Evan Marks is a mental performance coach, keynote speaker, and former Wall Street portfolio manager who helps elite performers make better decisions under pressure—when stakes are high, time is compressed, and emotions are loud. In January, Evan delivered a TEDx Talk at TEDx Third Ward, where he explored post-traumatic growth, resilience, and the hidden mental mechanics that determine whether pressure breaks us or sharpens us.

Before stepping onto the stage, Evan spent over 25 years inside high-pressure environments—from Division I athletics to Wall Street trading floors—where performance wasn’t theoretical, it was audited daily. After navigating burnout and a personal breaking point, Evan shifted his career toward understanding why high performers sabotage themselves at critical moments, and how the nervous system, unconscious patterning, and meaning-making shape results more than raw talent ever does. His work integrates neuroscience, psychoanalytic theory, and real-world performance psychology into practical frameworks leaders can apply immediately.

Today, Evan speaks to executives, traders, founders, athletes, and leadership teams on topics including decision-making under pressure, emotional regulation, post-traumatic growth, and building a sustainable mental edge. His talks are known for blending hard science with lived experience—challenging audiences not to “think differently,” but to build the internal conditions that make elite performance inevitable. Evan is the founder of M1 Performance Group, where he works privately with hedge fund managers, professional athletes, and senior leaders who operate where mistakes are expensive and clarity is non-negotiable.