Michael Mann
Michael Mann is an award-winning speaker, author and parenting columnist. His warm and enthusiastic style captivates more than 15,000 people each year – parents, educators, corporate leaders and children of all ages. He has presented keynotes for the MN Association for the Education of Young Children, the Midwest School Violence Prevention Conference, the Northeast US Character in Education Conference and the International Child and Adolescent Conference.
Michael brings a unique contribution to Mind Positive Parenting as the co-founder of the Center for Imagination. His mission is to connect people with their innate creativity. With his daughter Laura, Michael co-writes the parenting column Imagine That! published online at CenterForImagination.org and in print in the Metro Lutheran newspaper.
Michael has received many awards including the 2010 Parents’ Choice Award for the CD Story Time with Santa, the 2009 Storytelling World Award and Northstar Storytelling League’s Storystick Award for service to the community. In 2008 he garnered the Parents’ Choice Award, the National Association of Parenting Publications Award and the MediaWise Champion award. As a member of Cygnus Storytelling he co-authored Telling Stories: A Storytelling Handbook.
Michael was educated at the University of Minnesota and trained in storytelling and theater at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Michael is a student of the Vygotskian approach to childhood development and E. Paul Torrance’s work on human creativity.
On holiday weekends you can find Michael performing as the Storytelling Santa Claus for Bachman’s in Minneapolis where he and Albert the Elf perform to standing room only audiences.
Father of four, grandfather of three, Michael lives in Minneapolis with Vicki, his wife.
What audiences say about Michael Mann
"Many of our members commented on how they loved your approach and thought it was a great program."
- Jean Morrison - Rotary Club of Edina
"I am being visited daily by attendees of your presentation. Every comment has been highly complimentary. The staff that did not attend wanted to know, 'who is this man who got our people so excited?' "
- Mary Schoelch, Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis
"Fantastic!"
- Brian Siverson-Hall Executive Director, MnAEYC
"Wow!! You did a great job. We will definitely be contacting you in the future. Thanks for caring for KIDS."
- Jacqueline Strand Executive Director, Northwest Connection Family Resources
"Your presentation was mesmerizing! Mike, you do such an amazing job. Even hearing the parent's comments is quite a testimonial - not surprising!"
- Diane Smith, St. Bernard's Catholic School
Most requested topics:
No, Why Kids - of All Ages - Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It
From Online Safety to Digital Citizenship: Raising Kids in an Online World