Real Buy-in, Real Action
GO BEYOND COLLABORATION TO TRUE CONSENSUS.
In a fast-changing world that feels more polarized every day, true consensus is the only thing that will propel organizations and entire communities forward. But it’s never been harder to build.
We’re here to tell you it’s possible for every stakeholder group to come together around a shared vision. You can find common ground, build serious buy-in, and move confidently toward a vibrant future.
How? By setting a community rally point everyone can believe in.
A rally point is something that matters to everyone—a destination that everyone wants to reach—a common ground where we all come together. It’s not just a mission for education, an objective for business and industry, or a plan for economic development. It’s all of these things—and it’s within the reach of any and every community.
Bestselling author, generational expert, and education/workforce visionary Mark C. Perna has invigorated communities across North America with a rallying message of hope that everyone can believe in. (And we do mean everyone.)
Here’s how.
Mark Perna’s keynote was GAME CHANGING FOR OUR COMMUNITY! In my work with businesses, employers, community leaders, and educators across Gage County, I constantly hear the same things: We need more skilled people, how can we educate and train the next generation, and what will keep our youth here? Mark’s presentation HIT ALL THESE NAILS ON THE HEAD and gave the change-makers in our community the TOOLS AND MOTIVATION TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP toward achieving our goals. We are inspired!
RACHEL KREIKEMEIER
Executive Director at Gage Area Growth Enterprise (NGage)
A Future Everyone Believes In
Whether they know it or not, most stakeholders in your organization and community want the same thing. They want to thrive. They want to win. The challenge is articulating this desire in a way that enlists active, enthusiastic participation in a shared mission that serves all stakeholder perspectives.
And this is exactly what Mark achieves when he arrives on your scene.
A dynamic speaker at the unique intersection of education, employment, and community growth, Mark specializes in setting the rally point that compels everyone’s fullest contribution toward the agreed-upon outcomes.
In a powerhouse single keynote or series of targeted events, Mark will lead your entire organization and community to:
- Discover the Changing Landscape: Education and employment are in flux as they struggle to close the skills gap and equip the next generation—but there’s a way forward.
- Understand the Younger Generations: How they think, what makes them tick, and how they make decisions—Mark reveals how the much-maligned “Why Generation” is actually full of promise.
- Believe in Hope: Too many people are frustrated and feeling stuck, leading to poor staff retention and burnout. Mark’s data-driven vision inspires real hope for a better future—created together.
- Deliver Education with Purpose: Without a compelling reason to learn, too many young people see education as their problem rather than their solution. Mark shares the secret of helping them find the career and lifestyle purpose to drive their highest performance based on their own unique interests, talents, and abilities.
- Create Employment with Passion: Attracting, retaining, and inspiring top talent starts early in the education system and connects via established pipelines into employment.
- Shift the Paradigm: To equip young people with a powerful competitive advantage, everyone—educators, employers, community leaders, and parents—must break down the siloes, shift the way they think, and start walking in lockstep toward the same common ground.
- Take Action: After Mark fires up your community, what’s the next step? Our Action Guide will help kickstart the vital dialogue for your community to determine a unique path forward.
Mark Perna delivered an incredible message that brought our education
and employment systems together in A WAY I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. We all have a vital
role to play in the economic viability of our community—and now, we feel equipped
to play it. With Mark’s ongoing involvement, we’re already taking the next steps to
TRANSFORM THE WAY OUR COMMUNITY THINKS about education and careers. Thank you, Mark!
CODY SNIDER
Market President at Stuttgart Cadence Bank and CEO of Stuttgart
Unlimited
Beyond Collaboration to Consensus
In many communities, each stakeholder group is largely siloed from the others. Education does their thing. Employers do their thing. And without a compelling shared vision, community leaders struggle to unify stakeholders around common actions.
Everyone agrees they need more growth, more opportunities, more of everything in order to navigate a fast-changing world. So they get to work, trying to put all the pieces together for stronger workforce pipelines and better education and career pathways for young people.
And all too often, it goes nowhere—fast.
Collaboration is great, but first you need consensus. It is inefficient and ineffective to create action steps without everyone buying into the compelling big picture.
It’s not a matter of putting the cart before the horse. Too many communities are trying to build the cart—the infrastructure for growth—without checking if they even have a horse. The horse is the forward momentum, the community’s desire to get in front of that cart and go. Without a horse, you’re not going anywhere…no matter how impressive the cart is.
Drawing on years of on-the-ground experience working with communities of all sizes, Mark has discovered the secret to rallying any community. It’s Education with Purpose & Employment with Passion™—and it’s the spark that will ignite your stakeholders like never before.
MARK PERNA DELIVERS THE FULL PACKAGE! He keynoted during our initial strategic planning process, which informed our critical decision-making, and then several months later inspired our administrators to completely buy into the power of our district vision. He then supersized the impact by addressing our full staff, both certificated and classified, about meeting the younger generations exactly where they are with a compelling narrative
of relevance and purpose. The feedback has been very positive and PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE HEADED. Mark’s high-powered message aligns with everything our district is aspiring to achieve–and HE'S EQUIPPED OUR TEAM TO DO IT!
ROSANNA MUCETTI
Superintendent at Napa Valley Unified School District
Educate with Purpose, Employ with Passion
In every organization and community we’ve partnered with, we’ve found that Education with Purpose leads to Employment with Passion.
The skills gap—between the abilities employers are looking for and what the workforce can actually deliver—is growing. This gap will only be bridged at the local level, as communities come together to adapt and scale K14 and university career pathways to meet workforce demand and create viable initiatives for economic growth.
Our changing world has created many new and unconventional pathways to success. When all careers and levels of education are on the table as rewarding and celebrated pathways, young people can build a true competitive advantage.
And when they gain this competitive advantage, so does your community.
Mark nailed it.
The conversations post-Perna have been POSITIVE, EXCITED AND ENGAGED about the next
generation of workforce. Instead of pointing fingers in frustration, employers and educators in
Ponca City have been coming up with ways to inspire and connect with future workforce. This is the START OF A NEW WAY OF WORKING TOGETHER in our community towards the common goal of
economic growth—and it all came from 2 hours with Mark Perna. 100% UNANIMOUS FEEDBACK:
fabulous message, presentation and action steps for future growth. Bravo!
LIZ LEAMING
Director at Ponca City Development Authority
Let’s Chat—No Commitment
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