Inspiring Storyteller,

The Power of Being Perfectly You

Mariana is a top motivational speaker, a trailblazer with a fresh, global perspective on how to get what you want in life by being your authentic self.

After speaking to everyday people overcoming challenging situations during her journalism career, she has developed tested frameworks for staying in control of your authenticity, and fostering resiliency and belonging no matter the circumstances.

Mariana crafts every keynote to create an energetic, relatable and action-driven experience for each corporate client, whether it’s virtually or in-person. She takes the audience on a journey to discover what makes them special, empowered with tools and takeaways that are easily applicable in their day to day.

Some of the world’s leading companies and institutions have hired Mariana to share her transformative message with their workforce, such as JP Morgan, Deloitte, YouTube, Pepsico, P&G, Nasdaq, Airbnb, UBS, Spotify, Citi Private Bank, LinkedIn, Pepsico, Wells Fargo and The United Nations. She can customize keynotes, motivational speeches, digital corporate content, consulting, hosting, and/or break out style sessions.

In the post pandemic, she launched a global digital series with Microsoft interviewing thought-leaders, business owners and employers on ways to authentically strengthen corporate culture and create community.

  • The Power Of Being Perfectly You
  • Communicating Confidently – Cut Through The Noise and Get Heard (Post-Keynote Breakout or Separate Keynote)
  • Moderating/Interviewing/Hosting

“Mariana’s keynote was a profound journey into the essence of authenticity. One of the most powerful takeaways from Mariana’s talk was the idea that our differences are our strengths and they can help us shine in every aspect of our lives. Thank you, Mariana, for your inspiring vulnerability and for guiding each of us to better embrace our
roots. Your words have resonated deeply with our colleagues, sparking conversations about authenticity, identity and cultural heritage.”
– VP, Wealth Planning Analytics, Edelman Financial Engines

“I am thrilled to share my highest praise for Mariana, who hosted our company’s 2023 Convention. Mariana’s performance as the event’s host exceeded all expectations, and her contributions were invaluable. Throughout the event, Mariana showcased her exceptional talent for engaging and captivating our audience. Her energy and enthusiasm were boundless, creating an electric atmosphere that resonated with everyone in attendance. Most importantly, she was able to think on her feet, listen, and absorb the right takeaways to weave one keynote with the next, creating the perfect throughline for our summit.”
– CEO, Outreach

“Mariana was powerful on stage, engaging, thought provoking and the perfect speaker for our flagship global annual conference held in Miami. She was such a pleasure to work with that she ended up interviewing and moderating two very critical panels for the agenda. Mariana’s experience and professionalism will make any
company that chooses to work with her look great.”
– Director, Marketing & Communications Head, Citi Private Bank

  • ADCOLOR
  • Airbnb, Inc.
  • Alcon
  • American Family Mutual Insurance Company (AmFam)
  • American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
  • Arca Continental
  • AT&T
  • Bacardi
  • Barilla
  • Capital One
  • Charter Communications
  • Checkr
  • Cigna Corporate Services, LLC
  • Citi Private Bank
  • Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI)
  • Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA)
  • CRH Mosaic ERG
  • Deloitte
  • EFE UNIDOS ERG
  • eMerge Americas
  • Envision (presented by Microsoft, Accenture, and Avande)
  • EXCELENTE – Latin Leadership & Personal Development
  • Global Summit
  • FGX International
  • Financial Education Services
  • Florida Apartment Association (FAA)
  • Florida International University (FIU)
  • Ford Motor Company
  • Foreign Policy
  • Future Investment Initiative (FII Institute)
  • GitHub, Inc.
  • Google
  • Hispanic Professionals Association of Tyler (HPAT)
  • Hispanics in Philanthropy
  • Hudson Rouge
  • Intel Corporation SMG ERG Summit
  • International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • JP Morgan
  • Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University
  • Lane Powell
  • Lincoln Financial
  • LinkedIn
  • LivePerson
  • MDRT
  • MeridianLink, Inc.
  • Microsoft
  • Mondelēz International
  • Nasdaq
  • National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)
  • National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
  • National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
  • National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
  • Outreach
  • P&G
  • Panama Pacifico
  • PepsiCo, Inc.
  • Plexus Worldwide
  • Prospanica, The Association of Hispanic MBAs & Business
  • Professionals
  • Pure Romance
  • Quinsigamond Community College (QCC)
  • Rapid7
  • SAP Concur
  • SPARK Kindness, Inc.
  • Spotify
  • The Clorox Company – HOLA ERG
  • Toyota
  • UBS
  • UnidosUS
  • University of Kentucky

Mariana Atencio Speaking Demo 2024

Get to Know Mariana Atencio

TEDx – What Makes You Special?

 

Perfectly You: Embracing the Power of Being Real

 

Travels From:  Florida
City: Miami
$20,001 to $30,000

Biography

Mariana is a Peabody award-winning journalist, best-selling author, viral speaker and television host.

Originally from Venezuela, she graduated from Merici High School and received a journalism degree from Universidad Católica. She also attended Choate Rosemary Hall, London School of Economics, UCLA and Georgetown University.

When the government of Hugo Chávez shut down independent media outlets in her home country, she participated in student protests for democracy. After being assaulted in an armed robbery, Mariana fled to the United States when she received a scholarship to get her Masters degree in broadcasting from Columbia University’s Journalism School.

Over the course of 10 years, she became an anchor at Univision and a national correspondent at NBC and MSNBC. Mariana is known for her boots on the ground, engaging and empathic field work. She has interviewed Pope Francis, President Biden and the King of Spain, among others. Her journey is featured on the award-winning HBO series “Habla” and People Magazine called her storytelling platform “a media empire”.

Her TEDx talk “What makes YOU special?” is one of the top 10 most watched on YouTube. Doubling down on her message, she wrote her best-selling memoir “Perfectly You” and has become one of the most sought-after speakers in the industry.

Mariana is a 2021 Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and spokesperson for the American Latino Museum in D.C. She recently released the true crime investigative podcast series “Lost In Panama” about the disappearance of two women in the jungle. The show made Apple Podcasts top #10 list.

Presentations

It’s a fact: People are at their best – at work and in life – when they feel like they can be themselves. They’re more confident in the face of change and uncertainty, more engaged and resilient, and have a greater sense of purpose and well-being. But fear can sometimes keep us from being real. In this presentation, Mariana Atencio brings her energy, humor, and skillful storytelling to inspire people to embrace their authenticity and unleash the power that comes with being themselves. Being “Perfectly You” builds trust and connection – it attracts people like a magnet because authenticity stands out in a world of algorithms and A.I. content. Mariana’s unique personal story and infectious optimism energizes people with the courage to fully engage, adapt to constant change, and reach new levels of fulfillment at work and in life.

Sample takeaways:

  • Unlock the secret of being our real selves, especially at work.
  • How to discover and harness the traits that make you “Perfectly You.”
  • Navigate change confidently. Increase your personal fulfillment and sense of purpose.
  • Why being vulnerable and leading with empathy inspires others, builds trust, and creates more meaningful relationships.
  • 5 steps authentic leaders use to cultivate transformation and innovation and enhance resilience in the face of change.
  • Help leaders create a culture of authenticity that spurs engagement, connection, collaboration, and performance.

or everyone in business, delivering a message efficiently – internally and in different media – has gotten infinitely more complex in the age of AI. This interactive presentation will help attendees sharpen their communication skills. Mariana equips leaders – from entry level to the C-Suite – with practical tools and tested principles to speak confidently, authentically, and effectively, whether it’s for client meetings, internal communications, Zoom, an important presentation, a traditional media interview, a digital clip and/or a conference stage. Mariana will share tips that took her more than a decade of television and social media experience to learn, working at two of the world’s biggest news networks, in Spanish and English.
45-90 Minutes

Sample Takeaways:

  • Learn to distill your main message so it resonates across all platforms.
  • Practical tips and pro tricks for in-person and virtual presentations.
  • Master the power of persuasion in an era of fleeting attention spans.
  • Better storytelling to create connection and leave a lasting impact.
  • Establish credibility and build trust in an era of misinformation.
  • How to navigate real-time interview scenarios with confidence.

With experience as a national network news anchor and reporter, Mariana brings warmth and intelligence to each hosting, moderating, and interviewing assignment. Mariana’s curiosity and poise help her get the most out of those on stage with her.

The breadth of Mariana’s experience speaks to her versatility. She’s moderated conversations on embracing a mindset for change at Microsoft, on the rights of women in Iran, on gender inequality at Foreign Policy magazine’s HERPower summit, on media representation at the Paley Center for Media, on financial literacy at Nasdaq, on building a personal and professional brand at Columbia University, a panel on geopolitics and economics at Citi Private Bank’s autumn dialogues with three heads of state from Latin America, a session at the United Nations General Assembly meeting on global healthcare inequity, plus the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, PepsiCo, JP Morgan, Accenture, Spotify, Google, YouTube, Clorox, AT&T, Spectrum, and more.

Areas of expertise

  • The Power Of Authenticity
  • Embracing Change
  • Empathetic Leadership
  • Increasing Engagement
  • Inspiration & Motivation
  • Belonging & Inclusivity
  • Building Community & Trust
  • Hispanic/Latinx Heritage
  • Moderating/Hosting

Related Speaking Topics

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