Mario Small

Mario Small

Keynote Speaker: Professor of Sociology at Harvard University; Award-Winning Author on Urban Poverty & Personal Networks

  • Travels From:
  • Speaking Fee:
    Live Event Fee: Below $10,000
    Virtual Event Fee: Contact us for details
    More Fee Info
  • Categories:

Mario Small Biography

Mario L. Small, Ph.D., an expert on personal networks, social inequality, urban poverty, and field methods, is Quetelet Professor of Social Science at Columbia University. A University of Bremen Excellence Chair, and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, and the Sociological Research Association, Small has contributed empirically creative, innovative works to research on how social, neighborhood, and organizational contexts affect people's ability to meet their needs. He has shown that poor neighborhoods in commonly-studied cities such as Chicago are not representative of ghettos everywhere, that how people conceive of their neighborhood shapes how its conditions affect them, and that local organizations in poor neighborhoods often broker connections to both people and organizations. Small has demonstrated that people's social capital—including how many people they know and how much they trust others—depends on the organizations in which they are embedded. His work on methods has shown that many practices used to make qualitative research more scientific are ineffective. His recent book examines why people are consistently willing to confide their deepest worries to people they are not close to, and proposes an approach to network analysis that begins with what people do in practice. His latest volume, at 750 pages with 50 contributors, is a definitive guide to person-centered research on social networks.

Small, the only two-time recipient of the C. Wright Mills Best Book Award, has received numerous awards his works, including the Robert Park Best Book Award, the James Coleman Best Book Award, a PROSE Award Honorable Mention in Sociology and Anthropology, a Choice Outstanding Academic Title designation, and others. His articles have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Nature Human Behaviour, American Journal of Sociology, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Theory and Society, Social Networks, Annual Review of Sociology, Sociological Methods and Research, and Social Forces, among other journals. His work has been featured by the New York Times, the Washington Post, Public Radio International, Quartz, the Huffington Post, Pacific Standard, Greater Good, the Chronicle Review, Commonwealth, and Spotlight on Poverty, among other outlets. Small has served as Associate Editor of the American Journal of Sociology, Advisory Editor of Social Problems and Sociological Quarterly, Editorial Committee Member of the Annual Review of Sociology, and Editorial Board Member of Social Psychology Quarterly and Sociological Forum. He is currently Deputy Editor of Sociological Science and Editorial Board Member of Social Science Quarterly. He has served as Council Member of the American Sociological Association, and chaired the ASA’s report on the 2010 National Research Council Assessment of Doctoral Programs.

Small has made extensive service contributions. At the University of Chicago, as Dean of the Division of the Social Sciences, he spearheaded initiatives that increased support for students, generated new resources for faculty research, seeded programs in urban and in computational social science, empirically assessed the institutional climate for students and for faculty of all backgrounds, and substantially expanded the Division’s reserves. He has been a trustee of the National Opinion Research Center and the University of Chicago Charter School, and a board member of the Spencer Foundation. At Harvard University, he chaired the Provost's university-wide task force on student mental health. He is currently on the board of the Russell Sage Foundation and of the International Network for Social Network Analysis. Small has advised practitioners and policy makers in the private sector, in the administrations of several major cities, and in the U.S. Congress; served as expert panelist to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services); and testified on social capital and inequality before the U.S. Senate.

Born and raised in Cerro Viento, PTY, Small received a B.A. in 1996 from Carleton College, and an M.A. in 1998 and a Ph.D. in 2001 from Harvard University. He currently lives in New York with his wife and two children.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Mario Small and other top speakers and celebrities.

Mario Small Videos

Mario L Small AERA 2019 Spencer Lecture
2019 G&WS: Mario Small Presents “On Power, Ambiguity, and ...
Mario Small "Understanding Personal Networks: The Limits of Big ...

How do I book Mario Small to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Mario Small for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Mario Small, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Mario Small or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Mario Small for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Mario Small, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is Below $10,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Mario Small, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Mario Small speak about?

Mario Small is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Government, Overcoming Adversity, Design, Social Sciences, Economy, Professors and Leadership.

Where does Mario Small travel from?

Mario Small generally travels from Boston, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Mario Small?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Mario Small for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Mario Small for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Mario Small or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Mario Small is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Government, Overcoming Adversity and Design. The estimated speaking fee range to book Mario Small for live events is Below $10,000. Please contact us for virtual event fees. Mario Small generally travels from Boston, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Nicholas Burns, Michael Thompson and Elizabeth Nabel. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Mario Small for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 13/06/2024.

Mario Small Videos

Mario L Small AERA 2019 Spencer Lecture
2019 G&WS: Mario Small Presents “On Power, Ambiguity, and ...
Mario Small "Understanding Personal Networks: The Limits of Big ...
Ascend 2-Gen Anthology Release
  • How do I book Mario Small to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Mario Small for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Mario Small, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Mario Small or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Mario Small for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Mario Small, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is Below $10,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Mario Small, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Mario Small speak about?

    Mario Small is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Government, Overcoming Adversity, Design, Social Sciences, Economy, Professors and Leadership.
  • Where does Mario Small travel from?

    Mario Small generally travels from Boston, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Mario Small?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Mario Small for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Mario Small for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Mario Small or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
BOOKING INFORMATION REQUEST
MARIO SMALL

We are happy to assist you with your interest in booking a speaker or celebrity for your event, your organization, and the type of talent you would like to secure, and an agent will be in touch shortly.

Fill out the form below to or call us at 1-800-698-2536 if need immediate assistance.

Tell us about your event!

We respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. Under special circumstances, it may take up to 24 hours.


This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.