Who We Are

Director of Community and Market Engagement

(937) 669-6500

Prior to becoming Director of Community and Market Engagement, Marie was a member of Aileron’s Board of Trustees. She was so inspired by our mission and work, she decided to join the team full time to help grow our community and impact.

She brings 15+ years of experience building, marketing, and scaling community-based educational programs and events. In her most recent role as CEO of Akimbo, Marie helped scale the company from offering one flagship program to offering more than a dozen virtual learning programs that served 20,000+ people in 90 different countries around the world.

You’ll see Marie traveling between Ohio and North Carolina. She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband, Will, their son, Ocy, and their hound dog, Spot. The couple share a deep appreciation for running and growing small businesses, as well as a love of food and local restaurants — particularly Stanbury, the Raleigh-based restaurant Will owns that prioritizes sourcing local ingredients and supporting other small businesses. On the weekends, you can find Marie spending time outdoors or using her skills to support like-minded community organizations.

Marie is a naturally curious learner, and is energized by exploring what is unknown. Her unique approach to leadership emphasizes adventure: “Most things at work and in life are a journey, they take endurance, and there will be times of discomfort — practicing a mindset of curiosity and flexibility will support each step of the way,” she says. And her focus on building relationships and pulling the right people into the right conversations creates a collaborative dynamic that produces impactful work.

What’s something you’re constantly striving to get better at?

“I am always in pursuit of a deeper understanding of who I am so I can leverage that insight to communicate from a place of self-knowing — using tone, language, and energy that is connective and supports the relationships and communities I care about. When I see people using their self-awareness for the sake of connecting to others, I see how much impact they’re making in their communities.”

What are the values that drive you?

“Curiosity, adventure, collaboration, love, service, creativity, community, change, humility, and kindness.”

Why Aileron?

“I really believe in Aileron’s mission, and know when small business owners are supported, it directly impacts the communities they’re in. I’m also energized about using what I’ve learned about building online learning experiences to support Aileron’s mission as we scale across America.”