Mark Travis Rivera is joining us in conversation to share his experiences of living at the intersection of being a Latinx, disabled, gender nonconforming queer man. An award-winning professional storyteller, he has spoken in front of audiences at Harvard University, NYU, and various corporations worldwide. He specializes in telling stories related to gender, sexuality, race, and disability. He will be joining us to talk about intersectionality, a concept about the unique combination of different dimensions of diversity that make each of us unique.
As organizations strive to foster an inclusive workplace culture, belonging hasn’t been part of the measure of success. Belonging is a distinctly different concept which is how individual employees feel working at the organization. Our sense of belonging at work is directly impacted by and dependent on how intersectional identities are considered when determining policies, business resource groups, and DEI work. In this session, we will delve into the meaning of intersectionality and how understanding these intersections informs how we show up. We hope you can join the conversation!
Learning Objectives:
Etienne Consulting
Human-Centered Leadership Consultant | Speaker | Trainer
[email protected]
(301) 778-5510
Jina Etienne, CPA, CGMA is a speaker, storyteller, and consultant who helps individuals and organizations unlock the power of authenticity, trust, and connection. With more than 30 years of experience in the accounting profession and business leadership, she brings a unique, deeply human approach to leadership development and culture-building.
Her work focuses on the intersection of leadership, belonging, and emotional intelligence, equipping people with the awareness and tools to lead with clarity, empathy, and intention. Known for blending professional insight with personal storytelling, Jina makes complex ideas accessible and relatable. She helps professionals at all levels show up more fully as themselves—both in their work and in their lives.
Mark Travis Rivera
Professional Storytellter
[email protected]
Mark Travis Rivera is an award-winning professional storyteller––telling stories is at the core of Mark’s purpose in life. A graduate of William Paterson University of New Jersey, Rivera earned a bachelor’s in women’s & gender studies with a minor in public relations. In 2013, Rivera received the Student Government Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to the William Paterson community. In the same year, he was honored with the Campus Pride Voice & Action Award for his work with the LGBTQ community. More recently, he won the Audre Lorde Award for Social Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY.
Rivera is the youngest person to found an integrated dance company in the United States, marked dance project, a contemporary company for dancers with and without disabilities, established in March 2009, made its debut at Rutgers University. After ten years of remarkable dancing, Rivera decided to dissolve the marked dance project and continue working as an independent disabled choreographer. Rivera’s writing has also been published in The Bergen Record, Herald News, The Star-Ledger, Fox News Latino, and The Huffington Post. As a speaker, he has spoken in front of crowds at various institutions of higher learning including Harvard, MIT, and NYU. His TEDxTalk, “Embracing Yourself, Embracing Your Potential” was a smash in 2014 at Bergen Community College. His debut collection, Drafts: An Imperfect Collection of Writing was published in August of 2017 through Amazon. In 2020, Rivera launched his wellness podcast, Marking The Path, which is available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.