Mark Victor Hansen, born January 8, 1948, is an American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer, and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Hansen was born to Danish immigrants, Una and Paul Hansen, and grew up in Waukegan, Illinois. He graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1970 with a B.A. in speech communications.

Together with business partner Jack Canfield, Hansen created what Time magazine called "the publishing phenomenon of the decade." The Chicken Soup for the Soul books have become one of the most successful publishing franchises in the world, with more than 500 million books sold internationally and more than 100 licensed products.