Mario F. Wright

Background

About Mario F. Wright

Mario F. Wright is a poet, author, actor, social justice advocate, and serial entrepreneur from East Orange, NJ. Currently, he is the Creative Arts Coordinator at the Fortune Society where he strengthens the justice impacted community through the arts. Prior to this position, he was a Digital Media Fellow at Second Chance Studios, where he was selected to be a part of the second-ever cohort focused on helping returning citizens build digital media careers. Mario owned and operated businesses such as a wireless phone store, snow plowing service, and music studio where he provided jobs and opportunities for his community. Additionally, he holds certifications from Fortune Society and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for Narcan Administration and Social Services, respectively. Mario is passionate about using creative arts to serve underrepresented communities. His second book The Janitor: No Such Thing as a Bad Child is a children’s book on healing that contains a powerful message for children, teachers, and parents alike — while the direction of one’s life is molded during early childhood, and despite mistakes, there is no such thing as a bad child. Learning from the many failures of his own, he writes with the hope of stopping others from falling from their own missteps. With his writing and speaking, he aims to help at-risk youth resist the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, addiction, impoverished neighborhoods, and violence. His soon-to-be-released third book Poetic Freedom II completes his two-part anthology of poetry written during some of the hardest times in his life. Mario performs his poetry under the name Influential Finesse. Mario is honored to serve as a leader in his community focused on sharing his experiences to help others. He has three marvelous children and presently lives in New York City.