Mark Sylvester

Brainstormer, Business leader, Business mentor, Change Agent, Connector, Consultant, Entrepreneur, Event planner, Foodie, Idea generator, Inventor, Parent, Producer, Technologist, Web guru

For over 30 years, I have transformed ideas into visual strategies, helping leaders and organizations make more effective decisions through my "See What You Think" approach. As featured in my 2018 TEDxFargo talk, I specialize in turning abstract concepts into clear, actionable plans that drive innovation and unlock potential. Professional Journey My career spans multiple industries where I've consistently leveraged storytelling to move ideas forward: Executive Producer at StorytellingSchool.com, collaborating with multi-generational leaders to craft powerful narratives that inspire change Co-founder of introNetworks, a groundbreaking social network matching talent with opportunity and ideas with action that began as TEDConnect in 2003. Co-founder of Alias|Wavefront, creators of Maya—the software that earned us an Academy Award and revolutionized visual effects globally Farm-to-table chef for the Jesuits by age 30, where my creative journey began. Currently a private chef two days a week to keep the juices flowing. TED/TEDx Leadership Since 1993, I've evolved from TED attendee to speaker, organizer, and thought leader. As the driving force behind TEDxSantaBarbara, I've helped produce 250+ talks generating over 36.5 million views, positioning ideas for maximum impact. Current Projects Host of the TEDxSantaBarbara Salons at the Santa Barbara Main Library, focusing on community topics including sustainability, indigenous peoples, wellness, AI, and creativity (formerly hosted "Making Waves" until February 2025) Writer of a weekly column on Substack at MarkSylvester.substack.com Co-host of The Elder Council on YouTube, helping men navigate complex conversations in relationships and professional settings Founding member of the Santa Barbara AI Collective, a local organization advancing artificial intelligence initiatives. "Ethical Technology, Purposeful Impact" Developing strategic communication frameworks that empower voices and foster inclusive leadership My Approach I combine strategic thinking with dynamic communication to solve complex problems and engage with diverse ideas. My specialty is simplifying complexity, fostering collaboration across generations, and creating environments where everyone feels heard and valued. My mission is to build communities of thought leaders dedicated to positive change through technology, strategic communication and storytelling.

Helping people see how technology can be used to sift through vast amounts of information and help them make better connections that make a difference in their daily life.

Each of us has a TEDTalk inside. How you uncover it and share it with the world can be a wonderful journey. What are you doing to tell your story?

In 2002 I learned from a colleague at Macromedia that they were slated to sponsor TED. But because of their sponsorship role, the company would not be able to self-promote at the conference - so we proposed that Macromedia create an immersive social networking experience for the attendees. In just eight weeks - and with the help of Chris Anderson, Macromedia heavyweights, and some talented developers and designers - we created an ambitious and unprecedented networking system that allowed over 1,000 attendees to build personal profiles and interact with one another. After just four days 78 percent of the people had tried the system at least once and more than 3,000 messages had been sent. Since then, we formed introNetworks, Inc. to continue innovating around the base technology created for TED. We have rolled out a completely new version of the platform each year, always working closely with customers to implement their ideas for improving the networking experience.

Helping companies improve the connective tissue in their organizations by discovering unknown connections between their people.