For over twenty years, Dr. Mark Rittenberg has helped organizations create communities of excellence among their people and empowered individuals to become true leaders with the ability to actualize a vision -- all through the power of communication. Dr. Rittenberg believes that important personal, social, and business problems can be effectively addressed using the Active Communicating methodology he developed -- which draws upon the actor's discipline of engaging, creative and effective communication. 

Dr. Rittenberg's experience extends around the globe, across cultures and across industries. In Israel in the 1970's and 1980's, he was able to use theatrical activities to build cultural bridges and develop mutual respect among the Israeli and Palestinian students in his workshops. In South Africa, he served as Professor of Education specializing in teacher training workshops in arts based education as an interventionist working with at-risk youths in disadvantaged situations. Based upon this work, Dr. Rittenberg was awarded the J. William Fulbright Senior Scholar Award and traveled to post-apartheid South Africa in an attempt to rebuild the self esteem and confidence that had been shattered in Black communities during years of segregation. In 1999, he was asked to return to Israel and apply his cultural conflict resolution experience in Middle East peace initiatives with the Young Leaders Network. Dr. Rittenberg served as both a mediator and communication specialist for the UNESCO Middle East Peace Process forum. He worked with leaders from Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Egypt on peaceful solutions to the Middle East conflict. Rittenberg led a special interest group symposium on arts- based programs for disadvantaged youth for use in community centers in the four countries. 

Dr. Rittenberg is on the business and leadership communications faculty at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business where he was awarded the The Earl F. Cheit Award For Excellence In Teaching . Additionally he currently teaches expressive communication and presentation in Executive Education Programs at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of San Francisco, the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Rittenberg holds a Doctorate in International and Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco. He also holds a Masters of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Education from San Francisco State and a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California at Berkeley where he double majored in Education and Social Welfare.