Mark Travis Rivera is an award-winning entrepreneur and serves as the CEO and Founder of The Professional Storyteller, where he champions his mission of embracing the power of story in creating a more inclusive world. As a Puerto Rican queer man with cerebral palsy, Mark is part of a small handful of artistic directors of colour in the disability dance field in the US.
Achieving a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in Public Relations from William Paterson University, Mark founded and served as Artistic Director of the Market Dance Project for 10 years, teaching integrated dance for disabled and non-disabled dancers. After working as an Academic Coach at William Patterson University, Mark moved on to being a Communications and Marketing Manager at John Jay College. He was then a Community Engagement Manager with AXIS Dance Company. Mark progressed to a diversity, equity, and inclusion coordinator before serving in his current role as a Senior Consultant for Unlock Creative.
As a writer, Mark has been featured in The Bergen Record, Herald News, The Star-Ledger, Fox News Latino, and The Huffington Post. He is a contributing author in the anthology ‘Crisis and Care: Queer Activist Responses to a Global Pandemic’. His debut collection, ‘Draft: An Imperfect Collection of Writing’, is a raw and personable exploration of Mark’s creativity. He was selected to participate in Ballet Hispanico’s Institute Coreografico Programme, becoming the first physically disabled Latinx Choreographer to attend the Instituto. In 2013, he was awarded the Campus Pride National Voice & Action Award for Social Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Lavender Legacy from William Patterson University.
As a member of WE CREATE SPACE, a global consultancy and collective of LGBTQ+ leaders, Mark is no stranger to addressing worldwide audiences, having delivered keynotes in the UK, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, China, and India. He has also spoken at various high-level institutions, such as Harvard, MIT, Rutgers, and New York University. Mark’s TEDx talk, ‘Embracing Yourself, Embracing Your Potential’, centres around accepting yourself and unlocking authentic personal growth. An empowering and powerful speaker, he blends insightful storytelling with lived experience, standing at the intersection of identity, activism, and creativity.
Mark Travis Rivera's official speaking topics are listed below:
Allyship @ Work
There are many ways to show up and be an ally at work. This session will empower individuals to use their positionality and privilege to amplify, bring awareness to, and support their colleagues who belong to marginalized communities. This training will provide tactics for being an ally and unpacking unconscious bias.
Gender Expression & Inclusion in the Workplace
Someone’s gender identity and expression impact how they show up in the workplace. This session will highlight the workplace disparities that transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming (TNBGNC) folks face and how workplaces can better support TNBGNC employees.
Intersectional Approach to DEI in the Workplace
While many workplaces focus on gender, race, and sexuality related to DEI-centered workplace culture, many companies approach the work in a way that doesn’t acknowledge the full humanity of the people who make up their teams. This training introduces the framework of intersectionality and how the concept should be used to embed DEI in an organization.
Creating Braver Work Spaces
While we can not guarantee safe spaces, we can build a workplace culture that allows room for folks to be brave. Unfortunately, for people of color, disabled, and LGBTQ+, microaggressions at work make it hard to show up authentically. This session provides strategies for fostering a workplace that makes everyone feel psychologically safe.
Authenticity is a Superpower: Be Seen & Heard for Who You Are
As a professional storyteller, Mark has spoken to people of all backgrounds worldwide. One of the greatest assets in his career has been my willingness to show up and be seen and heard for who he is. An imperfect human trying to make the world a better place. Authenticity is his superpower; anyone can learn to harness the power of authenticity if they are willing to be seen and heard for who they are.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
"There are so many positive things that I can say about Mark and the Living Purposely coaching program. I am a first-time business owner, and I went to Mark for coaching to get my business started and feel more confident while doing it. Mark has a holistic approach to coaching and focuses on the client as a person and not just a business. This allowed me to grow at my own pace and still make progress without fear of judgment or disappointment. The individual coaching sessions are a gem and allow you to have that one-on-one dedicated time with Mark and really hone in on what steps are best for what is going on presently. While there is still a lot of work for us to do, I am so happy with the growth I have been able to make and where I am headed with Mark's guidance. Not only is he extremely talented at what he does, but he is also incredibly supportive, friendly, flexible, and honest, which was incredibly beneficial to my experience. It was an amazing experience, and I look forward to working with him more in the future. If you are looking for a speaking/engagement or business coach, look no further! I am forever appreciative to Mark for all that he has done for me and his contributions to a diverse and purposeful world." - Cory, Medical Cannabis Consultant & Educator
"My experience as a coaching client with the Living Purposely program has been nothing short of life-changing. With Mark as my coach, I was able to shift my inner paradigm, cultivating a sense of compassion and radical self-love. I also re-imagined my career goals with integrity and learned to honor my deepest truth. Mark facilitated a journey of empowerment that helped me navigate a challenging life and career transition. The timing of this opportunity was perfect, and I emerged from our coaching experience as a more in-tune creator, loving friend, and well-rounded human being. Mark Travis Rivera saw a light in me and invested time, energy, and care into supporting me in nurturing my best self. I cannot express my gratitude enough." - Christy, Thought-innovation & Leadership Development Specialist
"Mark is extremely responsive in planning communications. His contributions to our panel conversation were insightful, inspiring, AND actionable." - Nicole, Project Manager
- 2023 - Senior Consultant, Unlock Creative
- 2022 - Senior Business Manager, Hummingbird Humanity
- 2022 - Manager for Innovative Communications & Storytelling, Active Minds, Inc
- 2021 - DEI Contractor, The Home Depot via Synergis
- 2021 - Marketing and Engagement Manager, Nika White Consulting
- 2021 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator, Nika White Consulting
- 2019 - Community Engagement Manager, AXIS Dance Company
- 2015 - Communications and Marketing Manager, John Jay College
- 2014 - Communications Coordinator and Academic Coach, William Paterson University of New Jersey
- 2013 - Community Relations Specialist, Gold Rose Realty
- 2013 - Apprentice, AXIS Dance Company
- 2012 - CEO and Founder, The Professional Storyteller
- 2009 - Artistic Director/Founder, Market Dance Project
- 2008 - Head of Communications, Silk City Arts Festival
How to hire Mark Travis Rivera
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Mark Travis Rivera for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
