This year marks a pivotal moment in the career of Miami-based journalist Mariana Atencio.
In January, she left her job as an NBC News correspondent to launch a production company, GoLike. And, in February, the native Venezuelan became a United States citizen.
Atencio, 36, who came to the U.S. 12 years ago due to violence in her home country, relishes the opportunity to do more immersive storytelling through her production company.
“I want to change the world one story at a time through original reporting and by delivering inspiring content,” she says of GoLike, which she’s launching with Mirna Couto, a veteran television producer who has been her mentor and business partner for six years. “We’re producing stories that build bridges and understanding and help people come together.”
Atencio credits the decision to start her company to the positive response she received after giving a TED Talk three years ago. Her topic, What Makes You Special?, addressed how to embrace the different qualities that make us all unique. It’s also a concept she touches on in her 2019 book, “Perfectly You: Embracing the Power of Being Real.”
“Rather than trying to change who they are based on what others think, I encourage people to embrace their true selves, to determine their purpose in life and where they can be of service,” she says.
For Atencio, a Peabody Award-winning journalist who graduated with a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Journalism, storytelling is her purpose, she says. After graduation, she worked at Fusion TV and Univision before joining NBC in 2016.
Whether covering the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School or the devastation of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico for NBC, she always works to connect with her subjects in an authentic way, she says.
“I work to find the humanity in every story and to connect as a human being. One of my favorite stories has been covering the March for Our Lives movement, organized by the Parkland students. I’m very inspired by this new generation of leaders.” O