Mara Zepeda: Social Entrepreneurship

Highlights:

Formats Available:

Preferred Audience Sizes:

Outcomes:
Reviews: (0 reviews)
  • Travels from: Columbia, SC
  • **Fee range: $10,001 - $20,000

Keynote Topics

  • Zebras vs Unicorns 
  • Become a Doula for the New Economy
  • Call and Response: How Listening Leads to Social Change
  • Entrepreneurship & the Creative Process
  • From Moscow to Jung: An Entrepreneur’s Journey

Mara Zepeda is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Zebras Unite, an international and intersectional hybrid cooperative creating the capital, culture, and community for the next economy. This global community of founders, investors, and are creating a more ethical, inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable approach to building businesses.

Prior, Mara was the founder of a venture-backed software company, Switchboard (now Hearken). It was through her experience as an entrepreneur of a different stripe that led her to co-found Zebras Unite, along with Jennifer Brandel, Astrid Scholz, and Aniyia Williams. Their manifesto,“Zebras Fix What Unicorns Break,” launched this timely, necessary, culture-shifting movement that has garnered broad recognition. It now boasts an online community of 10K+ strong, 100+ member-owners, and over 25 chapters around the world.

Mara Zepeda is a systempreneur and serial social entrepreneur. She has also co-founded and was the founding board chair of Business for a Better Portland and XXcelerate. BBPDX is a next-generation business organization 350+ members strong that forges public-private collaborations to advance systemic change, shared prosperity, and social justice and equity in Portland. XXcelerate provides business support, education, peer mentorship, and funding to 200+ Oregon womxn entrepreneurs.

She speaks about and leads workshops on education, trust, social networks, and the future of business internationally. Mara has spent her career at the intersection of community building, economic empowerment, and movement building.

Mara Zepeda speaks from her experience as an economic reporter for NPR, calligrapher, and child of bohemian and spiritually curious artists. She holds a BA in Russian from Reed College and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University where she graduated with honors. She grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

SPEAKS ABOUT

Alternative Funding, Entrepreneurship, Startup, Business, Community Building, Economic Empowerment, Movement Building, Social Change & Issues, Journalist

View All Speakers and follow us on Twitter

Talent Resources

Talent resources available for download

In order to view the below you must be logged in.

  • Powerpoint Slide – For meeting and event planners
  • Gallery Images
  • High Resolution Images
  • PDF Files
  • Books and Magazine Links
  • Music List
  • Podcast Shows
  • Courses
  • + more

Videos

Interest to Book? Send us your enquiry

Speaker Contact Form

Enquiry Form

Talent FAQ

View further speakers

  • (16)
Todd Buchholz

Todd Buchholz has been featured alongside such luminaries as Colin Powell, Michael Porter, and Jeff Bezos. He has been invited to guide corporate and political leaders around the world, from the UK and New Zealand parliaments, to the Mexican and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges, to tech and entertainment firms in Seoul. An internationally known consultant […]

  • Travels from: Solana Beach, CA
  • Finance Speakers
  • (96)

At 19, after experiencing flu-like symptoms, Amy Purdy was rushed to the hospital in a state of septic shock. En route, she experienced respiratory and multiple organ failure, which caused her to lose circulation to her extremities. When she entered into the hospital she was given less than a 2% chance of survival, put on […]

  • Travels from: Denver, CO
  • Inspirational Speakers
  • (61)
Jonathan Brill

Jonathan Brill is a globally recognized futurist, innovation strategist, and thought leader, ranked as the #1 Futurist in the World by Forbes. Renowned for his ability to foresee and navigate complex business landscapes, he has advised Fortune 500 companies, governments, and leading organizations on how to anticipate disruption and leverage emerging opportunities. His insights on […]

  • Travels from: San Francisco, CA
  • Futurists Speakers
  • (54)
Larry Weaver

Larry Weaver is a nationally-touring funny speaker and clean comedian. He delivers 100% clean humor that is highly professional, culturally sensitive, and hilariously funny. Larry grew up in the rural village of Saxapahaw, NC and spent much of his childhood working (involuntarily) on his uncle’s farm. From topping tobacco, to picking beans, to shucking corn, […]

  • Travels from: Cary, NC
  • Motivational Speakers
  • (9)
Frank Miles

A professional variety comedian with numerous television and Las Vegas credits, Frank Miles died in a hang gliding accident and was revived by emergency room doctors. True courage – he came to realize – is not facing death in daredevil pursuits. True courage is facing life every day. After a full recovery, Frank Miles left one successful […]

  • Travels from: Los Angeles, CA
  • Motivational Speakers
  • (26)
Chris-Waddell-2

Chris Waddell’s story is one of unimaginable resilience, boundless courage, and the relentless pursuit of possibility. After a skiing accident left him paralyzed from the waist down, Chris refused to let adversity define him. Instead, he redefined what was possible—not just for himself, but for millions who would come to be inspired by his journey. […]

  • Travels from: Park City, UT
  • Winter Olympians
  • (13)
  • (6)
Phil Hansen

Phil Hansen is a world-renowned keynote speaker who empowers audiences to rethink innovation by embracing their limitations. As an accomplished artist known for his unique, boundary-pushing creative methods, Phil inspires people to view constraints as opportunities for ingenuity. Through his keynote presentations, he brings the art of overcoming obstacles into focus, teaching individuals and organizations […]

  • Travels from: Minneapolis, MN
  • Creativity Speakers
  • (6)
Paris Norriss - Motivational Adventurer

Paris Norriss is not your average TV personality and public figure – fuelled by insatiable curiosity and thirst for adventure, this Dubai-based force of nature is unstoppable. From early on in his life, being conventional was never in the cards for him and that’s one of the few things he never dared to try. ​Growing […]

  • Travels from: Dubai, UAE
  • Motivational Speakers
Disclaimer
The profiles and images embedded on these pages are from various conference entertainers and other talent.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Speakers Inc.

Fee ranges where listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only.

All talent fees exclude VAT, travel and accommodation where required.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get connected:

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

We use Brevo as our marketing platform. By submitting this form you agree that the personal data you provided will be transferred to Brevo for processing in accordance with Brevo's Privacy Policy.

Our Mission:

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025.  Designed using Voxel

Speakers Inc Logo 2024
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.