Hi, I´m Mariana
I'm Venezuelan, a mother of three, a lover of food, and someone who believes happiness deserves to be taken seriously. Yes, even at work.
I spent more than 16 years working in global organisations, including almost a decade at Google, where I led #IAmRemarkable across EMEA. Along the way, I've worked with people from all walks of life, navigated plenty of change, and learned that some of the most important questions we face are surprisingly similar, whether we're sitting in a boardroom or around the kitchen table.
What matters to me? What does success actually look like? Am I being honest about what I want? What am I going to do about it?
Today, I'm a Happiness Consultant, keynote speaker, facilitator and coach. I work with individuals, teams and organisations to explore those questions, strengthen how we communicate and connect, and make more conscious choices about how we live, work and lead.
I bring curiosity, an outsider's perspective, a healthy dose of challenge and, whenever possible, plenty of laughter. I believe in helping people recognise what they bring, question what might be holding them back and take meaningful action. Because feeling inspired is wonderful, but what happens afterwards matters much more.
And behind all of this is something deeply personal.
Life has taught me that happiness isn't about pretending everything is wonderful. It's about understanding what matters, making conscious choices and finding ways to move forward, even when life looks nothing like you imagined.
That's what Rooting for Happiness means to me. And it's what I bring to the people I work with.
The Happiness Manifesto
The Happiness Manifesto
Happiness isn't pretending everything is wonderful.
It isn't ignoring what hurts, smiling through the difficult bits or expecting life to go according to plan.
Trust me. I know.
To me, rooting for happiness means recognising that life can be extraordinary and incredibly difficult. Sometimes at exactly the same time.
It means understanding what matters to you, questioning the stories you've inherited, recognising what you bring and making conscious choices about what comes next.
It means finding your voice. Having the conversation. Asking for help. Celebrating what you've achieved. And giving yourself permission to define success on your own terms.
And it isn't something we do entirely alone.
The people around us matter. The environments we create matter. How we lead, listen, challenge and support one another matters.
That's why I do this work. Because when we create the conditions for people to feel seen, valued and appreciated, we make more possible.
For ourselves. For each other. And for the organisations and communities we're part of.
Rooting for Happiness isn't about having a perfect life. It's about being an active part of the life we're creating.
You don't have to have it all figured out to start doing things differently
“Mariana is an inspiring, trail-blazing firework of a human being with more explosive, infectious, joyous energy in her littlest finger than most mere mortals possess in their entire bodies”
Ed Lines
Regional Vice President - UK, Ireland and Nordics - Amadeus
“She lifts everyone around her up and raises the bar on projects, culture and public speaking.”
Crystal Eisinger
Global Head of Regional Business Enablement - Google
“Mariana is a fountain of wisdom, positivity and joy, radiating the kind of energy I wish could be bottled.”
James Rosenthal
Director of AI Infrastructure, EMEA - Google Cloud
“I was so impressed by the way you commanded the room so naturally, making the audience laugh with your humour and cry with your honesty and experience.”
Amy dos Santos
Senior Marketing Manager - Xplora Technologies
“Your resilience and authenticity combined with your technical and business acumen drive so much positive impact to our business and ourselves.”
Leo Cavalcanti
Global Client Lead - Amazon
Enough about me. What about you?
Whether you're planning an event, bringing a team together or wondering how things could work better, I'd love to hear what you're thinking.