Mariana Atencio

Human beings innately want to blend in – think back to being a child on a playground. Over time, we repeatedly minimize the traits that make us special until we can even lose our sense of self. Through her powerful speech on authenticity, Mariana will share how minimizing the traits that made her special prevented her from standing out in the marketplace. It wasn’t until she began to recognize and celebrate those differences, life began to shift. Mariana will teach attendees to flip the script and share the power that authenticity holds for an employee, inevitably strengthening teams and impacting the world. Mariana will also share insights of tapping into your authenticity in era of filters and social media.

Takeaways include: 
– Understanding the power of authenticity; 
– Discovering the “secret sauce” behind every attendee; 
– Connecting the dots – why being authentic makes your team better and its impact on the world

After a 10-year career navigating traditional television and social media, having been awarded a Peabody for her work in journalism, Mariana knows how to tell an authentic story – one that will build bridges and create change. In this talk, Mariana will demonstrate how the same principles of authentic storytelling on television can be applied by brands to engage customers and employees alike.

For better or worse, an authentic story is what sticks. It is essential to our collective history. Mariana will teach the audience how the power of a message, spoken, written, recorded, will be ever present in our lives. Discover what kind of a lasting message YOU want to leave behind and how to make it stick!

The key to being a successful team member starts with understanding that belonging takes work. In this talk, Mariana focuses on how failing as a team and feeling like a kid is important to fueling innovation as a team.

Exercise:
“As Seen on TV”. Mariana brings teams of 2 people on to the stage and asks them to sell items (provided by Mariana) to the audience, in an “As Seen on TV” style. The twist? The contestants have to work in teams and sell items for something else than what they are regularly used for. The audience will discover teamwork techniques on the spot that will keep them entertained with practical takeaways.

In this talk, Mariana will guide attendees as to what millennials and Gen Z’s expect from the workplace, what motivates them and how they should be catered to. As a millennial herself, who regularly connects to both generations on her social media platforms, Mariana will also share her insight into what these generations buy, why they buy it and the values they adhere to.   

In this inspirational talk, Mariana shares the keys to tapping into your true power, which can be achieved by empowering others. She will specifically focus on female empowerment, empowering young girls and leading by example.  Many people subscribe to the roles that are expected of them. As a result, people and especially women are often feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Mariana will give you the tools to prioritize and find a balance in your life, rather than to strive for perfection. Through dancing and music, in this very dynamic session, you will not only leave energized and enlightened but also empowered to take on whatever your day brings. 

Mariana left her native Venezuela fleeing violence and oppression at age 24 and came to the United States as an immigrant. That meant resetting her life and rethinking who she was, what she “brought to the table” and how she could contribute. In this time of division, where anti-immigration is the order of the day, Mariana talks about the contribution that a diverse community can make to a company and also the world. She talks about how to proudly celebrate what makes everyone special, our immigrant roots and solutions as to how companies can attract immigrant talent and make them feel like they belong. Through her very powerful first-hand account, Mariana will make the audience laugh and cry and discover how we can all become more united in companies, departments and around the world.

In the wake of Covid-19, we have all -whether we wanted it or not- been thrust into a transformation. Being nimble, adapting, reinventing ourselves have been become key to our survival. This isn’t entirely new to Mariana. As a breaking news journalist, she has been covering natural disasters, protests and mass shootings for over a decade. Mariana has been meeting people on what is probably the worst day of their lives. Yet, they’ve shown her incredible kindness, forgiveness and resilience. In this very pressing talk, Mariana reveals what she has learned through these interactions and shares applicable takeaways for audiences to -re-act- to the current changes, to reclaim our power, lessen the fear of failure and to reinvent ourselves.