Mark Lovett

From a young age I was drawn to the power and richness of storytelling. From old radio dramas such as The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Shadow, The Green Hornet, or Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to hardboiled novels penned by Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler, as well as cold war spy stories by John le Carré, Graham Greene, and Robert Ludlum.

I was one of those kids reading books under the covers when I was supposed to be sleeping.

Professionally, I spent the better part of a quarter century as an executive in the computer industry. By wearing a few different hats – VP Ops, CIO, CMO, CEO – I came to see the world of business through a storytelling lens. Every employee, customer, vendor, and investor embodied a unique narrative. And successful companies were those most able to create synergy out of all those stories.

The TEDx Years

I had been watching TED Talks online for a couple years when I heard that the TED organization was going to launch a new initiative. Called TEDx, the idea was to allow individuals to host TED-like event in their own city. Many thought the idea was crazy, but as it turns out, it was an idea worth spreading around the world. And it was fortunate that a close friend, Jack Abbott, obtained the license for TEDxSanDiego.

Jack’s first event was held in 2010, and it opened my eyes to the power of stories told live before a local audience. I had seen countless talks presented at industry conferences, but this was something different – a day filled with stories on a variety of interesting social topics, and with a more polished narrative structure.

In 2013 I co-organized TEDxSanDiego, and took on the license the following year. Overall, I’ve worked on 21 TEDx events. One event – TEDxMonumento258 – took place in 2015 on the U.S. / Mexico border. In partnership, the TEDxTijuana and TEDxSanDiego teams spent over two years obtaining the necessary approvals. This bi-national event utilized one stage in Mexico and a second stage in the United States, with the international border fence in-between, and speakers alternating between the two stages.

In 2017 I worked on TEDxDonovanCorrectional, a TEDx event held in a California State prison. Half the speakers were from the outside, while half were inmates. The audience was similarly split between inmates and the public, with everyone sitting together during the talks, eating lunch together afterwards in the prison culinary, and followed by a free flowing group interaction session.

Not satisfied with attending the events I was part of, I’ve been to over 50 other TEDx events, from the east to west coast of the U.S., as well as London, Berlin, and Lisbon. On the TED front, I’ve been fortunate to experience TEDActive, TEDSummit, TEDFest, and look forward to the upcoming TEDNext event in the fall of 2024.

Storytelling With Impact

It’s only fitting that my lifelong passion for story led me to the speaker coaching work that continues to inspire me today. My practice is focused on helping individuals, companies, and organizations tell their most impactful personal stories. I’ve been humbled by every storyteller I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and I truly believe that, despite the serious problems the world is facing today, sharing our personal stories will inspire humanity to create a brighter future.

Contact me to discuss your storytelling goals and objectives!