Services

Geri focuses on four key sectors –  Education, Business, Healthcare and Organizations. Get in touch with Geri to learn how she can help advance your awareness and acceptance initiatives.

Image of Geri Mariano speaking publicly about inclusion, diversity, and equity.

Education

Inspiring and empowering talks for educational settings that resonate with students of all ages. Geri’s messages leave a lasting impact and stay with students long after presentations are over.

Services and topics include:

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Awareness & Sensitivity

Fostering acceptance and awareness that difference does not mean different. Offering alternatives to attitudes and behaviors that may unwittingly cause harm and offense to other students.

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Bullying

Sharing personal experiences and tools to give students courage to shut down bullying.

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Diversity & Differences

Use compassion and creativity to bring everyone together in classes, on playgrounds, and teams. Motivational stories demonstrate that we are different in many ways, yet we are all the same. 

Business

Evaluation of work environments for potential biases and implementation of best practices for participation and inclusion. Collaboration with stakeholders on communication strategies that will create more inclusive and effective work cultures resulting in superior service delivery to customers.

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Awareness & Sensitivity

Fostering acceptance and awareness that difference does not mean different. Correcting attitudes and behaviors that may unwittingly cause harm and offense to employees, suppliers, and customers.

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Worker Value

Understanding the perspective of traditionally marginalized workers. Everyone has a voice and can grow by focusing on their unique talents and abilities.

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Customer Experience

Advising businesses on the challenges that arise for certain customer segments, e.g., people with disabilities, the elderly, LGBTQ+. Offering solutions that open experiences to all.

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Diversity & Differences

Think creatively and use compassion to connect with employees and customers. Motivational stories demonstrate that we are different in many ways, yet we are all the same. 

Healthcare

Presentations designed specifically for healthcare providers across all disciplines. Challenging outdated approaches to medical education and assisting practitioners to adapt to more patient-centered care.

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Awareness & Sensitivity

Fostering acceptance and awareness that difference does not mean different. Correcting attitudes and behaviors that may unwittingly cause harm and offense to patient, family, and staff.

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Patient-Centered Care

Focusing on the unique needs of patients for better outcomes for them and their caregivers.

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Diversity & Differences

Patients are individuals, not categories; think creatively to deliver the best possible care. Motivational stories demonstrate that we are different in many ways, yet we are all the same. 

Organizations

Guided engagement with complex issues encompassing topics such as sensitivity and acceptance. Audiences include, but are not limited to, community groups, faith-based circles, political candidates and campaigns, and non-profit organizations.

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Awareness & Sensitivity

Fostering acceptance and awareness that difference does not mean different. Offering alternative actions to attitudes and behaviors that may unwittingly cause offense and harm.

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Empowerment

Learning to become stronger when facing discrimination, re-claiming one’s rights, and emphasizing one’s unique talents and abilities.

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Bullying

Shutting down bullying by sharing personal experiences and tools for members.

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Diversity & Differences

Every voice should be heard in the community, on committees, and in government. Motivational stories demonstrate that we are different in many ways, yet we are all the same. 

Mets player chats with Geri

Testimonials

Geri provided a straightforward, real-world perspective on what it is like to live with physical challenges to the after-school program children at our elementary schools. I believe the experience of meeting and talking with Geri is one that will have a lasting impact on these children. It will stay with them and hopefully influence the way they interact with all people so that they understand that every person deserves to be treated with respect.

Honorable Thomas M. Roach
Mayor
City of White Plains, NY

It was a pleasure meeting you and hearing your inspirational story. Your courage and strength resonated with us all, especially the seniors who haven’t stopped talking about your message of accepting differences, courage and perseverance. It is my hope that we can have you back so that all of Valhalla Middle/High School can hear your message.

Kevin C. McLeod
Assistant Principal
Valhalla Middle/High School

This was a superb lecture. You were very impressive. You managed to talk about such difficult and painful experiences in a way that is so helpful for listeners, and you were very credible and likable. I hope that more audiences will be opened up to you – people need to hear you.

Omri Ben-Shahar
Leo Herzel Professor of Law and Director
Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics at University of Chicago

Geri’s presentation was a critical lesson in the importance of developing patient advocacy skills. If we wanted to be the excellent healthcare providers that we dreamed of being, we would need to be patient-focused rather than case-focused, and we would need to see patients as human beings and provide care with that in mind. I bring that approach to my work as a critical care nurse today, and I know that my peers were also similarly deeply inspired by Geri.

Vanessa Oris
Critical Care Registered Nurse
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Geri Mariano virtually visited grades K-7 at our Congregational School during JDAIM (Jewish Disabilities Awareness Acceptance and Inclusion Month). Her ability to keep learner’s attentions during the sessions and inspire dialogue at home was notably special. Geri personalized her presentation, quickly connected with our learners and was able to share the important message of acceptance.

Jessie C. Lavintman
Assistant Director
Park Avenue Synagogue Congregational School

It was an absolute pleasure to hear Geri share her motivating story. Geri connected with the audience and demonstrated that we all have abilities and, a place in the community. She taught everyone the value of relationships, and how with the right supports our futures are bright. She is a woman who is a true inspiration to everyone living with a disability. Her compassion, warmth, patience and humor serve her well in sharing her unyielding conviction to educate others.

Nicole Buckley
Pennsylvania-State Director
St. John's Community Services-PA

Many teachers struggle with how best to develop a classroom of caring and compassionate students who are accepting of individual differences. Ms. Mariano allowed the children to see that, in many ways, she is just like the rest of us. Any school system with a disability awareness program will highly benefit from her program.

Nancy Sidman
Kindergarten Teacher
Spring Street School, West Bridgewater, MA

Geri spoke at my daughter’s school for our annual Sensitivity day. Her compassion, relatability and humor helped her to get through to the kids. She uses personal narrative and pictures to help the children to understand her journey and her messages of empathy, perseverance and courage helped the children to really understand the difference in us and to be there for others in need. She helps kids understand how to respond when they encounter someone with disabilities and used humor throughout. I cannot recommend Geri more. We have already signed her up for next year!!

Christie Mckenzie
Sensitivity Day Chair
Tashua Elementary School PTA

But by far the most moving experience we had was listening to Geri Mariano, an inspirational speaker and inclusion consultant, on “Finding and Using Your Voice.” …hers was a powerful voice at a conference dedicated to helping women find and use theirs.

Review of the Westchester Women's Summit
Black Voices Blog