Speaking and Workshops

gpereira-diymfa-book1-vertcropGabriela Pereira is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur who wants to challenge the status quo of higher education.

Specializing in a self-guided approach to learning, she is the instigator and founder of DIY MFA, the do-it-yourself alternative to a Masters degree in writing. She has made it her mission to educate writers, designers, and artists at various stages of their careers and empower them to take an entrepreneurial path to learning and professional growth.

Drawing from her experience in various fields—books and publishing, psychology research, graphic design, and the toy industry—Gabriela’s courses and talks challenge people to rethink the mindsets that hold them back, so they can unleash their creative brilliance. Her high-energy teaching style and quirky humor offset her content-rich, nuts and bolts presentations. An entrepreneurial version of Mary Poppins, she uses fun, playful lectures to engage and captivate her audience, all the while discussing complex concepts or technical elements of the writing craft.

Whether she’s giving a keynote at a college campus, presenting at a national marketing conference or even teaching poetry to first graders, her goal is always the same: empower people to share their creative gifts, motivate them to strive for excellence in their craft, and challenge them to go beyond their artistic comfort zones.

To book Gabriela for your next event, use the contact info below or download her one sheet or speaking kit.

Email: gabriela@DIYMFA.com
Phone: (646) 820-8149


Speaker Reel


TEDx Talk


Upcoming Events

Here is where you can catch Gabriela’s presentations and talks. Check back for more updates coming soon.


Recent Appearances

Here’s a list of Gabriela’s most recent talks and appearances.

Past Events include…

Backspace Writers Conference, BlogHer, BlogHerFood, CAPA-U, CraftFest/ThrillerFest, SCBWI NJ Conference, The Write Stuff, WANACon, Writer’s Digest Conference (2014 & 2015), and Writer Igniter Con


Riveting Reviews!

From Event Organizers

Gabriela presented in a friendly, professional way, but with her own sparkling personality. This is one teacher who really knows what she’s doing, and projects just that. Several people told me it was the best conference we ever had.

Bob Isbill, Conference Director for the “Howl at the Moon” Writers’ Conference

Gabriela is an exceptional presenter. Her ability to connect with an audience of writers, and offer content that gives them focus, direction and encouragement is remarkable.

Gary Zenker, Founder & Facilitator, Wilmington and Main Line Writers Groups

Gabriela presentation, at the Backspace Writers Conference was a big hit! Many attendees told us that the information she presented was exactly what they needed to hear at exactly the right time. Gabriela is a pleasure to work with, and her desire to help writers reach their publishing goals really shows.

Karen Dionne, Administrator, Backspace LLC

From Conference Attendees

I loved Gabriela’s wonderful class on outlining. She’s an awesome teacher who not only knows the content perfectly, but also knows how to teach it. Of the fifteen sessions I attended at RWA this year, hers was one of my top three.

Silvi Martin, Contemporary Romance Author

Gabriela’s presentation and worksheets have changed how I look at story structure and my writing process. I took a recent synopsis I was having trouble with and jotted everything down on the worksheet. Immediately my problem became apparent and I was able to clean it up quickly and send it to my agent.

Celia Kyle, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author

Attending Gabriela Pereira’s information-packed session provided me with such great advice that I have referred to the notes almost daily since I started writing my second book. In addition, the resources, at DIY MFA not only help me to grow as a writer, but are served up in a way that makes me feel like I’m getting advice from an old friend.

Niko Godfrey Bommer, Freelancer in Film and TV

I heard Gabriela speak at The Write Stuff Conference and her presentation on outlines was one of the most rewarding sessions there. Thanks for putting together such informative resources.

Wayne Meyers, Systems Engineer

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