Mariana Atencio
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.
Speaking topics
- 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.
Key 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.
- 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.
Video clips
Speaker testimonials
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.
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.
Mariana’s participation in our sales conference was without a doubt a highlight in our meetings; she raised and addressed relevant topics in a strong but yet lighthearted way, leaving the teams extremely energized!
Mariana’s words resonated deeply with everyone in attendance, and her wisdom will continue to inspire us on our paths toward authenticity and self-discovery. We are immensely grateful for her time, expertise, and the positive energy she brought to our event.
Not many speakers can connect and engage with an audience like Mariana Atencio can. Her keynote, ‘The Power of Authenticity’ impacted our members on a very personal level and left them feeling empowered! Ms. Atencio’s message set the tone for the rest of the conference and left our attendees wanting more. For example, during our closing celebration two of our volunteer leaders referenced their ‘What makes you perfectly you?’ cards during their onstage remarks. Book Mariana – it will be the smartest decision you make for your conference or event.
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.
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!