MARK MOHAMMADPOUR, EDUCATION KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND TEAM FACILITATOR
Build a Healthy, Confident, and Connected Culture for Educators
Mark works with K-12 and higher education teams that care about their students and want to live a healthy culture at work.
Trusted by K-12 and higher education organizations.
“Working with Mark was absolutely fantastic. Mark really looked to address the needs of our attendees. We are super grateful for Mark!”
— Raj White, National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS)
About Mark
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A former communication executive who led award-winning teams and strategy for global brands like Microsoft, Adobe, and Amazon, and who has naturally lost and kept off 150 pounds over 15 years, Mark Mohammadpour combines Fortune 50 leadership experience with certified health coaching expertise.
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His Keynote Conversations blend full attendee engagement, actionable insights, and current research.
Today, his most requested topics, Leading with Empathy, The Buoyant Leader, and Lead a Culture of Well-being, are built around one belief: healthy employees are your greatest competitive advantage.
Mark has worked with K-12 districts, university leadership teams, and education associations, and he understands that educators have heard many promises in many professional development sessions.
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He builds his programs with one assumption built in: your staff will be skeptical until the first five minutes prove otherwise. His frameworks are grounded in the same research that drives outcomes in clinical and corporate settings, and translated into language that resonates with classroom teachers, department chairs, and district administrators alike. He also understands that in education, “retention” isn’t just an HR metric: it’s the difference between a thriving school and a community in crisis.
Who We Help
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The Goal: Listen, learn, and act with intention to stabilize employee well-being and retention.
The Result: Improved student outcomes and a culture where educators and staff want to stay.
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The Goal: Navigate the "Enrollment Cliff" and protect faculty mental health.
The Result: High-performing administrative teams and reduced "academic burnout."
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The Goal: Providing Professional Development that actually sticks for your members.
The Result: Increased member loyalty and high-impact conference programming.
What We Address
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Staff burnout that shows up in turnover, missed deadlines, and quiet resignation.
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Leadership teams who don't have the time or structure to take care of themselves, let alone their people.
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A generation of employees who see campus jobs as transactional, not vocational.
“Not only did Mark tailor the content to the specific needs of our group, but he seamlessly integrated the three topics: personal well-being, building empathy, and team well-being into one session, keeping everyone engaged. I consider Mark to be an expert in his field.”
— Anthony King, Assistant Dean of Strategic Engagement, UC San Diego
How to work with Mark:
Keynote Conversation
Start here. An interactive session built around your people and your industry. 45 to 90 minutes, steeped in data, insights, humor, and engagement. Your audience walks out with something they can use the same day.
Team Facilitation & Offsites
Go deeper. Mark sits with your team and names what's been going unsaid. No personality colors. No letter types. No trust falls. Half-day, full-day, or multi-day. You leave with a written plan: decisions, owners, dates.
Three-Point Impact™
Make it stick. Mark’s signature program. Includes one keynote, a facilitated team session, and follow-up coaching on priority topics. This is a long-term investment that builds healthy, confident, and connected teams.
Keynote Conversation Topics
The four facilitation topics teams ask for most.
Any theme below can run as a half-day, full-day, or multi-day offsite. Mark builds the agenda around what your team actually needs.
“He has the ability to make people want to press pause, take a look at their priorities and understand the importance of making time for health and personal wellness. Mark is engaging, encouraging and inspirational.”
— Betsy Fuller, Director, School/Community Relations, Lakota Local Schools
Contact Mark about your event.
Email Mark at mark@chasingthesunpdx.com, call him at 360.609.1077, or fill out the form below.
Mark will respond to you within one business day.
Frequently asked questions:
How can school districts improve teacher retention and reduce burnout?
By fixing the conditions rather than asking teachers to manage it on their own. Mark helps K-12 districts move past one-and-done PD days and get administrators aligned on what teachers are actually being asked to absorb. When educators feel supported and safe to speak up, staffing steadies and student outcomes follow.
What is the link between educator well-being and student success?
When teachers are worn out from caring for kids all day, or have quietly stopped trying without leaving, the whole building feels it. A healthy school culture is the foundation student success sits on. Give staff the tools to lead under pressure and the learning environment steadies with them.
How do you make professional development stick across a school year?
Most of what people hear in an August in-service is gone by October. Mark builds the follow-up into the calendar instead of hoping it survives. Staff help write their own communication norms and boundaries, which makes the work part of the daily rhythm of the building rather than a day off the schedule.
Do you present at district in-service days and administrator retreats?
Yes. Mark works with K-12 districts, education associations, and higher education teams. Formats range from a keynote at an all-staff in-service to a multi-day administrator retreat, and sessions are built around what that district is dealing with this year.
How much does a keynote for a school district or education conference cost?
The fee depends on the format, the length of the session, travel, and whether you add a follow-up workshop or coaching. Email mark@chasingthesunpdx.com with your date, location, and audience size, and you will have a number back within one business day.