Marisa is the President and CEO of the International Community Foundation (ICF). The ICF is an organization that works across borders to connect people, ideas, and investments in the transformative power of community. Her team has set an ambitious agenda that advances the organization’s vision of communities as self-sustaining ecosystems of change. Prior to her work with the ICF, she worked with The San Diego Foundation to advance conservation efforts that ensured community access to clean air, water, and nature, while promoting collaborative action on climate change.
Marisa’s dedication to community action at the local, regional, and national levels is evident in her many leadership roles. She is a co-founder of the San Diego Latina Giving Circle and currently serves on the board of Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center. She has served on the Advisory Board for the Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego, the Center for Diversity and the Environment, and is the outgoing Board Chair for the Environment Grantmakers Association. Marisa holds a master’s in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego and a bachelor’s in Anthropology and Sociology from Mills College in Oakland, California. She is a PLACES fellow, a HOPE graduate, a mama and a doula.