MARIANA ATENCIO
Peabody Award-winning Journalist, Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur, Inspiring Storyteller, and Host/Moderator
IDEAL FOR
The Power Of Authenticity • Embracing Change • Empathetic Leadership
Increasing Engagement • Inspiration & Motivation • Belonging & Inclusivity
Building Community & Trust • Hispanic/Latinx Heritage • Moderating/Hosting
Summary
Navigating change and uncertainty in life is hard. It’s even harder when you’re not confident about who you are. Coming to America from Venezuela as a young girl, Mariana Atencio felt self-conscious about being different. She recounted her struggles to fit in and adapt to her new life in a TED talk that captured the hearts of tens of millions. Mariana’s message: What makes you different is what makes you special – unleash your potential by embracing your authenticity.
Mariana took that lesson into her journalism career as a national news anchor and network reporter. A born storyteller, Mariana worked to build bridges and understanding – reporting with her unique perspective from all over the globe, earning accolades and a prestigious Peabody Award along the way. Mariana’s bestselling book, Perfectly You: Embracing the Power of Being Real, inspires people to leverage their personal and professional authenticity to supercharge their relationships, careers, workplace cultures, and happiness. Mariana continues to pursue stories that capture her curiosity as head of her own media production company. She also elevates the impact of events through her powerful keynotes and skillful moderating, and hosting.
SPEECH THEMES
SPEAKER PROFILE
INTRODUCTION
HOSTING EXPERIENCE
MODERATING EXPERIENCE
BROADCAST EXPERIENCE
KEYNOTE OPENING
EMBRACING CHANGE
RESILIENCE
A CULTURE OF TRUST
INSPIRATION
KNOW YOUR VALUES
LEADERSHIP
SUCCESS STRATEGY
PERSONAL SUCCESS
TED LAUNCHED HER CAREER
BELONGING & COMMUNITY
AUTHENTICITY &
SOCIAL MEDIA
SPEECH DESCRIPTIONS
THE POWER OF BEING PERFECTLY YOU
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.
COMMUNICATING CONFIDENTLY – CUT THROUGH THE NOISE AND GET HEARD
(POST-KEYNOTE BREAKOUT OR SEPARATE KEYNOTE)
For 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.
MODERATING/INTERVIEWING/HOSTING
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.
Resources
MARIANA'S VIDEO LIBRARY
MARIANA'S ASSETS
Follow Mariana on Social Media
FEATURED MEDIA
• CanvasRebel: Meet Mariana Atencio
• How this journalist found herself in the middle of a Panamanian true crime story
• NBC Universal: “Lost in Panama” podcast digs into mysterious 2014 disappearance of two Dutch women
• Award-Winning Journalist Mariana Atencio Joins Voto Latino Foundation Impact Council
• Oprah Daily: What It Was Like Registering to Vote for the First Time as a Latina Immigrant
• Exclusive: Mariana Atencio Leaves NBC News to Launch Her Own Media Empire
• HOLA!: Mariana Atencio named Among the Top 100 Latina Powerhouses
IN PRINT
TESTIMONIALS
“Mariana provided some wonderful lessons and insights into her journey and how each of us can celebrate and share what makes us different. It was a fantastic opportunity for our employees to be inspired and to learn more.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Absolutely blown away by Mariana’s captivating energy and unparalleled ability to engage the audience. Her speech not only hit the mark but soared beyond expectations, leaving everyone inspired and eager for more! She is a force to be reckoned with”.
“Mariana Atencio brought such energy and honesty to our company-wide event. Mariana’s authenticity allows her to connect with others almost immediately. Thank you for providing us with the tools to be resilient and proud of what makes us Perfectly Unique!”
“For the last two years, Mariana has been the host of AT&T’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month events, celebrating employees’ authenticity and contributions toward the customers and communities we proudly serve. Mariana brings employees’ stories to life through her unique engagement and connection with our teams while creating a welcoming, energetic, and memorable atmosphere. Her dynamic stage presence, storytelling, and facilitation skills have positively impacted our events and attendees. We appreciate her commitment to amplifying our brand’s values as well as her partnership and collaboration in delivering unique experiences that support our mission of connecting people to greater possibilities!”
“Mariana’s authentic, relatable, engaging style enabled her to immediately connect with our audience. Through a series of stories, she shared uplifting, relevant, and empowering learnings that all of us can embrace as leaders.”