ABOUT ... DAMARIS MERCADO & MAKING IT HAPPEN ...
Damaris L Mercado started her career in events and projects while in her teens performing and working in musical theatre through an after school program. Then, as a Club MTV dancer, she became more intrigued with what was happening behind the scenes.
Encouraged by her mother to explore all things of interest, and by her father to “know how to make your own productions happen and not wait for someone else to cast you”, she was thrust into the family business traveling and working on recording projects, music videos and concerts at world renowned venues.
Many moons later and based in New York City, she’s produced numerous events, projects, and programs, including a few fun personal highlights such as:
- creating, producing & directing an award winning TV show, establishing an acting school, & directing a live televised fundraising concert in Panama City, Panama
- creating & teaching a bilingual screenwriting class at Rikers Island Academy for incarcerated youth in New York City
- co-facilitating a dance & writing retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in The Berkshires
- event design and development of an annual Leadership Summit on college access & success for high school students, families and counselors as part of the Latino College Expo in New York City
- curating various pop-up exhibits via MercadoProject.org in honor of her father and Latin music impresario, Ralph Mercado
- producing & hosting a mini-Salsa festival Tribute to RMM at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' Midsummer Night’s Swing Concert Series in New York City
- cultivated a virtual community, a COVID-19 initiative to support people navigating life and work transitions and produced a 10-episode podcast for WellnessWednesdayWeekly.com
With more than 3 decades of experiences wearing her creator-producer-educator-writer-host hat, Damaris loves coaching, consulting and teaching people how to bring their visions to fruition through her company Making IT Happen.
Damaris is also passionately dedicated to mentoring midlife moms, as well as her ongoing community projects and a monthly column she co-authors on life after high school in the publication AMNewYork.
