At this time tickets are sold out. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, you can email lead@echo.rutgers.edu.
Save the Date: Mark Leadership Conference
Saturday, March 6, 2021
The MARK Conference is America’s largest and most immersive student-run leadership event, hosted by Leadership & Experiential Learning, part of Student Centers and Activities. We combine 20+ diverse speakers who have made their “mark” on society, extraordinary storytelling, and unique activities to create a virtual experience that inspires students to act, think creatively, and empower their communities. Follow us at @markconference and stay connected using the hashtag #MyMark.
Ticket Information
Tickets for the 2021 Mark Leadership Conference are now on sale. Please visit getinvolved.tix.com
Tickets
The Mark Conference Planning team is dedicated to creating an open environment for all attendees and providing the necessary accommodations to individuals with disabilities and others special needs during the event. If you need any accommodations, please feel free to reach out to us at lead@echo.rutgers.edu.
Individuals seeking financial assistance to attend the MARK Conference should email lead@echo.rutgers.edu with the subject line: Mark Conference Financial Assistance.
Are you a visiting school or a Rutgers organization looking for group tickets? Please email lead@echo.rutgers.edu for more information.
Rutgers Students
$25
Current Rutgers/Full-Time Students
Includes:
Lunch
Networking Opportunities
Speaker Sessions
Interactive Energizer Sessions
Raffle Ticket for Speaker Meet & Greet
Regional Institutions
$60
Institution Student Leaders/Advisors
Includes:
Lunch
Networking Opportunities
Speaker Sessions
Interactive Energizer Sessions
Raffle Ticket for Speaker Meet & Greet
Visiting Students
$60
Visiting Students
Includes:
Lunch
Networking Opportunities
Speaker Sessions
Interactive Energizer Sessions
Raffle Ticket for Speaker Meet & Greet
Interested in group ticket sales? We offer group ticket packages at $60 for 1-5 tickets,
$55 for 6-11 tickets, and $50 for 12+ tickets for regional institutions and visiting students.
Our 2021 Speakers
Wesley Hamilton
Wesley Hamilton is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit @disabledbutnotreally who works to bring positivity and hope to the disabled community and beyond. After suffering from gunshot wounds that paralyzed him below the waist, Wesley began a new life in a wheelchair and deeply depressed. But he found empowerment through fitness and nutrition—eventually becoming a nationally recognized philanthropist, model, and athlete. Wesley was transformed yet again when working with the Fab Five on Season 4 of the Netflix hit show, Queer Eye, who taught him how to be true to himself.
Alyssa Carson
Alyssa Carson is an astronaut-in-training with Possum Academy, a global speaker, author, and future Mars walker. In 2013, she became the first person to attend all three NASA Space Camps and was also the first to complete the NASA Passport program. Alyssa was later selected as one of seven ambassadors representing Mars One, a mission to establish a human colony on Mars in 2030.
Marti Gould Cummings
Marti Gould Cummings is a drag artist, TV personality, activist, and New York City Council candidate. For more than a decade, Marti has been a regular fixture in the worlds of NYC politics and entertainment. In addition to hosting The Marti Report on Logo TV, they are a national co-chair for Drag Out the Vote and an advisor on the NYC Nightlife Advisory Board. Marti also serves on the Board of Directors for the Ali Forney Center for Homeless LGBTQ Youth.
Jennifer Osaki
Jennifer Osaki is a video producer and audience development strategist whose work can be found at Business Insider, NowThis, Thrillist, The Spruce Eats, and elsewhere. She often uses food and drink as a way to celebrate different cultures, and strives to ensure that a range of faces and narratives are reflected in her work. With her ability to quickly create viral video content that gathers millions of views, Jennifer is not just able to be first to tell meaningful stories: she digs deeper to make sure everyone’s stories are being heard.
Brad Jenkins
Brad Jenkins is the CEO of Enfranchisement and co-founder of RUN AAPI. Before joining Will Ferrell’s Funny Or Die as Managing Director and Executive Producer, Jenkins spent four years serving as President Obama’s Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement, where he brought together creative executives, thought leaders, and some of the world’s biggest stars to advance the President’s agenda. At Funny Or Die and Enfranchisement, Jenkins produced over 50 social impact campaigns with leading organizations like Rock The Vote and UNICEF, and engaged more than 100 million voters through celebrity-fueled PSAs, comedy tours, live events, web-series, and more.
Mark Robson
Dr. Mark Gregory Robson is a Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor and Professor of Plant Biology at Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. He serves as Editor in Chief of the Journal of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, and his research and teaching focuses on environmental risk assessment and occupational health, specifically as it relates to agricultural and rural communities. In 2006, Mark established the Thai NIH Fogarty Research Center in at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, and he is part of the GEOHealth Hub leadership for the Agricultural Health Center at Mahidol University.
Monti Washington
Author and
Motivational Speaker
Patrice Banks
Former Auto Airhead and Founder of Girls Auto Clinic
Ms. Iana J. Daniels
US Army Active Duty Major
Kimberly A. Brown
Founder of ManifestYourself.com
Dan Parris & David Peterka
Traveling Documentarians
Clint Smith
Acclaimed Spoken Word Poet
Award-winning Educator
Griffin Matthews & Matt Gould
Creators of Invisible Thread
Stephanie Klemons
Award-Winning Broadway Performer &
Choreographer from Hamilton
Nyle DiMarco
Winner of America’s Next Top Model &
Disability Rights Activist
Lexi & Alyse Scaffidi
Creators of BiteSizedFitness & The Body Confident
VS Fashion Show
Rowaida Abdelaziz
Journalist at Huffpost
Josh Rossi
Commercial Photographer and Viral Philanthropist
Fraidy Reiss
Founder and Executive Director of
Unchained at Last
Tamika D. Mallory
National Co-chair for the Women’s March
Angelo Pinto
Senior Attorney
Ignite Speakers
Vahini Shori
Vahini Shori is somewhere between a first and second generation Desi-American woman studying Political Science at Rutgers University. She is from Colonia, New Jersey and is a passionate advocate for justice for all. She serves as an executive board member with the Association of Big Ten Students, an ambassador for Douglass Residential College, and an Undergraduate Associate at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. In her free time Vahini loves to read, spend time with her friends, and go on walks around Douglass. After graduation, Vahini plans to attend law school and spend her career working with communities who have historically been marginalized and oppressed by our justice system.
Nygeria Jackson
Nygeria Jackson is a Master’s of Social Work student who dreams of becoming a judge working in The Supreme Court and starting her own nonprofit to aid human trafficking survivors. During her free time, Nygeria runs two small businesses and attends beauty school. Nygeria also works with HOPE at Rutgers as a drug and alcohol peer educator. After graduation in May she plans to attend law school in the fall. As an Ignite Speaker, she hopes to share her story of overcoming struggles and setbacks.
Syd Rosen
Syd Rosen is a senior pursuing a Bachelor’s in Public Health with a minor in Critical Sexuality Studies, and plans to obtain a Master’s in LGBTQ+ Public Health as part of the BS/MPH program with the Rutgers School of Public Health. They are passionate about health education and assist with peer education and diversity outreach for HOPE and VPVA. Syd has wanted to be an Ignite Speaker since being a part of the SWAT Team during their first year at Rutgers and is honored to have the chance to share their story with the Rutgers community.
Netanya Flores
Netanya Flores is a senior at Rutgers University majoring in Cognitive Science and double minoring in Biological Sciences and Health & Society on the pre-medical track. She is planning to obtain a Masters Degree after graduation and follow with medical school. She works as a Development and Outreach Coordinator on the Programming Board at the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance, helped co-found and is president of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, and is currently serving through the COVID-19 Americorps Relief Program in Americorps. She was motivated to become an Ignite Speaker because of the inspiration drawn from friends that were past speakers themselves and the realization that her unique story could comfort someone else who may have been in her position.
Liam Ryan
Liam Ryan is a junior majoring in Entomology. Along with studying honeybees, he is also a beekeeper who helps to sell honey at the local Rutgers Gardens Farmers Market. Liam also volunteers for his local fire department and is a member of the Fraternity of Alpha Zeta.
Cassie Cuddihy
Cassie Cuddihy is a sophomore pursuing a Communication major and a Psychology minor. She currently serves as a Scarlet Ambassador for Rutgers Admissions, Marketing Assistant Director for Rutgers University Programming Association, Member and Fundraising Chair for Rutgers Voorhees Choir and Peer Mentor for the Leadership Living Learning Community.
Mark Insights
Mark Captains: Planning Team
Juhi Patel
Public Relations & Technical Captain
Juhi Patel (she/her) is a senior double majoring in Exercise Science & Political Science on the pre-law track; she will serve as the 2022 Public Relations & Technical Captain. She is the vice president of her fraternity, Alpha Zeta, the layout editor for The Examiner, Rutgers’ pre-health student journal, and a Resident Assistant on the College Ave. When she isn’t running between classes and extracurriculars, you can probably find her sitting at Passion Puddle or in the basement of Mabel Smith Douglass Library.
Aaron Thomas
Energizers Captain
Aaron Thomas (he/him) is a senior majoring in Business, Analytics, and Information Technology (BAIT) and minoring in Military Sciences; he will serve as the 2022 Energizers Captain. He is an Army ROTC Cadet hoping to commission as an active-duty Army officer after graduation, but while on campus he is a part of SCREAM Theater hoping to help educate people about sensitive topics. On campus, you might be able to spot Aaron somewhere deep in the Livingston ecological preserve or at the gym.
Emily Unverricht
Ignite Captain
Emily Unverricht (she/her) is a senior majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Psychology on the pre-physician assistant track; she will serve as the 2022 Ignite Captain. She previously acted as a site leader for the Rutgers Alternative Breaks program after attending a trip her sophomore year. Emily also works at RWJ University Hospital as a Clinical Care Technician. She is hoping to use her experience working with people to help ignite a spark in other students and prepare them for their role on the mainstage.
Paolo Arante
HR & Outreach Captain
Paolo Arante (he/him) is a senior majoring in Marketing and minoring in Dance; he will serve as the 2022 HR & Outreach captain. He is highly involved in extracurriculars around campus such as Enactus, Career Exploration and Success, SCREAM Theater, Rutgers Association of Marketing and Strategy, and the Honors College. He is excited to work with the captain team after previously serving in the conference SWAT team. Paolo loves to stay active by bouldering, powerlifting, and practicing his handstands.
Rachael Carrión
Transformation of Space Captain
Rachael Carrión (she/her) is a junior majoring in Human Resource Management; she will serve as the 2022 Transformation of Space Captain. She loves working with other Rutgers students in her roles as a Resident Assistant and a Career Exploration and Success Ambassador. If she isn’t working or going to class, you’d be able to find her swimming laps at the College Ave Gym or grabbing a snack at the Cook Café.
Adam Fogarty
Co-Logistics Captain
Adam Fogarty (he/him) is a senior majoring in Economics; he will serve as the 2022 undergraduate MARK Intern and one of the Logistics captains. His latest project as been training himself to run a marathon. Adam loves to explore, from making travel plans to escaping into fictional worlds through film. This will be his fourth year working on the conference, second as part of the captain team, and he is ecstatic to see how it turns out!
Mustafa Akbari
Co-Logistics Captain
Mustafa Akbari (he/him) is a senior double majoring in Supply Chain Management and Marketing; he will serve as one of the 2022 Logistics captains. Mustafa enjoys eating sushi, playing video games, or picking up a volleyball game. On campus, you can probably find him pretending to study at the James Carr library or hanging out with his friends.
Tanvi Thigle
Co-Logistics Captain
Tanvi Thigle (she/her) is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science; she will serve as one of the 2022 Logistics captains. She enjoys applying what she learns by teaching elementary school kids how to code. Stepping away from her laptop, Himalayan hikes are one of her favorite adventures to embark on. This upcoming year, she is excited to step into a new position to build something new and significant alongside her MARK captains.
If you are interested in partnering with the 2021 Mark Leadership Conference as a sponsor, email Lead@echo.rutgers.edu for more information.
Location
The 2021 conference is entirely virtual, but the following information will apply to our 2022 event.
Livingston Student Center
84 Joyce Kilmer Avenue
Piscataway NJ 08854
If you are a visitor who needs to park (and do not have a Rutgers permit), we have reserved lots 105, 112, Green & Yellow near the Livingston Student Center (LSC), for the event.
Non-Rutgers attendees and speakers can park in this lot on the day of the conference without a permit. Please note, current Rutgers students must park in their permitted lot. View the weekend bus schedule here.
Contact Us
This conference is an initiative of Student Centers and Activities‘ Student Involvement and Leadership, in the division of Student Affairs. Contact Student Involvement and Leadership at (848) 932-4093, lead@echo.rutgers.edu.
