Marissa currently works as the Director of Advancement Initiatives for the education equity nonprofit Be A Leader Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to relocating to the Southwest, Marissa served as the Operations & Outreach Manager for RIA, Inc., a Massachusetts-based, women-led, nonprofit dedicated to standing with and supporting survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Through her work with RIA, Marissa grew her leadership and management skillset substantially. She oversaw the organization's community outreach work and supported fundraising and grant writing efforts on a daily basis. Marissa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from Northeastern University and has accrued several years of experience in nonprofit leadership and program development.Marissa previously held the position of Field Office Coordinator at the American Red Cross in Okinawa, Japan before being promoted to Regional Program Specialist. With the Service to the Armed Forces-Asia Pacific Division of the Red Cross, she worked to grow and maintain several community-based programs focused on resiliency, disaster preparedness, and volunteer services. Marissa has developed an extensive skillset of emergency training through her work with the Red Cross. She enjoys using her unique knowledge-base and life experiences to teach and empower others in emergency situations. Marissa is happy to be back living and working in the US after her time abroad. She enjoys spending her free time volunteering in the non-profit sector and has worked with animal rescue, humanitarian aid and health care organizations across the globe to give back to her community. Marissa is an avid hiker, backpacker, and world traveler, as well as a passionate supporter of social justice, women's empowerment, sustainability, and animal welfare activism.