Mark Yaconelli is a writer, retreat leader, spiritual director, storycatcher, husband, and father. He is the founder and executive director of The Hearth: Building Community One Story at a Time, a registered non-profit that assists cities and service-based agencies in producing personal storytelling events designed to help communities and individuals deepen relationships and cultivate compassion. Through The Hearth, Mark has produced and led events for The Ford Family Foundation, The Center for Congregations, Asante Hospice Services, The Oregon Department of Human Services, Princeton Theological Seminary, The Church in Wales, and many other towns and agencies across the United States and United Kingdom.

Interviews and profiles of Mark Yaconelli’s work have appeared in the national media including the Wall Street Journal, ABC World News Tonight, New York Times Online, Washington Post Online, Christianity Magazine, and CBS Radio. Feature articles on his work with teens have appeared in The Christian Century, Immerse, Group Magazine, Youthworker Journal, and many other Christian publications in the U.S. and U.K..