The World Has Changed
Educators, Employers, and Parents Need an Inside Track on Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Forget the negative stereotypes: today’s young people are amazing and full of untapped potential. At home, school, and work, we can unleash their best performance—once we understand what drives them. And it’s probably not what you think.
Mark C. Perna is a generational keynote speaker who has been at the forefront of generational research in North America for almost 30 years. His dynamic keynotes and professional development bridge education, workforce, and economic development, helping countless schools, colleges, businesses, communities, and parents create deeper engagement with today’s younger generations.
Leverage Mark’s expertise to navigate our shifting landscape—and supersize your results.
MARK C. PERNA: The Man Behind it All
- 25+ years studying each generation and what makes them tick
- Thought leader at the unique intersection of education, employment, and economic development
- 250+ radio, television, and podcast interviews on this topic
- 90+ prestigious keynotes and speaking tours annually across North America
- Thousands of glowing audience testimonials and endorsements from event organizers
- Perna Syndicate podcast listeners in 70+ countries
- Wrote bestseller Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations
- Won 8 national awards, including the Nautilus Book Award
- Has over 300 articles and 5 million readers at Forbes.com, where Mark has contributed weekly articles since 2019
- Founded and leads strategic engagement firm TFS Results
- Created the TFS Results Engagement Ecosystem, which includes the Career Tree®, Skill Tree™ and Competitive Advantage Track™
- Empowers thousands of educators, employers & communities to build compelling relevance and purpose for younger generations
Mark C. Perna: The Man Behind it All
- 25+ years studying each generation and what makes them tick
- Thought leader at the unique intersection of education, employment, and economic development
- 250+ radio, television, and podcast interviews on this topic
- 90+ prestigious keynotes and speaking tours annually across North America
- Thousands of glowing audience testimonials and endorsements from event organizers
- Perna Syndicate podcast listeners in 70+ countries
- Wrote bestseller Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations
- Won 8 national awards, including the Nautilus Book Award
- Has over 300 articles and 5 million readers at Forbes.com, where Mark has contributed weekly articles since 2019
- Founded and leads strategic engagement firm TFS Results
- Created the TFS Results Engagement Ecosystem, which includes the Career Tree®, Skill Tree™ and Competitive Advantage Track™
- Empowers thousands of educators, employers & communities to build compelling relevance and purpose for younger generations
Mark C. Perna: The Man Behind it All
- 25+ years studying each generation and what makes them tick
- Thought leader at the unique intersection of education, employment, and economic development
- 250+ radio, television, and podcast interviews on this topic
- Wrote bestseller Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations
- Won 8 national awards, including the Nautilus Book Award
- Has over 300 articles and 5 million readers at Forbes.com, where Mark has contributed weekly articles since 2019
- 90+ prestigious keynotes and speaking tours annually across North America
- Thousands of glowing audience testimonials and endorsements from event organizers
- Perna Syndicate podcast listeners in 70+ countries
- Founded and leads strategic engagement firm TFS Results
- Created the TFS Results Engagement Ecosystem, which includes the Career Tree®, Skill Tree™ and Competitive Advantage Track™
- Empowers thousands of educators, employers & communities to build compelling relevance and purpose for younger generations
Mark Perna has had an EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT ON OUR LEADERSHIP! In his three-hour keynote, he riveted our county-wide superintendents and cabinet-level administrators with a HARD-HITTING MESSAGE THAT IS STILL REVERBERATING. As the largest county school system in the country, we are working to help every student achieve a personal competitive advantage. Thanks to Mark, we’ve been inspired with a practical vision to make it happen. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND MARK for any organization seeking a common rally point everyone can get behind.
Deputy Superintendent of the Los Angeles County Office of Education
President & CEO at Mesa Chamber of Commerce and President of Mesa Industry & Defense Council
For 2 fantastic hours, Mark Perna RIVETED OUR AUDIENCE of business owners, corporations, community leaders, economic development, and educators. His message of truly connecting our pipelines was substantive, funny, and FULL OF ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES that people are still talking about. The keynote ended in an enthusiastic standing ovation, but the impact Mark made isn’t over. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE!
Here are a few of the organizations where Mark has made a powerful impact:
Bring the impact to your audience.
Top 7 Reasons to Hire Mark Now
1. Audience impact:
Thousands of wowed audience members can’t be wrong. “Dynamic,” “Life-changing,” “Full of hope,” and “Amazing” are just a few of the repeated comments that flood in after every keynote.
2. Proven results:
80% of Mark’s keynotes culminate in standing ovations, underscoring the organization- and community-wide buy-in he creates. Audiences walk away with powerful tools, strategies, and hope to energize the work they do every day.
3. Organizer accolades:
Check out what these event organizers have to say about Mark. It’s glowing—to say the least.
4. Easy to work with:
Mark and his team make everything easy for you, with complimentary marketing support, prep calls, and a true partnership mindset. Your event is our event—and we’re going to make it awesome.
5. Something for everyone:
Mark’s message is relevant to educators at all levels, employers of all sizes, communities of all kinds, and students of all ages. Put together a multi-keynote package that reaches every audience in your sphere!
6. Exceptionally engaging:
Some of the best moments come from Mark’s live Q&A dialogues at the end of the keynote. Inspire your audience with real-time insights and answers, tailored to their specific questions and concerns!
7. Value-added resources:
Every audience member can receive Mark’s slides and a slew of value-packed resources to shift the paradigm in their organization and community. Student audiences get an impactful resource, too!
Mark was ENLIGHTENING, ENERGIZING, AND RELATABLE! His insights sparked numerous “AHA moments” for me and the broad cross-section of community leaders who joined us. Mark’s philosophy on engaging with young people—with equal parts of optimism, high expectations, and belief in their potential—has helped INFORM THE ACTIONS WE NEED TO TAKE as a community all pulling in the same direction. Many of the organizations in attendance already want to bring Mark back to keep supersizing everything we’re going to accomplish!
President and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority
President of Kansas City Kansas Community College
AMAZING! In my seven years at KCKCC, I have never seen a speaker grab—and hold—everyone’s attention like Mark! Not only were faculty and staff energized and excited, they also left with REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS AND RESOURCES to implement right away. Mark’s narrative is INCREDIBLY TRANSFORMATIONAL AND A BREATH OF FRESH AIR for higher education, especially at the community college level. He was energizing, authentic, insightful, dynamic and relevant, and we can’t wait to have him back for a follow-up event with area superintendents and high school leadership teams. Mark is a must-see speaker—YOU CAN’T AFFORD NOT TO BRING HIM IN!
Mark’s Award-Winning Bestseller: Answering Why
Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations.
Mark didn’t set out to write a bestselling book. He just wanted to shine a light on the incredible potential of the younger generations. Eight national awards and countless reader accolades later, Mark’s first book, Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance, is still making a positive difference in education, workforce, and economic development.
In Answering Why, Mark flips the script to show why today’s young people are the most gifted, resourceful, and passionate generation we’ve ever seen. Hire Mark to give your audience a fresh perspective on young people—at home, in the classroom, and on the job.
Engagement Reimagined
USE MARK’S PROVEN STRATEGIES TO CREATE AN ENGAGEMENT ECOSYSTEM THAT REACHES EVERY STUDENT.
Generations Z and Alpha require a new approach to engagement—one that builds ongoing, compelling relevance and purpose into everything we ask them to do.
In his keynotes, Mark lays out a powerful set of engagement strategies that have been adopted by parents, educators, employers, and community leaders nationwide. It’s a message confirmed by young people themselves, as evidenced by the tens of thousands of diverse students—of all ages, GPAs, and socioeconomic backgrounds—who have scope-locked on Mark’s presentations.
Engagement is the key to unlock everything—from consistent attendance and positive behaviors to enhanced performance and better outcomes. Talk to Mark today about the proven strategies to significantly increase engagement within your organization and community!
As MINNESOTA’S LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT, we start our school year with a leadership workshop and then rally nearly 8,000 staff members around a common convocation message. Mark C. Perna’s HIGH-ENERGY, CONTENT-RICH presentations set the foundation for future success at the individual, school and community level at the onset of the school year. Perna’s effective messaging integrated perfectly with our district statement that “It takes all of us” to have the best possible schools. His presentation provided CONCRETE ACTION STEPS to align individual staff members with a larger district vision, inspiring all of us to ensure students find relevance in their education and are well prepared for their next step in life upon graduation.
Superintendent at Anoka-Hennepin School District
Vice President/Chief Economic Development Officer at Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & Taney County Partnership
Mark Perna delivered an EXCEPTIONAL KEYNOTE at our Annual Workforce Summit. Speaking to an audience of CEOs, educators, and state and federal officials, his message didn’t just resonate in the moment—it SPARKED MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS AND NEW IDEAS. Mark provided a clear and compelling framework for how we can better align our education systems with workforce needs, while also instilling purpose, passion, and pride in future generations. HIS PERSPECTIVE IS BOTH INSPIRING AND ACTIONABLE, making him an invaluable voice for any organization focused on workforce development, education, or long-term community growth.
5 Reasons Why Millennials & Gen Z Aren’t the Same
Get Your Complimentary Gift on What Makes Them Unique.
While Millennials and Gen Z share many qualities, there are also key differences between these two talented generations. So how does all of this play out at home, school, and work? Get Mark’s free report on five defining traits that make Millennials and Gen Z unique – and how you can unleash their best performance.
Subscribe To Mark's Free Paradigm Shift Newsletter.
ACTIONABLE CONTENT DELIVERED TWICE A MONTH.
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