Mark's Emmy-nominated presentation "Words Count," is part of a national outreach program sponsored by QSP, Inc., the educational fundraising arm of Reader's Digest.
QSP has raised more than $3 billion for schools and youth groups in the United States and Canada since it was founded in 1964. And the company supports numerous educational activities that go beyond fundraising - like this speaker program featuring World Champion of Public Speaking, Mark Brown. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, Brown immigrated to the United States at 18 – with $40 in his pocket and a dream of a better life. He never imagined he'd devote his life to helping others. He spent 15 years working in the banking and direct marketing industries as a computer analyst before choosing to develop his public speaking skills.
During a brief career as a systems analyst at Reader's Digest, Brown developed a love for public speaking. But it wasn't until a life-threatening illness in 1993 that he began to focus on a career change.
In 1995, he won Toastmasters International's World Championship of Public Speaking, emerging first in a field of 20,000 entrants. The same year, the Harlem YMCA honored him with a Black Achievers in Industry Award. A QSP sales representative recognized the positive effect Brown could have on young people's lives and suggested he speak to a few student groups a year while continuing his job as systems analyst for Reader's Digest.
In 1998, Brown joined QSP full-time as the Community Relations Manager. He now spreads his positive messages to more than 150 audiences each year. He's also delivered keynote addresses for numerous state and national conferences, including the Maine Attorney General's Conference on Civil Rights, the California Association of Student Leaders, and meetings of the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Middle School Association.
He lives with his wife and their three children in Mount Vernon, N.Y.